Thursday, April 17, 2014

Online Interactive Math Tools

figure 1
figure 2

Teachers and administrators have expressed concern to me that elementary students need more practice using interactive math tools that will be part of the Smarter Balanced online assessments.  Students need to understand the concepts, and be comfortable using online tools.

If students are learning how to measure angles, it would make sense to have them use a plastic protractor as they develop skills, and then move to an online protractor (although I suppose they could also start with the online protractor).

Where might you find online interactive tools?  The screenshot above is from the Khan Academy Common Core website for 4th grade mathematics.  The site is free. It also works on Chromebooks!  The task for this example is to measure the angle using the online protractor (figure 1). Students move the online protractor over the angle and rotate it to measure the angle (figure 2). They then determine if the angle is acute, right, or obtuse.  The goal is to practice measuring angles using an online protractor and get 5 questions in a row correct. If they get a question incorrect, they can click a button and get a hint. If the hint isn't helpful, there is also an instructional video that they can watch.

Students practice and learn to measure angles quickly when they get the immediate feedback. It doesn't take them long to figure out how to move the protractor over the angle by dragging and dropping with the computer mouse and then click on the arrow to rotate it.

Yes, they will do better on the Smarter Balanced test if they are given opportunities to answer questions and manipulate objects online, similar to what  they will experience on the test. But that is not the main point. Learning to measure angles and categorize them as acute, right, and obtuse in this way saves time for the teacher, and the built-in immediate feedback and support makes it easier for students to quickly learn and practice new concepts.

Of course teachers need to review any learning activities prior to using them with students, but using a site such as this one would be one more way to determine if students mastered that day's learning target.

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