Context:
This is an application for either
apple products or android products (it is available on both the Apple store and
the Google play store) and it intended to be a fun way to have people, and in
my circumstance students learn math facts. The subject area is clearly math,
but goes over a fairly broad range of math exercises, making this application
work for kids from grade 3 all the way through high school (I have yet to beat
the final level). The premise of this application is that math facts should be
memorized and doing so through a fun and competitive game makes the process a
lot more fun and will encourage students to keep on playing the game. The game
is set up as a timed round where the system gives you one question at a time,
the user types in the correct answer, either the correct answer was given and
the system moves onto a new answer or a vibration and a noise signal the user
they entered the wrong answer. The previous answer is erased and the user must
enter the correct answer. Each round 20 answers must be completed and to move
to the next round where harder questions will be given the 20 questions will
need to be completed in a given amount of time. Each incorrect answer is a
penalty of 5 seconds.
Description of project:
This application could be implemented
into many math classes as a fun way to encourage the students to memorize their
math facts. The classroom I worked in had a few students that even in third
grade had to look on a sheet for each multiplication problem when using single
digits. If this application was implemented for students to use even just once
a day at the end of their math period it would create make the students want to
memorize facts that are crucial to being a student. When students fail to
memorize their math facts they fall behind in math and ultimately are not as
successful as a student as they potentially could be. With the implementation
of this application the students will want to have fun playing the game, but
will be learning important facts at the same time.
Theoretical Framework:
Theoretical
framework consists of three parts, the technical knowledge, the pedagogical
knowledge, and the content knowledge. The technology in my project consists of
using either a smart phone or a tablet in the classroom. This is feasible for
most classes because more and more students of all ages have access to these
technologies and more and more school districts are providing these
technologies. Either an apple devise or an android powered devise will work;
the app is free with either operating system. The pedagogical knowledge is
simply knowing how to effectively teach math. For this app the math instruction
is done through the program itself, simply drilling of math facts will teach
the students the facts and will ingrain the facts in their memory? The content
of this application is variable depending on what level the game is set to. The
easy level has easy math that could easily be completed by 3rd
graders, on the medium level the math is appropriate for students in the middle
school range and on the hard level the math is appropriate for students in high
school and beyond. None of the math is extremely difficult, but because it is
about memorizing math all the facts should be completed in the users head.
What happens from here:
What I
would love to see happen from here is to see this application implemented into
a class’s daily routine. It would be very interesting to see the long term
effects of the memorization of these math facts over a student’s educational
career, but finding that information would be nearly impossible. I believe the
implementation of a math game like this that can track the students progress
and will create a competitive environment about learning would greatly increase
the students interest in math and ultimately improve their overall outcome in
math classes.
One
downfall to this app is that on an android tablet it does not display
correctly, it is stretched and you cannot see all the buttons needed for the
game. If this could be fixed, then I would have no complaints.
Here is a link to the applications website. http://www.mathsworkout.net/
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