Today we are going to take a general look at the robust reporting features of Math-Whizz for teachers with our very own UK Independent Schools Advisor, Liam. This is great information for teachers and administers who are getting ready for new school year and want to get the most out of Math-Whizz.
As Liam pointed out, status icons help you easily decipher at a glance how your students are progressing. Remember we don’t leave you wondering what factors have contributed to each student’s status; you can always hover your mouse over an icon for a more in-depth look behind the status. This is particularly helpful in identifying areas that need improving quickly and effectively. The hover over feature is also found in a number of other reporting areas. For example, this feature appears on the number line when looking at students in the class view. Hover over a student icon on the line to see who’s who and their current Math Age™. We also want to make sure teachers and administrators are able to ensure students are using Math-Whizz properly. Just click on the usage tab while in class reports to see each student’s usage while in the tutor mode. So remember – time spent in the bedroom watering plants or using the replay feature are not counted toward usage. This is helpful if you feel as though your students are scheduled to use Math-Whizz 60 minutes a week but their usage is only registering say 40 minutes.
I hope you found this video tutorial and post useful. Next time we’ll be taking another look at reporting features, with even more tips and recommendations for how you and your students can get the most out of Math-Whizz!
About the Author: Rita Rogers grew up in the PNW and despite her “low-tech” houseboat upbringing, went on to complete her Master’s of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in 2010. She is passionate about the convergence of education and technology, educational gaming, and outer space.
Although it feels as though summer has just arrived in Seattle, we all know school is just around the corner. As teachers begin preparing for another year, I thought it might be a good time to talk about motivation. While some students may seem automatically wired with an appetite for learning, others may need a bit more convincing. Undeniably, at some point in their education students need personal attention and understanding in order to be successful and begin reaching their full potential (my own personal list of thank yous is far too long to note here!). Now, we all know the our very own Whizz Prof is no substitution for an actual teacher, but he and Math-Whizz can certainly offer some help. Natalie, our Product Manager in the UK, shows us how.
So while a teacher might not be able to check in with each and every student on a daily basis, Math-Whizz enables them to easily and personally motivate students using tools featured in our Teachers’ Resource. From a messaging system to individualized certificates, we’ve provided educators with numerous options. Our development team has also packed a lot of goodies and incentives (have you seen the way Whizzers decorate their bedrooms?) for students that keep them excited and interested in Math-Whizz, and therefore math.
About the Author: Rita Rogers grew up in the PNW and despite her “low-tech” houseboat upbringing, went on to complete her Master’s of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in 2010. She is passionate about the convergence of education and technology, educational gaming, and outer space.
Today we are going to talk about the comparative measure that is wholly unique to Math-Whizz, Math Age™. We’ve mentioned it before in previous posts on how the tutor works and in taking a deeper look into the student assessment, and indeed it plays an important role in Math-Whizz. So, what exactly is Math Age™? What is it measuring and how is it useful?
The video tutorial below, presented by our London based CEO, Richard Marett, will help us answer these questions.
As you can see Math Age™ is an invaluable measure for mapping progress and assessing strengths and weaknesses in terms of numeracy. For each student, Math Age™ is assigned to individual topics and then is averaged for an overall composite. These numbers allow educators and parents alike to view an individual’s progress. As a result, Math Age™ allows teachers or parents to create targeted lesson plans that give each individual the attention in the areas where they need it most – just like Math-Whizz.
About the Author: Rita Rogers grew up in the PNW and despite her “low-tech” houseboat upbringing, went on to complete her Master’s of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in 2010. She is passionate about the convergence of education and technology, educational gaming, and outer space.
Math-Whizz 101 is back for our second installment in the series! Now that you have an understanding of how the Math-Whizz tutor works, you are certainly ready to take a deeper look into one of the first things a Whizzer will accomplish – the assessment. Our very own Whizz Professor is going to take us on a guided tour of the initial assessment that, after completion, will help the tutor begin assigning individualized, targeted math lessons. This video tutorial is a great way to get your student, or child, excited and ready to begin using Math-Whizz – let’s take a look!
The first question of the assessment will be delivered based on the actual age of the student. If the student should correctly answer this question, the level of difficulty will increase with each subsequent question until the student reaches a point where they no longer demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the area. Conversely, if a student has difficulty answering the first question presented, questions with a slightly lower level of difficulty will be delivered.
Typically, the assessment will last about 20 -45 minutes, although this time can vary based on the amount of knowledge (and concentration!) a student brings to the session. Remember it is more than OK to take breaks during the assessment, the progress will be saved. This adaptive and responsive assessment is the foundation upon which Math-Whizz is built, ensuring that each student continually receives precisely the right lessons for their needs. Essentially, the assessment provides a snapshot of the student’s math ability by topic, and assigns them a beginning Math Age™ which will help in determining their initial lesson plan. Now the student is ready to begin using the tutor and exploring all that Math-Whizz has to offer.
It’s worth mentioning that the assessment can be reset at anytime – just contact us!
About the Author: Rita Rogers grew up in the PNW and despite her “low-tech” houseboat upbringing, went on to complete her Master’s of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in 2010. She is passionate about the convergence of education and technology, educational gaming, and outer space.
We are happy to announce a new series of posts that will help you better understand and utilize the countless Math-Whizz features by highlighting and guiding you through some of our video tutorials. A portion of the tutorials will be targeted towards specific audiences, while others will prove helpful for all those who come in contact with Math-Whizz – from those just looking to experienced Math-Whizzers – there will be something for everyone.
So, to get things started let us take a deeper look into just how the Math-Whizz tutor works to deliver such an engaging and personalized learning environment.
“How the Tutor Works” is presented by our London based CEO, Richard Marett.
As you can see, after initially completing the assessment, the tutor begins tailoring Math-Whizz to each student; the math lessons and online games are completely customized to the child with the intention of boosting the students’ overall Math Age™. Content is aligned with Common Core as well as encompassing many individual State standards. The more than 1200 math lessons are delivered using interactive and entertaining math games that not only engage each student, but make them excited and motivated to learn. Math-Whizz recognizes that these lessons, while incredible teaching tools, are not always representative of testing situations students experience in school, and thus delivers short assessments at the end of lessons when appropriate. This not only ensures success in the classroom, but total comprehension of a mathematical concept as well.
About the Author: Rita Rogers grew up in the PNW and despite her “low-tech” houseboat upbringing, went on to complete her Master’s of Communication in Digital Media at the University of Washington in 2010. She is passionate about the convergence of education and technology, educational gaming, and outer space.
It’s raining and the kids are complaining “I’m bored!” Here are fun activities that also reinforce math skills!
Kitchen Fun! Many children love to help out in the kitchen, especially when the end results are cookies! Choose something that requires a lot measurement, such as baking cookies. Stand back and let the kids do the measuring and pouring. Ask questions about conversions and have them experiment with the tools – i.e. how many ounces are in a cup?
Cards! The popular card game ‘War’ as is helps with ordering (which card is greater/lesser), but add a twist. Each player puts down two cards instead of one, and sums the value of the card (add your own value to the king, jack and queen cards to make it easier/harder). The person with the higher value wins the hand.
Math-Whizz! We certainly do not want to forget to mention Math-Whizz! Sign your children up for Math-Whizz and let them have access to a fun and adaptive online math tutor presented to them through a personalized learning environment. Go to Math-Whizz to learn more.
Have suggestions? Post them to the Whizz Prof Facebook Page or comment here. We want your feedback!
Get your game on with Math-Whizz this summer – the famous Whizz Adventure is now available!!
The challenge (if you’re up for it) - Help the Whizz Professor find his way out the jungle. You’ll be racing the clock while solving math puzzles, exploring mazes and finding your way out of tricky situations. Every level you complete unlocks a new piece of the story!
Log in to your Math-Whizzaccount to get started, or visit the Math-Whizz start page, create a free account and – if you like the look of Math-Whizz (we are confident you will) – sign up! Complete a few lessons to earn credits so you can go on the adventure!
Access the summer adventure by clicking the postcard that lands on your Whizz Bedroom doormat. This will load the Summer Adventure experience.
How do you work out how to play the opening chord of ‘A Hard Day’s Night’? Use Math, of course!
This is interesting research from the bleeding-edge interface of hard math and pop culture. The research, reported by William Weir, seems to show that the hitherto mysterious opening chord of this classic pop song can be identified, thanks to mathematician Jason Brown:
The combination of Lego, the obsession of this writer’s early years, and math, the preoccupation of his working days, means there IS ONLY ONE GIFT that I will consider this year – the Lego Calculator. (via Rex – site not always suitable for minors).
We suggest young, aspiring mathematicians everywhere do the following:
- Buy Lego to build whole new worlds out of plastic bricks;
- Subscribe to Math-Whizz to learn the most important skills you’ll ever need;
- Use your ‘Building Blocks Calculator‘ to calculate the trajectory of your Mars rocket when you’re a top-notch scientist and pioneering astronaut in twenty-five years’ time.
