pre algebra – iLearn Technology

Lure of the Labyrinth

February 20, 2009Kelly Tenkely4 Comments2124 views

What it is: Lure of the Labyrinth is a interactive math game created by Fable Vision, MPT, and MIT. In the game underground monsters come to life as students plunge into a shadowy factory on a mission to rescue a missing pet. Students take on a monster persona and disguise themselves as monster insiders to maneuver through math problems. As students work through the game, they will work with proportions, fractions, ratios, variables, equations, numbers, and operations.

How to integrate Lure of the Labyrinth into the classroom: Lure of the Labyrinth can be played individually or in team play. This game is excellent for students who may not otherwise feel successful in math. The game encourages critical thinking and problem solving and is aligned to math standards. This would be a great way for students to work through problems and show what they know.

Tips: Be sure to stop off in the educator section on Lure of the Labyrinth for an explanation of the game, lesson plans, standards, and the math behind each puzzle that needs to be solved. With all of the resources and guidance, this is a fail proof game to introduce in your math class!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Lure of the Labryinth in your classroom.

Mathway: Step-by-Step Math Problem Solver

January 27, 2009Kelly Tenkely3 Comments8499 views

What it is: Mathway is a website that I initially didn’t appreciate. The site is a step-by-step problem solver and my immediate reaction was: so we will be helping students cheat? But, the more I explored the site, the more I saw its value. The beauty of Mathway is that it is not just a site where students enter an equation and get an answer, the site shows the process of getting to that answer. It shows them the step-by-step process of obtaining the correct answer. Mathway has a step-by-step problem solver for basic math, pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, precalculus, and calculus. It also has a graph section and a math glossary.

How to integrate Mathway into the classroom: Mathway could be very valuable to students who have notebooks full of notes but get home to solve the problem and are still stumped. I like that it doesn’t just give students the final answer but leads them to the answer, showing them the process. This would also be very useful in a large class. If students are struggling with a problem, they can visit the math center (a computer with Mathway) instead of wasting time waiting for a teacher explanation.

Tips: Let parents know about , you will be saving them from the frustration of having to dig into the recesses of their mind to remember how to do some of this, and saving yourself from re-explaining the correct method after parents have guessed and taught students the wrong way.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using Mathway in your classroom.