Fractions

Overview

Curator: Amanda Atkinson

 

Name & Link to Tech Tool: Basic Fractions

 

Brief Description of Tech Tool: This is an app for the i-Pad that practices operations with fractions. Students can practice skills such as identifying, reducing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions. There are also games available with each skill to help engage students in their practice the skills.

 

Evaluation

Description of Learning Activity: Students will use this app to practice computing various operations with fractions.

 

1. Learning Activity Types

LA-Practice - practicing for fluency

 

2. What mathematics is being learned?

• Common Core Standards: 

  • CCSS.Math.Content.5.NF.A.1

  • CCSS.Math.Content.6.NS.A.1

• NCTM Standards:

  • NCTM-N&0-compute fluently - compute fluently and make reasonable estimates

• Proficiency Strands:

  • PS-prodedural fluency - with this app, students practice basic computations with fractions. Students must know what procedure to use to make the correct computations

 

3. How is the mathematics represented?

The mathematics is represented graphically (visual representation of a fraction) and numerically (fractions). Students can also use virtual "chalk" to create and show their mathematical calculations. Students can also practice using the game options.

 

4. What role does technology play?

The advantages to using this app to practice fraction operations are that students are more engaged when using technology and they can practice various concepts at one time. They can also use the games which are more engaging to students. The disadvantage is that students can do the same things on the app that they could do on a standard worksheet (except the games).

• Affordances of Technology for Supporting Learning:

  • Communicating and Collaborating - Students could work with other students using this app, taking turns completing problems and playing the game modes. Also, students communicate understanding through the completion of each problem on the app.

 

5. How does the technology fit or interact with the social context of learning?

This app could be used by individuals or by pairs of students. Students could work with anther student using this app, taking turns completing problems and playing the game modes. Also, students communicate understanding through the completion of each problem on the app.

 

6. What do teachers and learners need to know?

This app requires very little knowledge of technology. Once the app is installed on the device, students simply need to select the app and choose which skill they want to practice. Students need to know how to do each of the skills (identifying, reducing, adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing, and solving fractions) represented in the app. This app is best used to practice each skill and would not work well as a teaching tool for these skills unless the teacher showed the whole class how to compute each operation projecting the app. Students should need very little instruction in how to use the app.