CONTACT: MATHLETICS.CO.UK
REVIEWED BY: JOHN DABELL
Mathletics has carved itself a reputation as the world’s no 1 e-learning maths system used by four million students across the planet. This impressive web-based learning program integrates home and school maths via the internet and covers all aspects of mathematics with thousands of online maths activities for learners from Early Years to Year 13.
Mathletics is all about making maths fun and improving confidence by playing to children’s individual strengths and weaknesses. One of the central aims is to provide content of an appropriate level of difficulty for all abilities. It is very easy for both teachers and learners to use. Pupils start by creating their own personal avatar and once this is done it’s straight into an activity appropriate to their year group and teachers can modify and personalise a curriculum plan to meet individual needs. The learning platform is clean, clear and unfussy, which means it’s businesslike without being tedious. There is an air of fun and engagement about Mathletics and users are overwhelmingly positive about using it. The software is very exciting as a motivational tool because it drives pupils on to improve their knowledge and skills in order to gain additional credits so that they can update their avatar or gain a higher certificate. Mathletics centres on what fundamentally motivates pupils, such as crediting Personal Bests and awarding certificates, and provides the opportunity to challenge pupils around the world. This means that if you are a pupil sat in Great Yarmouth then someone else could be competing against you in Mexico City. Pupils get their names on the website if they do well and so the site can be very competitive and even potentially addictive.
The teachers’ area contains a wide-ranging assortment of tools that can be used to create classes, create groups, move students around, view courses, see results, assign activities, and see how much pupils are engaging with Mathletics on a weekly basis. What I really like is that you can view a snapshot of individual and whole class results and progress, which means you get to plan with a strategy in mind rather than shooting in the dark. Mathletics comes with a Challenger section, too, so you can assign tests to your pupils which once completed add valuable diagnostic data to your teaching, learning and assessment plans. My favourite section? That would be the Teacher Toolkit and contains walkthrough sections, a dictionary, widgets, and some brilliant video demonstrations of the maths in question. You will also find an instant ebook series which is a whole set of resources for pupils to use along with a teacher book too. If you hit a brick wall with any part of Mathletics then you don’t have to press the panic button because there are step by step guides to walk you through your haze.
Niggles? I’ve read a lot about Mathletics being a proven maths resource that increases children’s results in maths by an average of 31% if used for at least an hour a week. That’s impressive but I’d like to see some UK based sourced stats to back this up. One thing that does bother me is that I have heard of meddling pupils being able to change their scores within software such as this – although all the evidence suggests that the Mathletics team is very much on the ball with such issues. Finally, I think looking through the dictionary section some definitions need revisiting as I’m not convinced they are entirely accurate or go into sufficient detail.
These are mere quibbles, however. Overall, Mathletics is simple to use and a very useful resource for practising and sharpening pupils’ maths performances. It might be time for you to join the other 10,000 schools around the world using it as a supplemental for helping children achieve light bulb moments and concept mastery.
Stop press!
TS has just learnt that Mathletics has been shortlisted in the Secondary Digital Content category for the 2013 BETT Awards, which celebrate the highest level of achievements by companies that supply ICT for education – a sound endorsement indeed!
The white stuff
TeacherBoards is proud to introduce a range of interactive whiteboards that have been designed for schools. Easy to install and compatible with leading PC software, they combine cutting-edge technology with a durable porcelain surface that allows them to be used as a traditional whiteboard as well. The board specs include an intuitive interface touch-screen technology and the capability to record and play back discussions and save comments on annotated PDFs.
Launched earlier this year, these interactive boards have been recognised for offering excellent value-for-money and being an excellent tool to add clarity and creativity to lessons and workshops. To book in a free demonstration or brochure call 01756 700501.
Verdict:
It all adds up
Enjoyable, accessible, competitive and value for money, Mathletics admirably meets the motivational needs of pupils and organisational needs of teachers; for a free trial, contact .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call 0117 370 1990
