Math is often a dreaded subject, for teachers, for students, and for parents. Often the problem is not the material itself but how it is being taught. " Research has shown that there is a better way to teach math that leads to math empowerment rather than math failure." (YouCubed.com).
YouCubed is a website aimed at making learning math more enjoyable for everyone involved. It aims to make students aware of how math plays a role in their everyday lives and can help and be of benefit to them. It is being spearheaded by Jo Boaler, a math specialist from Stanford University.
The website contains a ton of useful information, especially helpful are the videos. The videos aim to help build "self-confident, math-loving children and students" (YouCubed.com). It is a great resource for teachers to find new ways to approach math in the classroom, and be able to actually watch videos of it in action. There are also some really great math games that teachers can choose from to help emphasis a math concept being taught. I know myself as a child I would have definitely grasped math concepts better through using them to play a game, heck that would probably still work just as well for me now! On top of that YouCubed keeps the activities basic enough that anyone can do them, and no special equipment is needed. All you need for a full list of their elementary aged games are a few balls and some glow sticks.
Another great aspect of this resource is that it is free and also accessible by parents. So if a teacher were to find a very useful video that clearly demonstrates a math concept that is currently being covered in class, the link could be shared with the parents. I know many parents would be grateful for information that will help them help their child with their homework, especially for math.
Once YouCubed is fully operational it will be an amazing resource for all teachers, parents and students. I for one see myself turning to YouCubed when I am planning my math curriculum throughout the years. I think it will also help me as an educator gain more confidence in my math abilities, and even more so in my ability to teach math in an effective but fun way!
No comments:
Post a Comment