Math Apps
NUMBER PYRAMIDS
In this class students practice mental math by playing number pyramids app, one of our math apps that we have developed. We acquire cell phones and tablets so that students could work with a device in teams of 3 or 4 members.
In this way, the didactic intention was the development of skills and learning achievement in a playful, constructive, transversal and differentiated way.
It’s playful. Since the students have fun trying to arrange the tiles with the missing values in order to complete the math puzzle as fast as they can.
It’s constructive. Given that students test their previous knowledge and skills developed at different levels, which have variations of difficulty, and encourage students to seek new, more efficient solution strategies. In this way, students become more self-learners.
It´s transversal. Because students practice mental math. Besides, they can learn to solve addition problems, linear equations, and system of equations. Moreover, the transition from concrete thinking to abstract thinking is linked in a pleasant way. This by presenting variants of the missing value in the course of the levels.
It’s differentiated. For the reason that the students solve tailored challenges according to their abilities and aptitudes, by the different levels that are presented. For example, the best students are able to solve the simple levels more quickly. However, at the advanced levels they encounter more hard challenges.
Student opinions
“I found it quite useful because while we have fun we learn a lot. Also I think that many of the kids that struggle wit math, they can have more fun playing this game. Besides, they can play with their whole family.”
“It seemed like a lot of fun to me, you start to push yourself and you start to think much faster over time.”
Where to find our math apps?
The application that we work on in the class is available at Pyramid Sums.
We also develop Magic Squares App, which we have applied in distance education modality.
