The Learning School, Boston MA

Math News: Ms. Scala’s 2nd Grade!

Technology in our classroom!

October 6, 2014 Volume 1, Issue 1

Dear Parents, I want to share some exciting news with you about

mathematics in our classroom! To show students how much fun math can be, I do my best to make learning interactive and engaging. I love using manipulatives to help students visualize concepts through concrete objects. We are currently learning about rational numbers—fractions, decimals, ratios and proportions—and because kids love technology, I am trying to incorporate it more into mathematics instruction to make learning more meaningful. I hope you will enjoy learning about the new program we are using!

~ Ms. Scala

Please contact me with any questions! Email: math@bc.edu Call: 123-456-7891

Introducing….The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives!

NLVM is an online collection of tools intended to help in the teaching and learning of mathematics, with activities for students in grades k-12. The library consists of applets that involve manipulatives through which students solve problems and learn interactively. We will be using these modules in class, but I encourage you to explore these activities with your child at home by going to http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/category_g_1_t_1.html. Please read on to learn about two useful applets from the NLVM website!

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Example 1: “Visualizing Fractions” In this module, students are given a fraction and they must figure out how to represent it. The object is to divide a rectangle into the proper number of sections and then determine how many of the sections should be shaded-in. For example, the student will be shown ¼ (also written out as “1 out of 4”). He specifies how many sections he would like to divide the rectangle into, and then clicks on the sections to shade them in the proper number. After clicking on “check,” he will be told if his answer is correct. If he is incorrect, he will be guided towards how to correct his answer; he will either be told that he has chosen the incorrect number of pieces to divide the rectangle into, or if this part is correct, he will be told that he must choose a different number of pieces.

This module is great because it represents the concept of fractions in three different ways: the fraction is written out in words (“1 out of 4”), shown with numbers (1/4), and represented visually by the shaded-in shape. This is important in building students’ understanding of what a fraction is; it helps them understand

that the word “fraction” means a part of a whole, and that a fraction is more than just abstract numbers and symbols.

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Example 2: “Percentages” In this module, students discover how fractions, decimals, ratios and percentages are connected to each other. The applet gives the student a model to follow (part/whole = percent/100), and he must choose numbers to enter into boxes labeled “whole,” “part,” and “percent.” The student is then shown the relationships between these quantities, represented as an equation, with words, and by the shading-in of two different shapes. For example, the student can enter “2” for whole, “1” for part, and then click “compute.” Through trial and error, the student can figure out which fractions correspond to which percentages, and vice-versa. If a student makes an error in setting up the problem, such as entering a smaller number into the “whole” box than in the “part” box, he is told what he did wrong (“the whole must be a number greater than the part”).

This module allows students to learn through discovery and by trying out the concept of fractions for themselves, plugging in different numbers and seeing what the results are. A teacher or adult could provide students with a list of fractions or percentages and ask them to use this activity to determine the corresponding percentages and fractions. The four representation methods (equation, words, rectangle, and circle) give students a

holistic understanding of the concept of rational numbers and the different ways they can be represented. I really like how this module utilizes two different visual representations: a rectangle and a circle are both shaded-in, which shows students different ways in which the same quantity can be represented.

Thank you for reading! I am so excited to start using the NLVM’s tools in our 2nd grade classroom and incorporate technology into mathematics instruction!