Megan Terbrack
Khan Academy
This website has instructional videos (screencasts) and resources for a variety of subjects from math to art and for all grade levels. There are resources for students, teachers, and parents. You can create an account using facebook or gmail and Khan Academy will keep track of which videos you watch. Students can comment on a video and ask questions if they do not understand something and then the community answers. There are also small practice opporunities within some units.
Resources for Students
Below is a library of resources that I have collected through both my graduate work and teaching experiences.
I have grouped them into three different categories and most of the resources are math specific. The Learning resources are useful when a student has been absent or if they are stuggling with a new topic that we learned in class. Students can benefit from seeing and hearing a topic explained in a different way. The Practice resources are useful when a student needs extra practice with a topic or skill that they have already learned. Finally the Other Tools resources are a collection of helpful websites that students can use to support their learning throughout high school.
(Click the image for the link)
Purple Math
The website offers written explanations for math topics from Pre-Algebra to Algebra 2 supplemented with short videos and practice problems. This works well for students who learn better by reading then listening. Purple math houses a ton of other math help resources and websites organized by categories such as quizzes, worksheets, and other useful services.
Virtual Nerd
This website has instructional videos specifically for math and covers concepts from middle school to Algebra 2. The website also has videos related to the math portion of the ACT and SAT. I find that these videos sometimes give a more thorough breakdown and simpler explanation of a topic then Khan Academy. There is also an actual person demonstrating in the video and not just a voice, which can be more engaging.
Cool Math
The layout of the lessons within this website reminds me of my own classroom. Each lesson has instruction, a practice problem, a little more instruction, then a practice problem, and so on. The lessons range from pre-algebra to pre-calculus. After you have learned a lesson you can practice what you learned with a fun math practice game. The website also has links to other useful math websites.
Unit Circle Hand Trick
The unit circle can be a tough concept to master. Sometimes it helps to see multiple ways of learning something before you find a trick that works for you. After seeing where the values are derived from in class students need to memorize the values. This is a video of a teacher who use his left hand to find all 6 trig values for 0, 30, 45, 60, and 90 degrees.
IXL
This website is extremely organized and has activities to go with practically every skill/standard in every math course at every grade level. Students answer questions while the program keeps score and the difficulty increases as the students work through the problems. IXL also gives students a thorough break down and explanation when they get a problem incorrect.
Class Zone
This is the website that goes with the textbook for algebra 1, geometry, and algebra 2 in our district. Students can access their entire textbook online so they never have to carry it home. This can also come in handy when they are absent. The website also offers powerpoint presentations, extra practice, quizzes, games, and more. The website is for hundreds of McDougal LIttell books across all subjects and states.
Quizlet
This website has a large library of virtual flashcards for every subject. You can search for a specific topic that you need to study, create your own set, or the teacher can create flashcards for students to practice. The website can put audio with cards so that the student can hear the words and definition while they look at it. Students also have the opportunity to assess their learning by reading a definition and then typing in their answer.
Math Playground
This website has created a ton of games to practice math skills from first grade through geometry. The games are organized by topic as well as by grade level. The website also offers multiple instructional videos for each of these topics. This is a great website to use during the summer to keep your skills fresh for the upcoming school year.
Online Calculator
There are a ton of free calculators on the web and they each have their pros and cons. This website has 4 different calculators all on one page. The viewer can choose a graphing, scientific, matrix, or statistics calculator. Each calculator actually does more than the calculator that you can hold in your had. For instance the scientific calculator will solve a system of linear equations and the statistics calculator does more than a standard graphing calculator. The statistics calculator will be useful during the semester of stats in my Intoduction to College Math course.
ACT, SAT, & AP Test Prep
Standardized test preparation is important to be ready for college entrance exams. Michigan is also transitioning from the ACT to the SAT for this upcoming school year. This website has practice materials for the ACT, SAT, and several AP tests. The website also offers students advice on how to write a college admissions essay.
