USING DIGITAL RESOURCES TO
COMPLEMENT CLASSROOM TEACHING
Winning solution
The younger students (up to Grade 5)
have a dedicated Mathletics period
each week. Every student has access
to an iPad for the Mathletics session
and for one other session during the
week. Grades 6 to 12 do not have a
dedicated Mathletics lesson, but will
usually use the resource as part of their
homework.
D
igital resources are designed
to
increase
student
engagement and motivate
pupils to learn, but to also
help pupils excel, resources need to
complement the classroom teaching
already taking place in schools.
Figuring out how best to embed a new
resource into the teaching cycle can be
a challenge for teachers and take up a
lot of their time. The key to overcoming
this, is investing in a resource that
offers more than just great educational
content, but also tools to help teachers
assign work to students, schedule
activities and plan ahead.
At the Nibras International School
in Dubai, teachers using Mathletics
(a maths resource) have found that
a combination of online reports,
which help identify strengths and
weaknesses, as well as immediate
student feedback, has enabled them
to embed the resource into their
teaching seamlessly.
About the school
Nibras International School (NIS) was
established in 2005 and offers an
American Curriculum for students
in Kindergarten to Grade 12. The
initial curriculum was designed in
consultation with the American
University of Beirut (AUB). Since 2012-
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Sep - Oct 2017
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2013, the school has adopted the
Colorado State Academic Standards,
which are aligned with the US Common
Core Standards.
The Issues Faced
The school was looking for a digital
learning tool to complement maths
teaching, align with the curricula and
offer opportunities to practise and
reinforce topics and skills.
Given the transient nature of Dubai and
the fluctuating student population,
it was equally important for teachers
to identify strengths and weaknesses
in the skills and knowledge of all
new students, quickly and easily. The
requirement for a product that could
offer students feedback, reward their
achievements and involve parents
in the learning process was a main
priority for the school.
‘Mathletics gives immediate results
and students can witness their own
performance,’ said Karen Robinson,
Assistant Principal Elementary and
Middle School.
‘Students practise and master a skill,
answer questions, earn points, get a
certificate and move on. Mathletics
provides the necessary motivation, as
students can see their own progress
easily.’
Class Time
Karen finds that the reports are very
useful for highlighting students’
strengths and weaknesses. She can
keep track of how many students are
using the resource and can compare
the performance of different groups.
‘Using Mathletics has become second
nature to our teachers now.’
Results
Mathletics has many advantages:
• It is a very visual learning tool
• It engages students
• It develops problem solving skills
• It supports the focus on mental
maths with the younger children
• It encourages a healthy spirit of
competition
‘Students look forward to their
Mathletics lesson and it is heart-
warming to witness our students as
they are keen to log in quickly and get
started. It also minimises any possible
disruption at the start of a lesson, as
students are extremely enthusiastic
and get straight down to work.’
If you would like to find out more about
Mathletics and trial the resource for
free, visit www.mathletics.me or email
[email protected]