Jonathan+Stone

This program is designed to help students who are beginning or who are having trouble with algebra and pre-algebra. It’s designed to help a student understand what is taught in the classroom better as well as allow them to learn at more of their own pace. It also allows a student to work and solve problems with immediate results to the solution, allowing them to be able to figure out what they did wrong and how to correct it immediately as opposed to having to wait to get homework back. It also uses fun games, as fun as algebra can be for some students, to teach them skills, hopefully causing a less monotonous environment. I could recommend this for advanced fifth or sixth graders all the way up to seniors in high school who are having trouble with mathematics. This program is a tutorial, drill and practice, instructional game, and for problem solving. It allows a student to take learning into their own hands, doing practice problems, getting help through difficult problems, playing fun games, and showing them tips and pointers I may have time to help every student with. This program would definitely be neat to have on several computers in my classroom or installed in a lab. That way I could devote some time, maybe at the end of the week, and have students use it to help them in areas they need or just have them have a little break playing games. A great thing is any age of students can use this. The tedium that can be mathematics could greatly benefit by giving the students some time to unwind and play games or just do some problems that have no effect on their grades. This program is great because it allows a student to move at their own pace, however this may be its downfall. Some less self motivated students may not get as much out of it as others, but I think this can be remedied if I simply keep an eye on students. This program would also be great for getting students over little speed bumps that could make them lose motivation or confidence in mathematics. I have seen many students get stuck on one part of math only to have it stop them from advancing through further mathematics. Algebra is usually that speed bump and this program could help students get passed that in a non-intimidating and fun environment. Cost: ** $24.95
 * Algebra Booster **, by Homeworkhelp.com (Name of both company and website)
 * Can Be Purchased At: ** http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/HomeworkHelp.com/Algebra+/401624
 * System Requirements: ** 800MHz Processor, 128MB, 24X CD Writer, Soundcard, Mouse, Speakers, Windows 98 or higher.

This program is designed to help students with all of their graphing problems. This program turns difficult equations into graphs, allowing students to get a geometric view of otherwise hard to see problems. Students can also tinker with equations as they experiment with graphs of ellipses, parabolas, hyperboles and other hard shapes to grasp the concept of. This program also provides problems for a student to solve in the form of fun games, making the tediousness of graphing more fun and immediately gratifying. This program would be great from the beginning algebra student all the way up to calculus, so grades 6 or 7 all the way to beginning of college could benefit from this program. This program is an instructional game and can be used for problem solving. Students can play the game and figure out equations to match the graphs or vice-versa. This allows a student to not only imagine a graph in their head when they see an equation, but allows them to see an equation from a graph. This is an important skill that even the most experienced mathematicians could use a better knowledge of. In my classroom I would definitely use this as a learning tool. I could use a projector to project the image of the computer screen onto a wall or screen. I could show students what happens to a graph when multiply, divided, add or subtract to the equation, show them the difference between (y+1)=mx+b and y=m(x+1)+b, prove with a graph cos^2(x)+sin^2(x)=1, and so much more that is hard for any mathematician to visualize. Given enough money I could also get many copies of this program for a lab or classroom I could have the students play the puzzles or mess with graphs themselves. However I think this program would be great for simple class participation in helping me solve the puzzles. This program is great that it can take something as foreign looking as a complicated algebraic or trigonometric equation and turn into something that a student can understand. Visualizing mathematics takes it from some weird symbols in a book to something that has real world potential and therefore isn’t so intimidating or useless. However the program isn’t intended for college level mathematics so its usefulness in calculus is limited, however given enough creativity it could still be a valuable tool.
 * Green Globs and Graphing Equations **, by Sunburst


 * Cost: ** $49.95 single, $129.95 for 10 computer lab pack
 * Can Be Purchased At: ** http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Sunburst/Green+Globs+and+Graphing+Equations/627079
 * System Requirements: ** Not listed, but probably somewhere close to 800MHz Processor, 128MB Ram, and Windows 98 or better, Mac useable.

This Program is designed to teach students about matrices, determinants, and other pieces of linear algebra. It’s designed to be a step-by-step tutorial that allows a student to move at their own pace and provides help and hints along the way. It’s much like a classroom atmosphere in that it will explain a concept, show you how to use it, have you use it, and then correct of congratulate you as necessary. It also has complete solutions to problems and offers several tests as well as a comprehensive test. This program could be used for home practice, tutoring, or home schooling. I’d recommend it to students from freshmen in high school up to sophomores in college. This program is a drill and practice tutorial with minor problem solving aspects. A student could use this program for an independent study, it offers the same plan most teachers use in the classroom. However a student would probably benefit most from this program if it were used in a classroom by the teacher or at home in addition to normal classes. Due to the cost of this program I would probably only use it in combination with a projector and screen. I could use it to teach students about the certain pieces of linear algebra this program covers. Matrices and other linear algebra problems are one of the hardest concepts to grasp as that we don’t come into them very often, however we do come into their applications several times a day. Matrices are a complicated and powerful means to do simple or tough equations and anything that would help a student to understand such tools would be wonderful and this program would be a step in the right direction. Given enough money I’d rather teach on a blackboard and have the students use this program under supervision, however I think they’d benefit nearly as much by seeing it on a projection screen. This program is great as an instructor or tutor, it teaches much like a teacher would. It assesses a student and allows them to correct their own mistakes. However this program is visually unappealing and lacks any fun games or more entertaining aspects. This is why this program would probably suffer in a large computer lab, however in a small one it would be wonderful to use as that I could supervise all the students.
 * Matrices and Determinants **, by Mathmedia
 * Cost: ** $59.90
 * Can Be Purchased At: ** http://www.mathmedia.com/matanddet.html
 * System Requirements: ** Not listed, but probably pretty low standards. This program has no impressive graphics and sound seems to be unimportant. Probably only requires windows, a mouse, and a keyboard.

This program is designed to either be a home school course or through help through high school or college curriculum. This means it can be used to completely teach one’s self trigonometry or simply help you keep up or excel fellow classmates. It provides questions and tests in the actual program as well as a homework helper to help students tackle and understand homework problems. In addition it comes with a progress tracker that helps assess where a students is at. A student can also go online to their website and do questions and tests online with automatic feedback on problems. At this same website a student can also watch video lectures by professors, also aiding them in their understanding. This program would be great for any student entering any level of trigonometry, so anywhere from a high school freshman to a college sophomore. This program is a drill and practice tutorial that also assists with problem solving. It can be used to learn trigonometry on your own or help you with homework and tests through help of the practice questions and tests. The homework helper can also assist a student with troublesome homework or speed bumps in trigonometry they might encounter. Due to the high cost of the program I wouldn’t suggest it for multiple computer use, but for helping in the classroom. This program could be used in a classroom through the questions and test generators. I could have students help me through the sample questions using their books and then have them help me through the practice tests with only pencils, paper, and calculators. I could also use it for a lecture once in awhile or perhaps let students mess around with the program one day a week. This program is great for many reasons. Anything that generates problems and tests for a student to gain experience with would be a great asset. The online lectures can also benefit students, who may not find my methods of teaching the class as easily understandable as the online professor or who simply just want another perspective. A student can use this program to parallel the learning in the classroom again gaining another perspective of the class. The homework helper, if used wisely, could also greatly benefit a student and prevent them from getting stuck or falling behind. Internet connection, sound card, and speakers. 450MHz processor, 256MB Ram, and Windows 98 or better. 500MHz processor and 256 MB Ram.
 * Trigonometry **, by Thinkwell
 * Cost: ** $79.95
 * Can Be Purchased At: ** http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Thinkwell/Trigonometry/866259
 * System Requirements: **
 * General **
 * Windows**
 * Mac**

This program is designed to help a student better understand calculus and relieve some of the challenges and stress that comes with an upper division math class. This program actually answers homework problems and provides step-by-step details as to how it was actually solved. This seems like a bold statement given the complexity of some of the later problems, so I’m curious as to the ultimate potential of this program. Other than the homework help the program offers a problem generator for thousands of example problems. It also offers practice tests and a program to assess a student’s progress. This program would be great for any student entering elementary calculus which usually happens between sophomore year in high school to sophomore year of college. This program is a drill and practice tutorial as well as a problem solver. It can be used to practice calculus example questions to help with homework or practice tests to help with test scores. It also lets you track your progress and accuracy of answers for problems. The homework helper helps you with your homework, which can explain a lot of confusing aspects of calculus and help you get over any road blocks that comes with harder mathematics. This program would be less useful in a classroom than the others I’ve reviewed. The main use I could use it for is the question generator. I could solve problems for the students using the program much faster than I could write them on a blackboard. The tests would be helpful, too. I could have students help me through them as an example of doing questions with out the books or notes, forcing them to remember to help me through the test. This program would probably see the most success as a child’s helpful tutor at home. It could help them through tough homework problems and help the more self motivated students get the practice to excel. Calculus is a class that seems to be feared by anyone who hasn’t taken it. So anything that would make it more appealing and less threatening would be great in getting kids interested in more complicated math. This program is great for calculus students who tend to get stuck easily, allowing them to manage road blocks much more easily on their own. It also allows students to prepare for tests and gauge how they’re doing. However the homework helper is a double-edged sword. If used appropriately it can greatly help a student’s understanding and progress, however if used as the primary source of doing homework it could leave a student with only a minimal understanding of calculus. A student would then suffer on tests and other mathematic courses that relied on elementary calculus.
 * Calculus Solved! Student Edition **, by Bagatrix
 * Cost: ** $34.95
 * Can Be Purchased At: ** http://www.academicsuperstore.com/products/Bagatrix/Calculus+Solved!/806181
 * System Requirements: ** Again no system requirements, however to solve complicated equations I would assume one would need a computer with a healthy amount of ram and processor speed. In addition one would need only a mouse, keyboard, and Windows 98 or higher.

Comment by Christina Lochow Jonathan, I think your math students will be really lucky having you as a math teacher. Reading your reviews, I get the feeling that you are able to present math in a way that is actually fun and understandable. When I was in school, math was always a "scary" subject for me and I empathize with those students having “speed bumps” or little confidence in math. I wish we would have been able to use these kinds of programs. I will definitely keep them in mind once I start teaching as well as for use at home with my children. Thank you.

Comment by Angelique Jackson

Wow! Jonathan, most of these programs seem phenomenal. I am curious, though. Most of these programs would seem to offer my English Language Learners the extra support they need in Math. Our job in Sheltered Instruction is to prepare them with the academic language they will need to make it out in mainstream core classes such as math and science and social studies. Do you think that my ELLs would be able to understand the instructional level academic language that is part of these programs?

Comment by Janine Yaklich

I wanted to expand on Christina's comment. I definitly struggled with Math and can imagine what a difference these programs could have made for my learning of the subjuct! Implementing these into your classroom is a must for those many students that have difficulty with the language. If the sometimes more abstract Math concepts can be made visual, I'm positive students will grasp these ideas with much more ease!