It has been awhile since I have posted and I regret that. Over the last few weeks I have found a number of great apps that I want to share but I never seem to get around to actually posting the information. I am not doing so well on my New Years Resolution!!! Well, it is starting to feel like Spring is on the way here in North Carolina, so I am going to start over and with the dawn of a new season, find the time each week to share a new technology tool or resource with you. The days are getting longer, so I should be able to find the time now, right?

Since it is Mondays and my goal was to have Math Mondays, I want to share  a great program I found called Thinking Blocks.

This program allows students to solve math word problems by first modeling the problem and then actually solving it. The program is set up in way that they must complete each step correctly before moving on. There are four categories of problems a; Addition/Subtraction, Multiplication/Division, Fractions, and Ratios/Proportions. Each category has six different levels, and then a random problem generator. Students can keep track of their progress to see how many problem sets they have completed in each level. Since this is free game that is part of Math Playground, students do not log in, so progress is not tracked for individual students. Instead it is logged on the computer, so if different students use the same computer it will keep track as if it one student, this is the only drawback. As each student begins a session they can reset the progress, and you could have them keep track of their individual progress in their notebook.

With the new Common Core Standards, students are expected to have a deeper understanding of the material and be able to explain how they solve problems. Thinking Blocks provides manipulatives that allow students to visualize the problem and how to solve it. Each set of problems also includes a tutorial of how to solve the problems. This program is recommended for elementary and middle school students, but I could see it being used with Algebra I/Common Core I students, who are struggling. There are two step equations and equations with multiple operations. There is also a grid with all the elements so that students could solve problems from a workbook.  I think the program would also lend itself nicely to be used in whole group instruction with an interactive white board.

In addition, there are free Thinking Blocks apps for the IPad that work really well. Each category of problems is a separate app, so you only need to download what you are focusing on. I hope you enjoy exploring Thinking Blocks and please let me know if you use it with your class how it works out.