Our Head of Maths is always getting flyers in her pigeon hole for
some new "indispensable" piece
of maths software or an "essential update"
for an existing one. These are often expensive, and with schools having
limited e-learning credits to use, the wrong choice could mean your
allocation is used up for the next couple of years, or money that
could be better spent elsewhere is wasted.
The aim of this section is to offer my opinion on some of the oodles
of maths software out there to hopefully help you to make an informed
choice.
If you are a developer and you have some software you would like me
to try out and review, or if there is an update to the software mentioned
here that you would like me to have a look at, then please contact
me
Please Note: Information about some of
the excellent free maths software out there, including Geogebra
and Tarsia Jigsaw, can be found on my
Essential Freebies page.
Price:
for
a 1-4 teacher licence it costs £260 plus £60 annual
subscription. lots of variations around.
This
piece of software improves with every version. If you are looking
to buy one package to get your department up and running using
interactive whiteboards or projectors, then look no further
than this. The coverage of keys stages 3 and 4 is incredibly
comprehensive, there are bucket-loads of questions and worked
solutions, the animations are excellent for conveying the more
visual topics, the GCSE and SATs bonus files are a really nice
touch to aid revision, the superb enrichment files are fantastic
for engaging pupils in their maths, and there are even lots
of festive presentations to help you get through what can be
a nightmare time of year! Best of all, only the most basic knowledge
of PowerPoint is required, meaning you could receive the software
in the morning and be teaching with it in the afternoon. However,
to get the most out of this package, make sure you edit the
PowerPoint files to suit the needs of the class. The presentations
are so comprehensive and in depth that your pupils will be in
danger of information overload if you merely click-through the
slide-show and will quickly switch off. Used wisely, there is
really is no better package around. Bring on Version 6!
For an additional 8 free sample
files, click here
and register
The
Virtual Textbook is a series of fancy Excel spreadsheets designed
to remove the need for textbooks in the classroom. Each spreadsheet
can generate an infinite number of questions on each subject,
with the answers only a click away. Many spreadsheets also have
the option to reveal certain parts of the answer one at a time,
which is useful. It is a nice idea and the speed at which the
questions appear on screen keeps the pupils focused and on task.
This package is also one of the few available that covers the
A level syllabus, and some of the Statistics spreadsheets are
very, very impressive.
My major complaints are the price and that some of the questions
are a little bit samey. They don't contain the variety of questions
you get in the exam, and do not really develop pupils' thinking
skills. Students become in danger of simply memorising the process
without actually understanding why, and this could cause them
to get tripped up in exams when questions my come from a slightly
different angle. This is both the strength and weakness of Excel
based software that generates random questions. However, as
a revision tool or a way of setting questions and giving immediate
feedback, this is a decent package.
For some free samples
from Key Stages 1 & 2, Key Stages 3 & 4 and A/AS Level,
click here
This
software is similar to virtual textbook in the sense that it
is also excel based and makes use of the random number function
to generate a potentially infinite number of questions. However,
I believe this software is much better. The coverage spans the
whole of the Key Stage 3 curriculum (and most of Key Stage 4),
and each activity is leveled so both you and your pupils know
exactly what degree of difficulty they are working at. The vast
majority of the questions come with the option to reveal one
line of working at a time which will help any pupils who are
struggling. The Geometry section is particularly impressive,
bringing a degree of interactivity to excel which certainly
surprised me, and as such has the potential to convey difficult
topics in a very clear way. I still believe that excel based
software must be used carefully and has to be supplemented by
other types of questions, but this is certainly the best of
its kind.
Price:
single
user licences are £50, with extended licences for all
teachers and stud nets in large schools being £600.
Autograph
is brilliant. Simple as that. I'd even go so far as to describe
it as an essential teaching aid. There is no simpler or better
way to draw graphs, whether it be for whole class demonstration
or to create worksheets, and the statistical package is extremely
strong, creating every statistical diagram imaginable. Every
now and again it plots a funny cumulative frequency curve, but
apart from that I can't fault it. There is also great potential
to use it as a tool of independent learning. The only sad thing
is that it is often underused in school, but that is why I have
put some tutorials on this website here.
Price:
single
user licence is £75, with an unlimited school network
licence being £475
GSP
is almost as good as Autograph. I have not come across a better
way to teach transformations, circle theorems, loci, or lots
of other topics under the shape and space umbrella. Like Autograph,
it is an excellent tool of demonstration, and can be adapted
to be a very powerful investigative tool of independent learning.
The only reason it has not reached the dizzy heights of 5 stars
is that it is a bit tricky to use, and whilst the basics are
easy enough to pick up, unless you are an expert, or know someone
who is, it is pretty tricky to unlock all of GSP's secrets and
get the most out of it. I have put some tutorials here,
and there are plenty of resources on GSP throughout the website.
Give it a go, it is well worth it.
Price:
£3
per CD (includes VAT) with a minimum order of 25 per school.
Site licence costs £299 for first year, then £199
after that. Any school that oroders over 25 CDs gets a free
set of worksheets
These
CDs are simply amazing. They can be used in the classroom for
whole class revision, or better still taken home by individual
students to use on their own computer. The Higher Tier CD (A*
- D) covers 140 topics, and the Foundation CD (C - G) covers
134. Each topic is presented as a video clip and is revised
just like a teacher would on the interactive whiteboard. Indeed,
I have played a couple of clips to my GCSE students, and they
prefer the presenters voice to mine! The coverage is extremely
comprehensive and the explanations are crystal clear. At £3
per pupil they compare favorably to standard revision books,
and students are likely to thrive on an alternative form of
revision.
If all that wasn't enough, the makers even throw in a bundle
of worksheets to all schools who order the CDs. These again
cover the higher and foundation GCSE, come with worked solutions,
are linked to clips on the CD, and hence would make ideal homework
and revision aids. A truly excellent product.
For free samples
of the video clips or the worksheets, just follow the links
on the left hand side of the homepage
Price:
key
stages 3 and 4 cost £999 each, with a level setting you
back £799
I'll
get straight to the point. I don't like Boardworks. I think
it got into the educational software market early, and has made
good use of it's market leader position and strong brand name,
but now there are a lot better and a lot cheaper alternatives
around, and Boardworks has not responded. Whiteboard maths does
pretty much everything Boardworks can do, plus it covers more
topics, plus it's loads cheaper, plus - and for me this is the
most important thing - Whiteboard maths is fully editable. Many
of the presentations in boardworks are not editable, which is
frustrating and in my opinion can make for very inflexible,
undifferentiated teaching.
I know of other teachers who are big fans of Boardworks, and
who enjoy the fact that the some of the presentations are un-editable,
arguing that they make excellent interactive starters and plenaries
Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but personally,
I think your money is better spent elsewhere.
Price:
£60
for the Key Stage 3 maths CD, or £30 for an update if
you have bought one of the last two editions
A
brilliant piece of software. Has all past SATs paper questions
on it, with the corresponding mark scheme, all leveled, and
all easily accessible. This enables you to, for example, quickly
compile a set of Level 6 questions on fractions, come up with
a quick starter or plenary, or design your own internal exam
paper. Questions can easily be imported into Word, and the software
as a whole is extremely user friendly. The only slight downside
is that you need to update the software every couple of years
or so to get the latest questions, but the producers do offer
a discount for updates. A must buy!
For
years I was waiting for this, and then it finally arrived. After
a series of poor imitations, somebody designed a "Testbase
for GCSE". It does all of the above, but with oodles of
graded GCSE questions. This has saved me so much time. As well
as needing to be constantly updated, the only other problem
with this software is that it is not currently available for
all exam boards. This does not matter too much as there is not
that much variation between syllabuses, but it does mean you
need to be on your toes when choosing questions.
These
are excellent. The are a whole series of mathematical worksheets
covering individual year groups, all SATs levels, and the new
two-tier GCSE syllabus. Each worksheet is leveled or graded
and solutions are provided. I tend to use these worksheets as
homeworks, as on each worksheet there tends to be plenty of
practice of the basic skills as well as more exam-style questions.
The fact that they are in pdf format also makes there use on
the interactive whiteboard a breeze. A really nice alternative/compliment
to the maths textbook.
Price:
The
complete Key Stage 3 is £200, GCSE is £350, A Level
is £300. There are various options to buy single packages,
and 40 and 100 user upgrades. Click here
for more information.
From
the creators of the simply amazing Kenny's
Pouch, comes Bring on the Maths. This interactive software
covers all three secondary key stages and comprises of matching
activities on grids. It sounds fairly basic, but the simplicity
of this software and the careful selection of questions are
the key. The activities highlight crucial misconceptions at
all levels, and as such encourage both group work and lively
class discussion. These activities are ideal for starters or
plenaries, and the ability to download and then print the activities
out as worksheets makes them perfect for homeworks, and good
revision material. The a level stuff in particular is very impressive.
My only slight concern is the price which I can't help but feel
is a little on the steep side. However, if you can afford it,
then you certainly won't be disappointed.
For free samples
of the activities, just click here
Price:
depends
on the number of pupils in the school, but ranges from £70
to £245 per package. There are discounts for buying more
than one package
This
software is designed for use on interactive whiteboards. There
are currently five packages available, mainly covering the number
and shape aspects of the key stage 3 and 4 curriculum. The software
was originally designed for children with special needs, but
it is also useful for mainstream and younger pupils. The software
is built around the idea of matching things, whether it be equivalent
fractions, or a number of coins to their monetary total, and
the difficulty of each exercise can be varied by altering things
such as time, number or options, or limits. It is probably more
suited to Smart Boards than Prometheans as this means pupils
can use their fingers to select the answers rather than the
pen. I like this software, but my only complaint is that because
only one or two pupils can have a go at one time, it is only
really suitable for teaching small groups. I have used it as
a starter or a plenary where the pupils must answer a "qualifying
question" to have a go. Also, be aware, the packages vary
greatly in their content and difficulty. For example, package
4 has lots in it, and can be made quite challenging, whereas
package 3 consists only of telling the time and counting money.
To request a free trail CD,
click here
and
follow the link on the left
Price:
volume
1 (just A/S) is £39 for a single user licence, or £150
for a site licence. There are 3 volumes in total, and a discount
is offered for purchasing more than one.
This
is the Whiteboard Maths of A Level. It is a series of PowerPoint
files that covers the whole of the A Level course. Volume 1
is A/S, Volume 2 is A2, and Volume 3 is Statistics. The coverage
and detail are extremely impressive, and once again if you are
looking to introduce some ICT into A Level teaching, then there
is no better single package around. But once again, be warned
- the coverage on each slide is so comprehensive that it can
be overwhelming for students if they are merely clicked through.
Slowing the presentations down is one way to get around this.
Better still, get to grips with PowerPoint and begin editing
the slides for yourself, and building in the best features into
your own presentations, then you can have the lessons you want
without having to spend hours designing them. Either way, this
is still a top class a level package!
Price:
unlimited
secondary school site licence is £420, or £250 (plus
entry fee and anual update of around £50) if the school
takes part in the excellent Jaguar Challenge!
If
used correctly, this piece of software is simply brilliant.
Put simply, it is a maths project running over a number of lessons
in which pupils (usually working in pairs) design a racing car,
put together a race plan, decide how much fuel they need, account
for the weather, and then eventually race. There is so much
good maths hidden away in here, it is untrue. The latest version
contains aspects of angles, estimation, trigonometry, volume
and so much more, although components can be added or taken
away easily depending on the ability and age of the class. I
have seen this project work successfully with top set Year 10s
and bottom set Year 8s. We have run it as a lunchtime club,
or as project to do after summer exams. There is also the opportunity
to enter a team into the Jaguar Challenge regional and national
finals, which can provide a good incentive. Whilst the software
may seem expensive, when compared to other software out there,
and considering the potential benefits, I believe it is worth
it. Be warned, this software can be little tricky to get into
until you get used to it, and pupils and teachers can become
frustrated rather quickly. My advice would be to study the accompanying
CD Rom carefully and work through it as a department. If all
else fails book the designers to come in for a demonstration
day, and get some older computer whiz-kid pupils involved. Either
way, don't give up, because this is the most excited about maths
that I have ever seen children.
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