The main reason teaching today is so different is because of technology and the internet. There have been so many great websites for teachers. Some are free, some are paid. Some are sustainable (will be around for a long time) and some have been discontinued or bought by larger companies.
I put together my Top Ten FREE websites for teaching math. Only two of the websites are math-specific and the others are either general use websites or general education websites. Enjoy!
Hands down, DeltaMath is my top website for teaching math. It is the website that has changed my teaching the most. Now my students cheer when I tell them their homework is DeltaMath and they groan when it’s not.
Basically, DeltaMath is a way to assign students digital homework. Most of the questions are free-response, but there are some multiple-choice questions. My students like it because they get immediate feedback. You can allow the students to have multiple attempts on one problem or try as many different problems within one module until they meet the minimum requirement that you set. I like this better than Kahn Academy because it was created by a math teacher.
There are now two paid versions: Plus and Integral. Each has extra features. But the free version is still very powerful.
Okay, so dropbox.com is not math-specific, but it is something I’ve been using since 2010ish and has revolutionized my file storage and sharing system. I mean, before dropbox I was still using portable USB drives (sometimes called "thumb drives"). A few times my thumb drives got corrupted and I lost hundreds of files, that sucked.
Now, I store all of my school-related files on my dropbox account. When I want to post something for my students on my website, I grab the dropbox link and post it. Students can choose to look at the preview of the file or download it into their own file storage system.
My favorite Google Application is definitely Google Forms. I used Google Forms for formative assessments even before Google Forms had its own built-in quiz feature (there is an Add-on called Flubaroo.) While teaching remotely during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, I used Google Forms to create homework assignments. I know some people have even done summative assessments on Google Forms.
The thing I love about Quizlet is Quizlet Live! When you play Quizlet Live with your students, they get assigned into random groups. Each student in the group is given the same question but different answer choices. They work together to solve the problem, then whoever has the answer on their screen submits it.
While all of that is happening on my screen, I see the progress of all the groups (I project this for all to see). The winning group is the first group to get 12 questions correct in a row.
Sometimes it gets competitive and the students get invested in being the first group to finish. There are big reactions if a group is close to winning, gets the question wrong, and is reset back to zero!
I have said before that I am not a fan of activities in a math class that rewards speed, so I don't play it as much as I used to, but we still play occasionally.
Here is my post about Math Review Games that Don't Require the Internet (or reward speed).
I started flipping my classroom in 2010. A couple of years later, I learned about edpuzzle, and it revolutionized (how many times have I used that word so far?) the flipped classroom model for me.
The challenge with assigning videos for your students to watch at home is how do you know they watched it? That's where edpuzzle comes in!
You can use your own videos, videos in the edpuzzle database, or nearly any video on youtube. You can chop the video to only show the parts you need your students to see. You can force the video to stop while you ask them a free response or multiple-choice question. Or you can force the video to stop and leave a written or oral note. You can also prevent the students from skipping ahead in the video! I do love that feature, although I wonder if some students set the computer to play the video while they do something else.
I was forced to re-adopt the flipped classroom model during the Great Shutdown of Spring 2020 (aka Coronavirus pandemic) and went back to using and loving edpuzzle again.
Like Quizlet Live, Kahoot is a website where learning is turned into a game. Students are huge fans of Kahoot. Let me rephrase… students who are fast at answering questions love Kahoot because, like Quizlet Live the game has a speed aspect. You earn more points per question the quicker you answer it.
However, Kahoot has made a lot of improvements in recent years. One of which is Kahoot Challenge. With a Kahoot Challenge, the students do the questions in their own time and at their own pace. Ideal for distance learning.
Sometimes when we have time to kill, we will play a Kahoot that is not math related - States and Capitals is always popular.
This is a website I recently discovered (I blogged about Gimkit here). This is another game-like website like Quizlet Live or Kahoot, but there are a few differences that I am really loving - especially during the Remote Teaching Requirement during the Coronavirus Pandemic of 2020.
First, when the students get a question right they get (fake) money. And if they get a question wrong, they lose money. The motivation to get a question right is very high because when you have enough money you can buy Power-Ups. For example, you can buy more Money per Question, and then, instead of earning $3 per correct question, you're earning $5 per correct question (or losing $5 per incorrect question).
Second, instead of having the students compete against each other, I can have the entire group work toward a common goal - it's called All In. I like having a common goal because then it's not about the students competing against each other (where the slower students are always left behind). The faster students can still work fast and they will earn more money for the pot, and the slower students can also contribute.
Have you ever struggled with how to explain a specific topic? Me too. Youtube has a plethora of videos of math teachers and tutors explaining any topic you can think of. There's no shame in using youtube videos as a resource. In university, they may teach you a few things about being a teacher, but they don't teach you how to teach Related Rates in calculus! Amiright?
1. DeltaMath.com
Basically, DeltaMath is a way to assign students digital homework. Most of the questions are free-response, but there are some multiple-choice questions. My students like it because they get immediate feedback. You can allow the students to have multiple attempts on one problem or try as many different problems within one module until they meet the minimum requirement that you set. I like this better than Kahn Academy because it was created by a math teacher.
There are now two paid versions: Plus and Integral. Each has extra features. But the free version is still very powerful.
Read my post about the History of DeltaMath here.
Read my post about what DeltaMath can and cannot do here.
Read my post about How to use DeltaMath here.
When the TI-8whatever calculators came out they were revolutionary. When Desmos came out – also revolutionary. Desmos is my go-to online graphing calculator. I still go to my TI-84 for some stuff, but if I need a quick look at a few graphs, Desmos it is.
I try to do Desmos Activities as much as I can. There are some great ones. One of my students’ favorites is MarbleSlides. Once I even introduced Marbleslides on the first day of school after we got through all of the business-y things. It was a success.
2. Desmos.com
I try to do Desmos Activities as much as I can. There are some great ones. One of my students’ favorites is MarbleSlides. Once I even introduced Marbleslides on the first day of school after we got through all of the business-y things. It was a success.
Let's continue the conversation. Join me in my free Facebook group.
3. Dropbox.com
Now, I store all of my school-related files on my dropbox account. When I want to post something for my students on my website, I grab the dropbox link and post it. Students can choose to look at the preview of the file or download it into their own file storage system.
4. Google Applications - specifically Google Forms
Yes, I know. Google Drive serves the same purpose as Dropbox in some ways, but I started with Dropbox and I find it suits my needs better. But there is still a place for Google Drive and Google Docs in my life.My favorite Google Application is definitely Google Forms. I used Google Forms for formative assessments even before Google Forms had its own built-in quiz feature (there is an Add-on called Flubaroo.) While teaching remotely during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020, I used Google Forms to create homework assignments. I know some people have even done summative assessments on Google Forms.
Check out some of my Google Forms activities here.
Read more about how to give a math test during distance learning here.
5. Quizlet.com
While all of that is happening on my screen, I see the progress of all the groups (I project this for all to see). The winning group is the first group to get 12 questions correct in a row.
Sometimes it gets competitive and the students get invested in being the first group to finish. There are big reactions if a group is close to winning, gets the question wrong, and is reset back to zero!
I have said before that I am not a fan of activities in a math class that rewards speed, so I don't play it as much as I used to, but we still play occasionally.
Here is my post about Math Review Games that Don't Require the Internet (or reward speed).
6. Edpuzzle.com
The challenge with assigning videos for your students to watch at home is how do you know they watched it? That's where edpuzzle comes in!
You can use your own videos, videos in the edpuzzle database, or nearly any video on youtube. You can chop the video to only show the parts you need your students to see. You can force the video to stop while you ask them a free response or multiple-choice question. Or you can force the video to stop and leave a written or oral note. You can also prevent the students from skipping ahead in the video! I do love that feature, although I wonder if some students set the computer to play the video while they do something else.
I was forced to re-adopt the flipped classroom model during the Great Shutdown of Spring 2020 (aka Coronavirus pandemic) and went back to using and loving edpuzzle again.
7. Kahoot.com
However, Kahoot has made a lot of improvements in recent years. One of which is Kahoot Challenge. With a Kahoot Challenge, the students do the questions in their own time and at their own pace. Ideal for distance learning.
Sometimes when we have time to kill, we will play a Kahoot that is not math related - States and Capitals is always popular.
Here is my post Math Review Games that Don't Require the Internet (or reward speed).
8. Gimkit.com
First, when the students get a question right they get (fake) money. And if they get a question wrong, they lose money. The motivation to get a question right is very high because when you have enough money you can buy Power-Ups. For example, you can buy more Money per Question, and then, instead of earning $3 per correct question, you're earning $5 per correct question (or losing $5 per incorrect question).
Second, instead of having the students compete against each other, I can have the entire group work toward a common goal - it's called All In. I like having a common goal because then it's not about the students competing against each other (where the slower students are always left behind). The faster students can still work fast and they will earn more money for the pot, and the slower students can also contribute.
Read about my experience playing gimkit with my students.
9. YouTube.com
Check out my YouTube channel here: www.youtube.com/@hoffmathteach
Flippity.net has lots of great templates. My favorite one is the Flippity Random Name Picker. It takes a few minutes to set it up (the template is a Google Spreadsheet), but once you have your rosters set up, you can use the same file over and over.
I use it when I want to randomly assign groups for Board Problems (read my blog post about Board Problems here), when I want to pick a student at random, or if I want to randomize a new seating arrangement.
SignUpGenius is not an education-specific website, but it's excellent for any time you need people to sign up for something: like Parent-Teacher Conferences!
10. Flippity.net
Flippity.net has lots of great templates. My favorite one is the Flippity Random Name Picker. It takes a few minutes to set it up (the template is a Google Spreadsheet), but once you have your rosters set up, you can use the same file over and over.
I use it when I want to randomly assign groups for Board Problems (read my blog post about Board Problems here), when I want to pick a student at random, or if I want to randomize a new seating arrangement.
Honorable Mention: signupgenius.com
Let's continue the conversation. Join me in my free Facebook group.
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