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eMathInstruction
Pros: Well-laid-out materials; lots of free resources available.
Cons: Answer keys and assessments require a subscription; lessons are very prescribed.
Bottom Line: A great supplement to any math teacher's classroom, with easy-to-follow, thoughtful lesson plans and supporting materials.
eMathInstruction is a collection of courses mostly focusing on geometry and algebra, with some newer content aimed at students in grades 6-8 building fundamental math skills. The lessons (some including videos) allow teachers to supplement their classroom lessons and, in some cases, even flip the classroom; students can view the lessons prior to coming to class and then focus on associated activities in class rather than a regular lesson. Teachers can also use the lessons to supplement their own content and provide detailed worksheets to their students.
The materials are set up for teachers to print them off and distribute them directly to their students. The worksheets that have associated videos provide a walkthrough for the worksheets, with some straightforward instruction that teachers can use with their students directly. For the worksheets without videos, teachers can use the worksheets themselves to teach their own lessons. All the materials are linked to Common Core State Standards (CCSS), and teachers can easily see how to incorporate the materials into their math lessons.
eMathInstruction provides teachers with detailed lesson plans and activities -- including some video instructions -- for mostly geometry and algebra lessons. With a subscription, teachers can also access answer keys, assessments, and editable copies of the worksheets. The videos range from a "talking head" embedded in a screen capture, with the instructor making notes on the worksheet, to videos of the instructor standing in front of a whiteboard making notes. The videos all seem to involve an instructor going through the provided worksheet for that lesson and answering the questions in detail. A number of worksheets don't have an associated video, though, so it's up to classroom teachers to walk through those lessons with their students themselves.
The site is well organized and easy to follow, with lots of resources available for free. However, to get access to any of the answer keys or assessments, a paid yearly subscription is required. All the materials seem to be high-quality, though, and editable versions of the worksheets (where teachers can make changes to questions or materials to suit their class) are available with a subscription.
eMathInstruction's lessons are presented in an order that follows CCSS and provides a good flow of information. The worksheets are clear and the provided videos are straightforward. However, there's little in the way of engagement for students, as the videos and worksheets are quite prescribed in their methods. While there are pauses in the videos for students to "try it out yourself," there really isn't any direct engagement for the students provided (this is up to teachers to incorporate). Also, the videos are only provided in English, and while closed-captioning is available, some of the content may not be readily accessible as written to students with different needs.
But, for the majority of students and teachers, these materials would make a great supplement to the classroom and provide teachers with high-quality materials in areas of mathematics that can sometimes be hard to teach. It's easy to see that a lot of time, effort, and care went into creating these materials, and this is reflected in what's available through the eMathInstruction website.