Geoboard, by The Math Learning Center
Digital take on classic math tool
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Geoboard, by The Math Learning Center
Pros: Versatile representation of a physical board, with handy digital tools.
Cons: Missing lesson plans and detailed tips on how to best use this tool.
Bottom Line: Useful alternative to traditional geoboards with some added digital features.
Many math curriculum programs, such as Everyday Math, require the use of traditional physical geoboards. Geoboard by the Math Learning Center simply provides a digital version. Just as with real geoboards, students can work individually or in groups to create shapes. This tool also allows teachers to project the virtual geoboard onto a screen for whole-class demonstrations and instruction.
Teachers will have to add their own lessons and learning activities, as nothing is built in. For example, teachers could use the virtual geoboard to explore area but will have to provide all the instruction necessary to teach this concept. But the numbered grids, drawing tools, and math text tool are useful for modeling these concepts with the app. Students can also save their work using the print screen option on their device. The iPad's screen capture function involves pressing the power button and home button simultaneously.
Geoboard by The Math Learning Center offers kids a virtual geoboard on which they can wrap bands around pegs to build and contort shapes. Students can choose from a small board (with widely spaced pegs) or a larger board (with pegs that are close together), and grid lines on the boards can be displayed with numbers to help kids calculate area and perimeter. There's also an option for a circular board so kids can explore angles, fraction models, and time measurements.
There are eight band colors to choose from, and the colors can be changed even after they are used on the board. Students can copy and move shapes around the board to explore concepts like symmetry, transformations, and congruency. Drawing tools for annotations and a math text tool for incorporating equations are useful for instruction.
A geoboard is a great tool for learning about a number of topics: geometry, area, perimeter, angles, fractions, symmetry, and more. Geoboard by The Math Learning Center is simply a virtual version; with a few added digital tools. Kids can use the text tool to create a mathematical expression that describes their geoboard creation. This allows kids to see that multiple representations are thinking tools, and each one tells us something different about the same mathematical concept.
Geoboard by The Math Learning Center misses a real opportunity to offer all sorts of possible teaching and learning content. Kids can shade the shapes they build, but there’s no discussion or suggestion about why this option is useful or what kids can learn from shading their shapes. It would also be great if the app could help kids calculate the perimeter and area of shapes that they've created. The numbered grids are great for doing this with squares and rectangles, but formulas for other shapes would be useful. In its current state, the app doesn't allow kids to share their creations with others.
Learning Rating
Community Rating
Great Shape Resource for Primary Students!
This is an excellent free resource for a kindergarten classroom. Students can apply their knowledge about shapes and be creative when doing so. By smashing this app with other apps you can move this app from substitution to augmentation or modification.
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