Websites for student use

SOS Mathematics is a website that students can use at the secondary level.  Subjects included are:  Algebra, Trigonometry,  Calculus, Differential Equations, and Matrix Algebra.  The site even includes external links for help on other subjects from the elementary grades, as well as extra help and practice on other math websites.

This site would be used if a student needs extra help on any of the above topics, or to extend the student's knowledge.  There are many easy to read notes with examples on each subject.  For example, the Algebra link contains categories from fractions through solving logarithmic and exponential functions.  At the end of each lesson, the student can view other similar examples or test themselves by doing a problem and later viewing the solution.

Along with the lessons, there is a link on the homepage where students can post a question on a forum.  The forums are sorted by subject making it easy to navigate.  The creators of the website monitor the forums so they are free of unwanted material.  Overall, the site is laid out nicely and eye appealing.  The only negative that I could find would be when in navigating the different subjects, there is no simple way to click back to the homepage.

At a recent NCTM conference, I attended a seminar on Hot Math.  The seminar was about a website for students wanting to remediate their math skills.   Although there is a fee to join the site, there are some great games that are included for free at http://hotmath.com/games.html.  The games are:  Catch the Fly, Number Cop, Algebra vs. the Cockroaches, and Factortris.

Catch the Fly is a great game to play for any student in middle school math or algebra who needs more practice on plotting points on the Cartesian plane.  There is a frog on top of the plane and the student must type in the ordered pair at which the fly has landed.  If he/she is correct, the frog will eat the fly.

Number Cop is a fast paced game where students must pick numbers by their divisibility.  For example, students can choose multiples of 3, or prime numbers.  The cop car then starts and students control which lane the car goes into.  The goal is to go in whichever lane has a number that is in the set that they are looking for.  This game will create very fast thinkers!

Algebra vs. the Cockroaches is a game where students must find the equation of a line according to where cockroaches are walking.  The students have fun by choosing what will eliminate the cockroaches when they correctly input the equation; they can choose a rocket, laser gun, sprayer, or shoe making it very fun and entertaining for kids.

Finally, there is the game Factortris.  This game is similar to Tetris.  The student is given an area and must choose a rectangle with that area.  The shape is then dropped and the student must make a line of boxes to eliminate them.  Students would love this, and it works on their factoring skills at the same time!