Name: My Math Flash Cards App
itunes.apple.com/us/app/my-math-flash-cards-app/id412496588?mt=8
Cost: This application was free.
Pros: This app is a fun way for students to practice their simple math calculations. It allows them to flip through addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems of while being timed. The level of difficulty can be set to starter or advanced, so there is room for growth within the app itself. You can also set the problems to drill certain numbers. A definite pro to using this app is that it would reach kinesthetic learners who are so often marginalized in instructional methods. The app is fast-paced and provides corresponding sounds for right and wrong answers. Students at any level will be challenged to beat their own personal best record.
Cons: The app is limited in that you cannot excel past the equations provided by the app. A great improvement would be to allow a teacher to pre-write a different set of flash cards for excelled students. When you type in the wrong answer, it gives you the option to either see the correct answer or skip it altogether. Since those are the questions that students should practice over again, it would be better if the app either repeated the question again later or did not give students the option of not viewing the answer.
Use: This could be an effective addition to having stations around the classroom. One student at a time would be able to choose their own settings and try to answer them as quick as they can. The students would invariably love the app because it resembles recreational video games, and at the same time help them quicken and cement the math in their head. These basic problems are the building blocks for higher math and so it is fundamental that students are able to quickly recall the answers. This game could also be used by showing the app on some sort of projector in front of class. The class could be divided in half, and one person from each team would try to shout or write the answer on the white board before the other. I would type in the answer and check it so that all the students could decide if the chosen student was right and earned a point for the team. This app could even be used as an individual informal assessment because it shows at the bottom of the card how many questions were answered correctly out of the total. It could also be used as an informal group assessment; after teaching multiplication by nines, I could set the problems to x 9 to see how confidently the group can shout out the answer. This would give me a rough idea of which problems the students still need to memorize or if there is a complete lack of understanding altogether.
Overall: I have not used another flash card app, but this one seemed usable and helpful to use in a classroom or individual setting.
I enjoyed this app and really think it would be useful. Although it is simplistic, I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. Some math apps and games can have too much going on and can be distracting from the actual math. It reminds me somewhat of the app I reviewed, Math Tutor Lite 2. My app adds a little more razzle dazzle to these simple math operations but they basically do the same things. Perhaps the students who are more easily distracted should use apps like yours and those who want a little extra visual stimulation can use mine!
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