My Thoughts on YouCubed
During our last Mathematic's class, we were given the opportunity to go to http://www.youcubed.org/ and explore this website and its potential benefits in the classroom.
As a future teacher, I am always excited to add new resources to my bank of knowledge, in hopes of making the task a little easier in the future. With that being said, not every resource is a good resource. There are some bad ones out there- I know. I've seen my share. So how does YouCubed compare?
The first thing I discovered about YouCubed is that it is a nonprofit organization, offering free and affordable math resources for both parents and educators. Right away, I see this as being commendable. I think it is so important that Mathematics resources be made accessible for everyone, and that the lines of communication be kept open between educators and parents, so that the children are getting the most of their experiences- at school and at home. As an educator using this resource, all you would need to do in order to share this resource with parents is simply give them the link.
As I continued to explore the site, I was continually impressed. This entire website functions on the assumption that all children have the potential to be exceptional at Math. Their goal is to make students, educators, and parents realize this. This is a phenomenal and innovative approach towards Mathematics since, I believe, students will only ever achieve what they truly believe they are capable of achieving. We've all been there- Mathematics has been given the rep of a terrifyingly scary subject, that only the "top students" in the class can do well in. The rest of us, well...we just give it a mediocre shot and wait until those others are finished and can help us through. But, what would happen if this myth was completely dispelled, and students began their Mathematics career hopeful and excited for what they could achieve? YouCubed believes the results would be a revolutionized view of Mathematics, with growing numbers of children succeeding.
It is clear that YouCubed is on to something. As I watched the video of a group of children working with their techniques, I head them say things like "math is fun", "math is like a game", "math can be like a story"...how often have you ever heard children refer to math in these ways? Throughout the entire video, the children were interacting, smiling, and, believe it or not, laughing.
One aspect of the site that I found very intriguing is when they use modern, well-known companies like Google, which I would assume most children are quite familiar with today, and show how these companies use Mathematics to solve problems everyday. How often does a child think about the Mathematics that is happening behind their everyday searches? What better way to motivate students in math than to give them relevant, modern-day problems that they can relate to? Technology has become such a huge part of children's everyday lives today, that Mathematics being put into this context could certainly be a revolutionary motivator.
Throughout the remainder of my exploration, I found more and more potential in this site. The are so many games found here that teach everything from fact trees, multiplication, prime numbers, and so much more. Using these games, I feel that my students could begin to see that Math is not scary. Math can be "fun", "like a game", "like a story", and, most importantly- achievable.
At the end of the website, YouCubed states that they will be fully operational in a few months. I, for one, cannot wait to see what else YouCubed will have to offer. I will most certainly be implementing this resource in my own classroom someday, and at home with my daughter. So, do yourself, your students, and your own children a gigantic favour, and check YouCubed out!!
Andrea
As a future teacher, I am always excited to add new resources to my bank of knowledge, in hopes of making the task a little easier in the future. With that being said, not every resource is a good resource. There are some bad ones out there- I know. I've seen my share. So how does YouCubed compare?
The first thing I discovered about YouCubed is that it is a nonprofit organization, offering free and affordable math resources for both parents and educators. Right away, I see this as being commendable. I think it is so important that Mathematics resources be made accessible for everyone, and that the lines of communication be kept open between educators and parents, so that the children are getting the most of their experiences- at school and at home. As an educator using this resource, all you would need to do in order to share this resource with parents is simply give them the link.
As I continued to explore the site, I was continually impressed. This entire website functions on the assumption that all children have the potential to be exceptional at Math. Their goal is to make students, educators, and parents realize this. This is a phenomenal and innovative approach towards Mathematics since, I believe, students will only ever achieve what they truly believe they are capable of achieving. We've all been there- Mathematics has been given the rep of a terrifyingly scary subject, that only the "top students" in the class can do well in. The rest of us, well...we just give it a mediocre shot and wait until those others are finished and can help us through. But, what would happen if this myth was completely dispelled, and students began their Mathematics career hopeful and excited for what they could achieve? YouCubed believes the results would be a revolutionized view of Mathematics, with growing numbers of children succeeding.
It is clear that YouCubed is on to something. As I watched the video of a group of children working with their techniques, I head them say things like "math is fun", "math is like a game", "math can be like a story"...how often have you ever heard children refer to math in these ways? Throughout the entire video, the children were interacting, smiling, and, believe it or not, laughing.
One aspect of the site that I found very intriguing is when they use modern, well-known companies like Google, which I would assume most children are quite familiar with today, and show how these companies use Mathematics to solve problems everyday. How often does a child think about the Mathematics that is happening behind their everyday searches? What better way to motivate students in math than to give them relevant, modern-day problems that they can relate to? Technology has become such a huge part of children's everyday lives today, that Mathematics being put into this context could certainly be a revolutionary motivator.
Throughout the remainder of my exploration, I found more and more potential in this site. The are so many games found here that teach everything from fact trees, multiplication, prime numbers, and so much more. Using these games, I feel that my students could begin to see that Math is not scary. Math can be "fun", "like a game", "like a story", and, most importantly- achievable.
At the end of the website, YouCubed states that they will be fully operational in a few months. I, for one, cannot wait to see what else YouCubed will have to offer. I will most certainly be implementing this resource in my own classroom someday, and at home with my daughter. So, do yourself, your students, and your own children a gigantic favour, and check YouCubed out!!
Andrea
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