Whizz Education in Education Today!
Learning is fun!We meet the award winning teachers’ resource putting the wow factor into maths
Simplicity and flexibility are the key factors for Maths Whizz Teachers’ Resource
Classrooms have been more animated recently. The reason for this, many say, is Maths Whizz Teachers’ Resource – already awarded as best maths software in the primary school category in the 2006 BETT Education awards. With its focus on simplicity and flexibility and putting mathematical theory into a context that children can understand the software is now used daily in over 2000 schools.
Maths-Whizz Teachers’ Resource is a software package that enables teachers’ to teach more effectively. The software combines interesting animated exercises that enhance learning, with a clear objective basedguide for teachers straight from the numeracy strategy.
Each pack contains a cross reference document which maps every lesson to a specific objective from the numeracy strategy. It has been designed to make it easy for
teachers to see where they can find resources and save time on lesson planning.
Maths-Whizz Teachers’ Resource is a teacher-led product for use in schools which is a valuable CD-Rom tool for the whole-class, small group, or one-on-one teaching that allows a dynamic approach to teaching and learning. There is currently a single CD-Rom covering each Year from Key Stages 1 and 2 and the first year of Kay Stage 3, Year 7.
The resource covers the complete National Curriculum in mathematics and provides a visually stimulating teaching tool for use on computers or interactive white boards. Animated teacher demonstration sections, interactive exercises and printable paper-based exercises capture the imagination of students and aid comprehension.
Susan Robinson, Deputy Head Teacher, Thelwall Community Junior School says, “I think Maths-Whizz has shown a huge increase in the motivation of maths. The children are totally engaged and stimulated and they enjoy using it. When they see that it is Maths-Whizz they are really enthusiastic about it. There’s a two page document which tells you all the objectives which come directly from the numeracy strategy so it is very easy for teachers just to look at that and see where they can find resources.”
Maths-Whizz Teachers’ Resource motivates children to enjoy learning maths. When using the software children are engaged, stimulated and enthusiastic. It enables kinesthetic children to physically engage with the white board and positively impacts the child’s interest and potential future maths ability.
Maths-Whizz Teachers’ Resource helps teachers adopt ICT in schools, fully integrating into school computer networks and in particular white board technology, and showing it off. It also represents good value for money for schools when compared with spend required on the upkeep of traditional text books.
Janna Neame, Cherrywood Community Primary School says “I tend not to think that these are year 3 or 4 – I think of ability. In each year there are different abilities, and the technology overlaps and caters for that. Maths Whizz allows children to work on their own
abilities.”
Currently over 60% of schools in the UK are using white board technology in their classrooms. Of the many benefits that white boards afford the most important for
children at Key Stage 1 is that advanced concepts from across the curriculum can be
presented in an interactive, fun and engaging way.
Imagine the white board as constantly changing, a book that reacts with the child’s answers, you never have to rub anything out and once you harness that interest it can go on and on to new subjects and new lessons.
Recent statistics showed that year on year there was an 18% increase in
attainment levels of children using Maths Whizz Many teachers have told us that this way of interactive learning has a positive impact on a child’s future learning. Imagine a child learning a core subject like maths. The white board, and interactive learning as a whole, presents key stage 1 concepts such as measuring, weights and addition as a game. A
child can approach the white board and literally move items from one side of the board to the other, physically (though virtually) filling a glass, adding two bricks to a pile and then counting the total – having a real experience through technology to increase their understanding. For teachers a key benefit is that the software is designed to teach the
national curriculum and because the lessons are stored on your computer they can be used again. Maths Whizz is sold per year group. Years Reception, 1 and 2 cost £250; Years 3 to 6 cost £375 and Year 7 costs £500. Visit www.whizzeducation.com or call
0800 066 9980 to receive a FREE demo CD.
This is a text extract from Education Today.