EduGAINS – Mathematics; Mathies
EduGAINS – Mathematics
EduGAINS is a Ministry of Education portal to a wide variety of resources on a wide variety of topics related to Ontario curriculum, student learning and capacity-building for teachers. The Mathematics section of EduGAINS has been designed primarily for Ontario mathematics teachers but is applicable to all educators in their quest to help students improve their numeracy skills. This site organizes content under various headings including “Curriculum and Teaching,” “Classroom Practices,” “Assessment,” “Home Support,” and several others. The “Curriculum and Teaching” link organizes resources by grade level from Kindergarten to grade 12, by course code (for grades 9 – 12), and also has a section for English language Learners; and provides lessons that have been arranged by unit and topics. The “Classroom Practices” link has sections on differentiated instruction, lesson design and technology and teaching tools. The “Assessment” link has helpful information on topics such as effective questioning, mathematical processes and communication. The link for “Home Support” is useful for parents who want to provide extra help to their child in mathematics. Interestingly, one of the links in this section is this month’s other featured resource, Mathies.
Mathies
Mathies (which stands for Mathematics Interactive Electronic Supports) is geared more towards Ontario students and parents and has language that is less steeped in educational terminology. This is a one-stop site, created by the Ontario Association for Mathematics Education, for students and parents who need additional help with math. This site is engaging, in part, because it focuses primarily on interactive activities, games and learning tools. There are also worksheets and activities that can be printed and completed by hand if access to a computer is limited. The “Additional Supports” link connects you to ePractice which is a series of digital interactive mathematics activities to practice and build understanding while providing immediate feedback. The “Parents” link is very helpful for those who are interested in working with their child at home to support the good work that is done in the classroom. Best of all, this website can connect students directly to Homework Help which offers 24/7 mathematics resources and also provides a free live link to tutors, Sundays-Thursday from 5:30 – 9:30 pm, to help students with their math questions.