Friday, July 11, 2014

X blok

X Blox uses manipulatives to model various activities starting with expressions and moving up to quadratics.  



The first level starts out easily with a number or simple expression such as 4 + (-2).  As the student progresses through the levels, the problems will become more complex.  This app has a way for students to e-mail progress reported to the teacher and you can reset the levels already completed if you have to start a new class on this app.
There is the learn mode which is what is shown above.  If you click. In play, there are three more activities.

First is the sandbox which is where you can play and just explore.  Next is the X Blox express where the student can work on interpreting the manipulatives.



Finally is the factor challenge where the student is able to practice factoring.



I can see using this quite a lot in the pre-algebra and algebra classes.  The students need to complete the tutorial section so they understand exactly how the program and manipulatives work before they can use the additional play sections.  If they rush to the play sections, they may get too frustrated and shut down.  This is set up so students acquire a foundation before moving on.

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