Trinity Maths

www.estarters.com

KS3 - KS4 (Years 7 - 11)

Mathematics

used with interactive whiteboard

used by individuals

used with whole class

used as lesson starter

used for revision purposes

The pupils sat in their normal places within the classroom and were issued with a write on A5 board which they could use to answer questions during the lesson.

I utilised the software via the classroom's built in data projector and electronic whiteboard to investigate the topic and get the class involved in predicting the next result. There were a few individual questions but generally all were able to get fully involved without further intervention.

At the end of the lesson we were able to use the software to go over what we had covered as part of our plenary.

easy to use independently

logical progression of content

Trinity Maths opens with little delay and it is quick to run. To access the desired part of the software takes very little practice, as there is one clear route. You do get asked about whether you want to open a macro each time you start a new section but this is not a problem as the banner disappears immediately you click YES.

The pupils were able to participate in the learning immediately as the material is presented very clearly. The software has a central menu page from which everything can be accessed easily.

The relevant links are clearly labelled and easy to operate correctly. Though clearly a teacher would find it useful to familiarise themselves with the approach taken beforehand and the next steps in the process.

The software fitted well into my lessons which currently involve preparing several classes for their Summer GCSE exams in Mathematics. It is suitable for use with the three major Exam boards as it covers a large amount of the necessary material.

The program needed very little preparation and introduction as it was being used as a revision exercise, and in order to give the set a chance to gain additional practice in some tricky topics, for which it worked well.

Where a subject area showed evidence of whole class weakness I am now in the habit of using this title to revisit the material, giving the whole class more practice in a given topic area. At the same time I might be teaching the topic conventionally and with other resources.

The software itself provides no inbuilt capacity to monitor an individual students' progress as it is designed primarily for use by the teacher. Though it is very useful for more motivated students as a dynamic revision resource. Our numeracy support staff use the program now on a one to one basis as it helps massively with their delivery.

The students that I have worked with while using this software, all commented on how it was more interesting and motivating to be taught using this system rather than just using traditional pen on board techniques. They found it easier to take notes and even asked for it to be put on the student area of the network so that it could be used by them as an interactive revision aid.

My colleagues have also started to incorporate it into their lessons as to quote one recently qualified colleague: "It leaves you more able to teach by interacting with the classroom, as you can pose better questions and not be preoccupied with remembering the next step..". You avoid the teaching to yourself syndrome, that is so easy to exhibit with Mathematics, as much less of your focus is on creating the material and more is on moving your class forward.

The Trinity Maths package is designed for use as starters, main or plenary activities, on an interactive whiteboard within KS3 and GCSE Mathematics lessons. It is clearly presented, intuitive and easy to use.

The software was installed on our school network and used as an alternative to traditional pen on board teaching. The class readily enjoyed the dynamic medium and participated with more enthusiasm than normal.

A very well structured package, with 61 topic files containing over 1400 activities, it is straightforward to use requiring very little prior familiarisation. Even colleagues with limited IT skills have dabbled with it in their classrooms, and found it useful. It gives you more control and power, as you are not on the back foot manually creating resources, which keeps you focused and thus in a more powerful position of being able to direct the learning of your class.

Read KS3 Content evaluation...

Product Overview

This product is published by eStarters Ltd (Tel: 0161 962 5005)