The Website of Gina V. Raymond
Website Evaluation Form Illuminations National Council of Teachers of Mathematics www.illuminations.nctm.org Grade Level(s) Algebra Reviewed by: Gina Raymond Introduction- Description and Content Illuminations is the flagship site developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The website is organized by four main headings: Activities, Lessons, Standards and Websites. This site is a must have for math teachers. One of the largest challenges facing a math teacher today is to not only keep the math fresh and engaging to students but to also stay on task and teach to the standards that pertain to the curriculum. Illuminations effectively weaves the three together: standards with lessons with activities. This review focuses only on the grade 6-8 algebra section although other areas are previewed for the reader. The content of the algebra area is very rich. One can search four basic ways: by activity, lesson, standard or website. Once inside each area, one can search by grade and then topic (the only exception is the websites area which are organized by topic only). Searches yield a wide variety of material: full lesson plans as well as activities for the lesson plans. Accuracy of the content was excellent; there appeared to be no obvious errors within the area reviewed. Navigation is intuitive. This site is primarily used by teachers with varying levels of access. Most of the materials on the site can be accessed and used in lesson plans although there is a separate area where a teacher can join NCTM for further materials. These materials include journals (both online and in print) as well as various books and publications. The best features of this site include lessons aligned to national standards as well as many interactive online activities which can be used by a teacher through demonstration as a whole class activity or by students in a math lab. Several activities are highlighted on the main page as well as online gaming through Calculation Nation. Technical Quality The website is effective in its presentation and navigation. While the graphics are not especially advanced, the organization is both familiar and easy. There are no broken links although the site does indicate that they do not guarantee the website referral area. Some of the activities use applets (Java applications that are portable and can be run with minimal memory) to illustrate various mathematical concepts and can be used alone or embedded within a lesson. There are always instructions as to how to use the activity and the verbiage is always professional with no slang or inappropriate wording. The activities reviewed did not include any bias within them. Ads are not used. Use of Technology The technology used is varied and pointed. There are no flashy graphics either on the site itself or buried within the activities unless it is needed to engage the student or teacher. The technology in the areas reviewed worked flawlessly. The technology sometimes consisted of an applet that would be used to illustrate a math concept. Other times, the technology is more open ended such as creating a tessellation from scratch. Sometimes the user is instructed to follow a set of instructions to prove or disprove a point. Sometimes the user is called upon to experiment with angles or lines to derive a method or proof. Teachers can use this technology to move up through Bloom’s taxonomy with ease. Uses for teachers and students The variety on the site produces multiple ways to use the site in everyday preparation. 1. A teacher could select an activity from the library based on a topic or lesson is his/her school curriculum. 2. A teacher could review lesson plans and use them in a classroom. 3. A teacher could review a standard which may be particularly challenging and drive down into lessons/activities which tie to the standard. 4. A teacher could view websites for supplemental lessons and activities. Once the teacher had the plan as to how to proceed, again the methods are endless. The activities could be openers or puzzlers demonstrated by the teachers or actual labs done by students. One method which seemed woven throughout many activities was the ability for students to participate in an indirect lesson, a lesson in which they derive the formula or rule through trial and error and then analysis or meta cognition. This method can be tricky to consistently employ in test-driven classrooms since it can take longer to achieve success. Nevertheless it can yield a depth of understanding that the direct form of instruction (modeling, guided practice, and independent practice) may not always achieve. Illuminations can also be used for differentiated instruction, perhaps using some of the applets for more in-depth analysis of an area (either the derivation or application of the math concept). Context is provided in many of the areas. Some of the activities are stand-alone and need the orientation to be placed around them. However, many lessons are posted with real world scenarios included. This is probably not a site that will be frequented by students or parents alone without guidance. Most of the activities and lessons are tied to standards making the audience more appropriate for teachers. Calculation Nation could be an area for students. Overall Illuminations is an excellent resource for math teachers at all levels. It is rich with content, lessons and activities tied to standards. All math teachers should be familiar with its content and draw from it the tools they need to stay on track in the math classroom. OVERALL RATING (ON A SCALE OF 1 TO 10) 10
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©Gina V. Raymond | Last Revised November 3, 2009 | graymond23@cox.net