Math curriculum across the country needs to accept and involve tools such as Photomath in classrooms to keep students engaged and expand their understanding of the subject.
Digitized math learning is how teaching evolves in America and will lead future generations to be curious learners.
Traditional math classes often follow a linear curriculum with students progressing from one topic to the next and oftentimes teach students only how to follow the teacher’s direction in solving routine problems. Apps like Photomath, however, allow students to explore a wide range of mathematical concepts on their terms based on their abilities and learning speed. This exploration can ignite curiosity and encourage students to delve into topics that particularly interest them, fostering a love for mathematics that goes beyond the classroom.
Integrating technology like Photomath into math classes provides immediate feedback. When students make mistakes, they receive instant guidance and corrections. This continuous feedback loop is essential for improving comprehension and promoting a growth mindset while encouraging students to learn from their mistakes. Students analyze what they did wrong and look to stop what’s causing them to fail.
Students sometimes will not get the answer right away or struggle to understand a certain concept. It is natural. Every student learns at a different pace.
Breaking down every aspect of the problem-solving process in math is essential to investigate and use your brain to improve. Students can take the initiative to look into their mistakes themselves to rework their approach to solving difficult problems.
With an online math curriculum and integrating math apps, students are given the opportunity to engage with genuine curiosity on different concepts and their brain starts putting the numbers together in a way that makes sense. Although every student learns at a different pace, digitized math programs make the instructor’s job much easier by isolating topics students need help with while not being forced to stay on grasped concepts for too long.
Students are encouraged to use resources to learn on their own and improve.
For example, if a student can’t solve a problem on their own and uses Photomath to solve the problem, they need to break down the steps to solve the equations or problems that are outlined in the app. They physically write out the process to solve the problem and begin to work in their brains.
A study from the University of Tokyo revealed that writing physical notes leads to more brain activity and memorization for students. It states, “Volunteers who used paper had more brain activity in areas associated with language and imaginary visualization”.
Math requires memory to get a grasp of rules and formulas to succeed within the curriculum.
Math-based anxiety is also a common issue that many students face. Apps designed for math learning help alleviate anxiety by providing a non-judgmental environment in which students can practice and learn without fear of embarrassment in front of their peers.
As students gain confidence, the possibility to actively participate in class discussions and problem-solving in front of others increases, resulting in a more engaged learning environment.. This allows students to work at their own pace and not worry about being so far behind.
While there are concerns students will use these apps to cheat on homework, the origin of the cheating oftentimes comes from the inability of the student to keep up. They must learn to develop the need to learn on their own and find a different way to understand the material. The app gives students a skeleton on how to solve this problem rather than blurt out the answer to them. Students know they won’t be able to use their phones on the test so they are searching for ways to understand the concepts they’ve yet to master.
In a classroom environment, they can use the app to check answers, experiment with different equations and visualize graphs in an instant. Its benefits can help unlock every student’s potential in mathematics if utilized by the instructor.
Integrating apps like Photomath into math classes represents a significant step toward creating engaging and inclusive learning environments. The benefits of personalized learning, practical applications, immediate feedback and reduced math anxiety cannot be overstated.
Instead of fearing these technological tools, educators should embrace them as valuable resources that can help students unlock the potential of mathematics. By combining traditional teaching methods with innovative technology like Photomath, math classes can create an engaging experience for students regardless of their skill level and interest in the subject.
This isn’t a fad, it’s the future of education.
