YourTeacher Aims To Help Flip Math Classes with iBooks
A new line of iBook math textbooks from YourTeacher is intended to give math teachers a turnkey way to flip their classrooms, using technology to leverage learning in the classroom so a teacher can spend more time interacting with students instead of lecturing.
According to Jill Stringer, a teacher piloting the math iBook this year, students are asked to watch the examples for the lesson outside of class, and then answer the self-test questions on their iPads. The next day, instead of having to teach the lesson, concepts are reinforced with some type of class discussion and activity.
"My students prefer it to the standard textbook and we have had really good success with it," Stringer said. "The examples are very good and my students are doing well."
Features of the math textbooks currently available from YourTeacher include whiteboard videos, practice problems with step-by-step audio explanations, and interactive multiple-choice self-tests.
YourTeacher's iBooks textbooks for pre-algebra, algebra 1, and geometry are available at the Apple iBook textbook store. The textbooks were created using iBooks Author, a free app from the iTunes store that allows educators to create their own textbooks that may include galleries, video, interactive diagrams, 3D objects, mathematical expressions, and more.
The company's stated intent with the three math textbooks is to take the legwork out of building a textbook and allow quick, easy flipping of any math classroom.
"It's a huge amount of work for teachers to put together all the materials they need for a flipped classroom," said Mike Maggart, co-founder and director of education for YourTeacher, in a company release. "Our solution is a turnkey approach, where all of the content that a math teacher needs for a flipped classroom is built right into the book."
YourTeacher is a digital publisher specializing in middle school, high school, and college level math. The company's subscription Web site, together with its line of math apps, provides students with math tutoring, standardized test prep, and homeschooling.
About the Author
Kevin Hudson is a freelance journalist based in Portland, Oregon. He can be reached at [email protected].