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K-12 Educator’s Reviews |
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What Educators Are Saying
About AceMath
"I have reviewed the sample videos and have found them to be the most exemplary presentation I have seen in a long time. Simply speaking: THEY ARE OUTSTANDING! Your staff of educators have delivered a product to education that will raise the math skills of students everywhere and will bring about proficient young people demonstrating life-long learing. I am simply impressed with the classroom approach, the computer graphics and so much more."
Marilyn M. Carr, Principal
Martha Washington Academics Plus School
School District of Philadelphia
Here is a rare case of a program setting out to accomplish a certain goal, then reaching it exactly. The goal was to present the “grunt work" of mathematics instruction as if a first-rate teacher's presentation had been captured on video, the student working one-on-one for each narrow subject with a friendly teacher.
The skills in the various video series range from grammar school to trigonometry and calculus; each segment builds on the previous ones. For example, in the Basic Mathematical Skills group there are 40 titles, with a core grouping of 20, such as Whole Numbers, Estimating, Factors and Multiples, Fractions, Decimals, Ratios and Percent. Other segment groups are Beginning Algebra, Intermediate Algebra, College Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, and Calculus.
The approach is the same: the pleasant, articulate teacher (Elayn Gay) offers basic definitions, then turns to the whiteboard behind her and works out problems using a black marker, explaining each step and each term as she goes along. After several examples, she suggests a real-life question (e.g. How many quarter pounders can be made from five pounds of meat?) that could be solved using this episode's techniques, then she works through the math.
There is great care her to define, remind and repeat as the ideas are developed. This series will be an invaluable adjunct to mathematics instruction at all levels.
Library Journal
Donald Wismer
Office of the Secretary of State
Augusta, Maine
As a busy teacher, I don’t have the time to learn how to use the many resources that are available. I was so pleased to find this product because all I had to do was insert the CD into my computer, and it began playing. This allowed me to focus my attention on teaching the students math, not having to learn a new program. It was so easy to use!”
Valerie Campbell
Award-Winning 2nd grade teacher
Barrett Elementary School
By far, the most popular part of the Workshop activities has to be the videos. I searched for over a year and settled on the Elayn Gay Video Series from Video Resources.
Since a picture is worth 1.0 x 10 to the 3 words, I won't try to describe why I think these are the best videos on the market. Some highlights, though, are that Elayn starts each video out with a section on rules, background and theory, and then goes through a very nice selection of standard examples. I believe the reason why these are so popular is that they are direct and to the point—they show the students how to do problems just like the ones from their homework—and short, about 25-30 minutes each. Elayn has a real camera presence as well as a very non-threatening style. They are not slick, just simple and no nonsense.
There could be a full psychological analysis of why these videos are so popular, and so I will give a short one. In the age of television, students feel more comfortable with video. They have all grown up with it, and feel more at ease with a television than they are with human beings, in many cases. For mathematical instruction, the key to video is that video does not carry with it all of the intimidation baggage students at this level usually have. Math teachers tend to scare students, especially the weaker ones, no matter how much we try not to. Another bonus to the video is that students do not feel rushed to understand - if they missed something, they can go back and review it—a situation they hate to ask any human being to do. Video players are never impatient, even when they are tired.
California Mathematics Council Quarterly
Robert Curtis
Professor of Mathematics
San Joaquin Delta College
Several weeks ago, I received a sample video from VIDEO RESOURCES SOFTWARE. I took the video home and viewed it as did other members of the math department here at DASH. The general reaction to the video was quite positive. I feel that the videos could be a very good resource if they can be made available for students to check-out and take home. I think they can serve as a sort of teacher-at-home aid and could make it easier for parents to be able to help their children with math homework. Regardless of how many manipulatives and problem-oriented lessons we use in the classroom, there will always remain the need for practice of algorithms. I think these videos could be a big help in addressing the problem of ‘I couldn’t remember how to do it when I got home’ or ‘I’ve forgotten that part, would you go over it again (for the 5th time)’.
Thank you,
Maria R. Belton
Dade County Public Schools
AceMath is an interactive video CD series that allows students to learn mathematical topics at their own pace. The program is well designed and encompasses several pedagogical elements, from learning mathematical concepts to mastering computational skills. The program may be used “as a tutorial, a teaching supplement, or for self-study.” Certainly, in my own experience as a Two-Year College instructor, there are many occasions when it would be useful to have interactive self-learning material of this nature to help students who need an introduction to a topic, a refresher course for specific skills, or a tutorial on a subject matter that the student has either never learned or failed to fully understand. The Basic Mathematics series consists of 8 CDs, each one devoted to a different subject matter. The titles of the eight DCs are: Whole Numbers, Fractions, Decimal & Ratio and Proportion, Percent, Measurement, Geometry & Statistics and Probability, Signed Numbers and Exponents, and Introduction to Algebra ...”
“This 8 CD set is a valuable addition to any collection of mathematics learning materials. Students who wish to review a topic, or who missed an instructor’s class on a specific topic, can readily turn to this set of CDs for a self-paced introduction or review. The combination of live instruction with pre-assessment materials, objective summaries, and workbooks makes AceMath a well-conceived and effective resource for students and instructors.”
The AMATYC Review
Brian E. Smith, Ph.D
McGill University
Montreal, Canada
A few weeks ago, several of us in the East Baton Rouge Parish adult education program had the opportunity to work with some of your math vides in a G.E.D. program at Baton Rouge Regional Technological Institute. The students loved them, and ever since we moved to different locations, I have been trying to get a set.
Luckily, I saw you in New Orleans, got a catalog and now have a core grouping the the Basic Mathematical Skills. Again, the students are requesting the math videos. Whenever this happens, you know the material is good! Math test scores have improve. So everyone is happy.
Many thanks for helping our students.
Sincerely,
Suzanne Duplantier
Adult Education Specialist
Valley Park Adult and Continuing Education Center
Baton Rouge, LA
I am a strong proponent of ACE MATH, a program we have been using for the past few years. We use it to teach basic math concepts to both individuals and small groups. It provides a thorough instruction of math concepts in a format that very effectively meets the needs of our student population, preparing them for the GED Mathematics Test. Elayn Gay presents the material in a pleasant and non-threatening manner and has a nice way of allaying students' math anxieties. She also treats math for what it really is: a serious mental discipline, which, however difficult, can still be mastered. Although the videos are devoid of the usual glitz and distracting hype that characterize so much of today's electronic educational material, our students think the program is great. They really learn, and learning builds confidence. Finally, the program frees me from the task of having to repeat basic concepts over and over and over for both slow students and absentees. This allows me to do some of the more creative work in front of the class or help students who need more personalized attention.
GED ITEMS
Mike Fitzpatrick
Math Teacher
Green Bay Correctional Institution
Green Bay Wisconsin
"It is the best interactive video math series that I have seen, and I’ve been looking for over two years! Working with adult learners, it is so hard to find material that is not insulting to their intelligence. AceMath's Basic Mathematics Interactive Video Tutor presents the material in such a way that it encourages adults to learn and enjoy the lessons, without teaching 'down' to them. Students love the series and have been fighting over them!"
Bryan Johnson
Pinellas Technical Education Center
St Petersburg, FL
“The tapes are the basic source of instruction for students taking remediation through a math lab in the learning center. Also the tapes are used as supplemental to classroom instruction for students in a traditional math course through the math department. If high usage and positive feedback from students are valid indictors, then we certainly made the correct choice. The video tapes are not only cost effective, but more importantly, of exceptional quality with regard to content and presentation.”
Dorris Parsons
Director L.A.C.
Grayson Country College
“The instruction on each tape is clearly presented using universally accepted techniques. The tapes have been well received, so much so that the library staff had to purchase more equipment to handle the increased use of their facilities. The students tell me they like the tapes for their clear and precise instruction. Most importantly they have the privacy which encourages them to get help without feeling embarrassed. They also appreciate every step being shown in a skill that unfortunately they don't always get from their instructor. After realizing the success of the tapes, we purchased the complete set. I, for one, am very happy with your products and wanted you to know.”
Linda Hall
Instructor — Math and Computer Science
University of Texas — Pan American
Edinburg, TX
“They agreed it was the best they had seen.”
Priscilla Sacks
Self Development & Testing Branch
Fort Sill, OK