Given the current conversation around the sliding math skills of US students, and the wider need for a national focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) subjects, I thought you might like to take a look at how edu-tech startup Shiny Things is attempting to resuscitate this flailing field.
The latest PISA 2012 report revealed that US students performed below average in math skills, ranking 27th amongst the 34 OECD countries. Shiny Things is using innovative technology to reinvent how we introduce these skills to kids, and to help teachers encourage interest early on in the area Mark Zuckerberg described as “essential for driving human progress and innovation in this century.”
Their collection of math apps has recently reached over 1.3 million downloads globally with apps like Quick Math and Quick Math+ proving hugely popular with teachers, parents and kids alike.
The latest addition is Quick Fractions, which brings a fresh approach to help master one of the most troublesome areas and sharpen those skills in an educational, yet fun way. Quick Fractions also incorporates an advanced handwriting engine, allowing users to write their answers directly on to the screen, reinforcing the same muscle memory kids use with pen and paper.
For more information on Quick Fractions, check it out on the App Store.