SUMMARY

CueThink is an iPad app that guides students in Grades 4-12 through a step-by-step process for solving complex mathematics problems. It also provides them with a platform for sharing their solutions and strategies for solving the problems with their teacher and other students. Teachers can choose to create their own problems, or they can choose to assign their students problems from the CueThink Problem Bank. Educators can get free access to CueThink until July 31, 2015 by downloading CueThink from the Apple App Store.

GOALS

CueThink is an application for the iPad that guides students in Grades 4-12 through a step-by-step process for solving complex mathematics problems. Simultaneously, CueThink enables them to build artifacts called “thinklets”, that can be used to share their solutions and strategies for solving the problem. The product was designed to provide teachers with a pedagogical framework for teaching students a systematic approach to solving higher-level mathematics problems and students with a forum for engaging in rich discussions about mathematics.

APPROACH

Teachers download the CueThink app from the Apple App Store and create an educator account. Once teachers have confirmed their accounts via email, they can create a class for their students. Each class is given a unique class code, which teachers then email to their students. Students can then create individual student accounts and use the code from their teacher to join the appropriate class.

Teachers visit the Teacher Dashboard to create assign problems to the students in their class. They can choose to create their own problems, or assign problems from the CueThink Problem Bank. The Problem Bank includes problems written by CueThink staff members, other teachers and outside partners such as Drexel University.

Students are guided through a four-phase problem-solving process for each problem they are assigned to solve: the Understand Phase, the Plan Phase, the Solve Phase, and the Review Phase. The outcome of this process is a “thinklet”. In the Understand Phase of the process, students read the problem and can use a toolbox to highlight important phrases in the problem, strikethrough unnecessary information, or jot notes on virtual scratch paper. They also fill in “What do you notice?,” “What do you wonder about?,” and “Estimate your answer” boxes to show their understanding of the problem. In the Plan Phase, students choose one or more strategies they will to use to solve the problem from a pre-populated list (e.g. draw a picture, make a table, work backwards), or they create their own strategies. Then, they write out their complete plan to solve the problem. In the Solve Phase, students use an interactive whiteboard to actually solve the problem. They also create a short video recording of their solution. In the fourth and final phase of the problem solving process, which is the Review Phase, students are prompted to check their reasoning, math computations, and video recording.

When students finish creating their thinklets, they can choose to share them with the other students in their class and/or the greater CueThink Community. Students can then collaborate and communicate with other students on CueThink by viewing and annotating their peers’ thinklets.

IMPLEMENTATION

Students need to use iPad tablets with an Internet connection to access CueThink. Teachers can access the Teacher Dashboard using either an iPad tablet or a laptop or desktop computer.

PRICING

Educators can get free access to CueThink until July 31, 2015 by downloading CueThink from the Apple App Store. Educators can also register for a free coaching session for up to 10 teachers by emailing norma@cuethink.com. The coaching session will include a preview of CueThink’s fall product offerings.

WHO IS USING IT

CueThink is used by over 1,000 students in more than 30 schools.