Bridging the Gap: Using Interactive Computer Tools to Build Fraction Schemes

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Bridging the GapUsing Interactive Computer
Tools to Build Fraction Schemes

• By John Olive
• Article Critique By Leonora Spyros

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Overview

• Audience is for teachers in the third or fourth
  grade level
• Illustrates an approach to constructing fraction
  concepts that builds on childrens whole-number
  knowledge using specially designed computer tools
• Bridging the gap between whole number and
  fraction knowledge
• Creates a better understanding of fractions using
  Tools for Interactive Mathematical Activity
  (TIMA)

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Key Points

• TIMA sets
• TIMA Sticks
• Construction of Fractional Schemes
• Fractions as iterable connected numbers
• Partitioning and iterating operations
• Using different episodes
• Common and Improper Fractions

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Strengths

• Easy reading and easy to understand
• Interesting and practical
• Good ideas for the classroom
• Interactive
• Helps students improve on fractions by using
  TIMA Sticks
• Website given in order to be able to use the TIMA
  sticks by downloading them

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Weaknesses

• No standards were referred to in the article
• The website downloads did not work
• Only concentrated on TIMA Sticks
• Could have showed examples of bars, and toys

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Implementation in Classroom

• Having the students use the TIMA programs to help
  understand fractions
• TIMA is a great resource for building fraction
  schemes
• Using whole number multiplication to find
  appropriate stick
• Bridge whole numbers to fractions
• Applying prior knowledge to new knowledge

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Works Cited

• Olive, John. Bridging the Gap Using Interactive
  Computer Tools to Build Fraction Schemes. The
  National Council of Teachers Mathematics, Inc.
  2002.
• National Library of Virtual Manipulatives