Fractions with Professor Von Strudel

For Grades 2 - 6

Welcome to Professor Von Strudel’s math lab. The professor’s classes on fractions are appropriate for a wide range of students in grades two through six. Starting with a very basic introduction to fractions and building on what is learned, students master a wide range of math curriculum goals having to do with fractions. From beginning equivalents to multiplying and dividing with mixed numerals, the professor offers carefully guided practice. Most activities contain one or more tutorial help components in which the professor clearly explains the concept or method utilized in the selected activity.

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In fact, there are a total of 30 tutorial help segments presented by Professor Von Strudel. Whenever the REVIEW light is on during an activity, there is a corresponding spoken tutorial in which the professor carefully explains the concept or skill necessary to complete the activity. During all activities, as students have difficulty, the professor gives helpful tips pertaining to the error made. When students make a series of mistakes, demonstrating a lack of understanding for the activity, the professor automatically presents the appropriate tutorial, often with step by step examples. Also, any time a student wishes to see a tutorial to review a concept, he or she may click REVIEW or press R.

The tutorials are precise and deliberate, but if the pace is too fast or the student wants to study an example presented by the professor, he may press the pause button. On the other hand, if the student understands the point of the lesson before the professor finishes a tutorial, she may return to the current activity by clicking on the stop sign or by pressing S for stop.

As students solve problems on the screen, Professor Von Strudel carefully monitors their work, step by step. Appropriate and targeted help is provided when errors are made. All answers must be reduced to simplest form. Students may conveniently and logically work their way to lowest terms in several steps.

Professor Von Strudel is primarily focused on helping students learn the concepts and methods involved in understanding and computing with fractions. The focus is not on mental math. It is likely there will be times, such as when working with large numbers or converting fractions to decimals, that a calculator becomes a welcome and appropriate tool. The mouse or C on the keyboard is used to access the calculator.

Large amounts of instruction, reinforcement, and practice at various levels of complexity can be provided by this program, all under the watchful eyes of the good professor. He helps students when they err and patiently, constantly keeps track of how each student is performing.

The Summary page can display how each student has performed in each of the 32 data categories sectioned into sets A, B, and C. When using Class Files, results can be viewed for the latest session, the last 5 sessions, or students’ cumulative work. Scores can be displayed as right / total, a percent correct, or as a letter grade with the grading scale being established from the Teacher Module. (The teacher or administrator password is required in order to see records for students other than the current student).

In addition to individual student records, class totals are also kept and shown on the Summary page. At a glance, teachers can quickly assess the classes’ overall performance on a given objective.

Fractions with Professor Von Strudel contains Micrograms' latest Class File record keeping system. This system collects student performance data from around the network and consolidates it into screen reports (described above) and printable reports. Printable reports may be for the latest work session, the last five work sessions, or a cumulative report of all work done. The report may be for a single student or for every class member with class totals. On a stand-alone machine, the same kind of record keeping can be done; but, of course, students must take turns using the program, rather than using it simultaneously, as they do on a network.

This Class Filie record keeping system also allows teachers to adjust program activities for students individually or to change options for the entire class at once. In the network environment, the Teacher Module in Fractions with Professor Von Strudel provides our most advanced network security, convenience, and management features, many of which can be used in the stand-alone environment as well.