MathCrunch – Instant Tutor Help for Math Homework ( Algebra, Calculus, Statistics, Probability, Trigonometry, and Geometry Problems )

MathCrunch provides instant math help to students. When launching the app for the first time, users must complete a profile. Once their profile is completed, MatchCrunch gives them 20 minutes of tutoring time. (Additional tutoring time is available for purchase at rates of 30 minutes for $9.99 and 50 minutes for $14.99.) With this time, users can enter the “Tutor Chat” option, where they can take a picture of a problem that stumps them and get assistance to solve the problem (the first minute of tutoring is free, and then users are charged per minute). Or, they can use the “Answer Check” option, in which they take a picture of a completed problem and have their answer checked. (This option costs users five minutes per answer.) Both options use an instant-message feature for communication.

Instructional Ideas

1. Teachers can encourage students to use this app as support when completing math homework.
2. Teachers can create a paper-and-pencil activity of this app in their classroom. To do so, one student can show another student a math problem that he or she is having trouble solving. The other student can then help the student who is having trouble with completing the problem. However, the catch is that the students must communicate only in writing. This way, students will deepen their understanding of the mathematical concept while concurrently building their literacy skills. Plus, teachers will be able to grade both the completed math problems and the transcript of the conversation.
3. Teachers can assign students 10 challenging math problems that must be solved together as a class. If students are unable to solve one or more problems, teachers can connect their iPad to a projector and log in to this app. Together, with the teacher or a designated student acting as the “communicator” between the class and the math tutor, the class can instruct the communicator how to express the challenges caused by this problem to the tutor. In this way, the class will gain experience in how to effectively communicate with tutors on this app and learn how to solve the math problem(s).

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