Counting Machine - designed to support interactive whole class teaching using one computer
I was surprised to see yet another version of a counting machine as the National Numeracy Strategy has just given a free CD with Counter on to schools in its ICT pack. I was intrigued to know what this new version could possibly offer that would make it worth purchasing.
The advertising handout said it was designed to support interactive whole class teaching using one computer and sure enough the numbers on the screen were easy to see having no visual distractions. These numbers could even be displayed in bright colours against a different coloured background to make them more attractive to children.
One or two counters can be displayed and paused so that children can predict the next number in the sequence. The most powerful feature of this version, however, is that number sequences can be displayed as line graphs or bar charts and printed out with their number list. Where two counters are used to produce a line graph, the resulting graphs can be clearly identified as they are plotted in different colours. Pupils can than observe how the lines interact and understand what the graphs represent.
Although there are seventy teaching ideas on the help menu, the accompanying free booklet is an extremely useful resource and additional copies can be ordered for a nominal sum. There are lesson ideas from Reception up to year 6 with clear objectives taken from the framework. The counting machine, itself, is used in the mental/orals and plenaries and there is detailed information on how to use it with the whole class. In the main part of the lesson there are suggestions for activities and worksheets or grids are provided where necessary. There are also games with dice described when consolidation is required.
The activities are well thought out to encourage children to think about pattern and rules e.g. how sequences are growing or what patterns occur within different multiplication grids. Investigations are taken into the generalisation stage where appropriate. In one of the year 3/4 lessons the pupils start to see how a straight line graph is produced when the numbers grow in a consistent way. In a later lesson on negative numbers they are introduced to a parabola in a very natural, non- threatening way.
I did have a few niggles about the product. I seemed to be constantly going across the top of the screen from the ‘pause’ button to the ‘continue counting’ button and felt that the buttons could have been sited in a different order to more closely follow the sequence that the user is likely to use them in. If one counter number is displayed it can be made quite large by clicking on the appropriate button but if the second counter is then introduced there is a need to fiddle about with the sizes to be able to see them both together.
The box for putting the predicted number in is very small and difficult for a class to see in the booklet it would be helpful if the lessons did not follow straight after each other as teachers may want to quickly photocopy one lesson to read it through and sometimes it is necessary to copy three pages.
Overall Counting Machine is a simple to use piece of software that gives children a great opportunity to develop a feeling for number patterns and relationships. The accompanying booklet ensures that teachers can use the software to the best advantage with the whole class.
Primary site licence £40 includes software on CD and a free booklet on using Counting Machine in the classroom.
Tessa Benie
Numeracy Consultant
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