The Problem with Tech In Schools – And a Solution

​Journalist Jessica Grose has two recent op-eds in the New York Times that question the use of computers for children’s learning in subjects including mathematics. Students are using their school-issued Chromebooks and iPads to watch YouTube videos and play video games instead of following the teacher’s lesson. When kindergarteners learn to read only on iPads, not physical books, their comprehension suffers.

Studies about technology-based education show that giving kids computers develops their computer proficiency, but not much else. Screens can help as practice tools, but they aren’t the best method for learning the basics of math and reading.
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Our solution: Brick Math. The curriculum was developed as a screen-free method of learning. With Brick Math, students build models of math problems with plastic building bricks in thirteen K – 8th grade math content areas that range from Counting to Pre-Algebra. The students draw a model with bricks and explain with words why the model shows the math. The brick model makes the math tactile and concrete. For many students, the physical process of building with bricks is the key to learning when a traditional curriculum hasn’t worked for them.

Computers and screens may have their place in the classroom as “supports on the margins,” but their use seems limited. A screen-free program like Brick Math engages students fully and promotes true learning.

​Brick Math is a complete math curriculum for kindergarten through 8th grade that models the math with bricks. The curriculum is divided into 13 separate content areas: Counting, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, 
​Basic Fractions,   Basic Measurement, Fraction Multiplication, Fraction Division, Advanced Measurement and Geometry, Decimals, Data and Statistics, and Pre-Algebra. Students can start anywhere in the curriculum. It can be used as a complete math curriculum or brought in as a supplement to help students who aren’t having math success with other programs.

Brick Math works in many applications: for homeschooling, math intervention, enrichment, and as a whole-school program. Materials are simple and affordable.

For an innovative way to teach and learn K – 8th grade math, check brickmath.com. The website includes videos for both teacher training and direct instruction of students. You can learn more about how Brick Math improves students’ math test scores and hear what people who are using Brick Math have to say about the program.