Front Row App

Math teachers are raving about a new app to help students learn.

Kimberly Macey's sixth grade math class at the Luther Conant School in Acton, Massachusetts, is brushing up on its knowledge of fractions.

Some students need review of concepts they learned at the end of last year, while others are ready to move forward.

And in this class, Macey is able to cater to the needs of all her students, using a new app called "Front Row."

The app allows her to review each of her students on an individual level, while still being able to teach the entire class.

This has traditionally been a difficult goal to achieve for some math teachers.

"The challenge and the old way of doing it is you have to first identify students' levels, and then you have to find the material for their levels and put them into groups and try to manage all of that in a 45-50 minute block," said Macey. "With this program, it assesses the students online and then puts them in a place and then I can go around and see how they're doing at that level and provide assistance where it's needed."

Launched in September of 2013, over 7,000 teachers in the U.S. are now using Front Row in schools, including in 60 communities in Massachusetts.

The app, made by the Front Row Education, is available with any iPad, tablet or computer.

Teachers simply sign up and set up a class roster. Students then take a baseline assessment to figure out what they know and don't know.

"If the student wanted to work on geometry, she has already taken a pretest that determines what level she is at," said Macey.

The program then fits each student's individual needs to practice and challenges them if they're ready to proceed.

Students in one class can all work at varying levels.

"On one side of the screen, it gives the problem, and on the other side is work space," said Macey. "And if a student is confused about how to solve it, they can access a little video clip."

Finally, the teacher collects data to learn about each student's skill set.

"I'll know whether I need to spend a little more time on a certain topic because there are a lot of students still working on it, or whether I can move past it, move faster, because I know the students mastered it," said Macey. "I think the students like it. They seem to be excited when I say, 'Today, we are going to be working with Front Row.'"

Click here to access and download the Front Row app.

Contact Us