I usually keep this a secret from most of my students! I do tell a few of them so that they can do some extension work.
It isn't that I enjoy watching my students struggle - honestly - but that in the current system they have to learn how to solve questions on their own, unaided and under timed conditions.
However, if a student has genuinely not understood a topic, it is better to get online help than copying someone else's homework the next morning before class!
So, if you've never used this before, try WolframAlpha, the computational knowledge engine. Based upon the Mathematica engine, it is a life-saver for mathematics students.
It will answer most academic questions, from school up to university, and can even give the solution method. Be careful with long word problems and check that it has interpreted the question correctly; if it hasn't, try removing some words and write it in a more algebraic form.
I have also just noticed that they have expanded their Wolfram Problem Generator. You might not think that doing more maths problem could be fun, but if you need extra practice beyond your homework, the Problem Generator will create either one-off questions or a whole worksheet.
This is also great for teachers! The internet is awash with solutions of textbook exercises and past paper questions; here you can generate topic-specific fresh worksheets so you can concentrate on the teaching.
That's it! Check out WolframAlpha and all the various programs and mobile apps associated with Mathematica.
Have fun!
Hi @the-traveller, thanks for the comment. I partly agree in that I would split maths into two at school: Practical Mathematics and Mathematics. The former would be similar to your ideas; how can maths be actually useful in real life. But we still need the analysts, techies, scientists and mathematicians of the future; for them there would be a more rigorous and advanced course, not dragged down by the average or common core or key skills or whatever the new name will be for a granulated dessicated syllabus.
At the moment, mathematics (and the sciences) look like dumbed down academic courses - too easy for the geeks and too incomprehensible and useless for the majority.
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Sorry for the weird words once in a while, my phone seems to second guess me once on a while.
Regarding the 2-track approach, I totally agree:
in the end mathematics has a huge marketing problem: it is "sold" the wrong way : it starts off with the excruciatingly boring stuff (trying to give people a "base") and only then tries real world problems.
People should be sold the other way around , find an interesting problem and then learn maths on a as needed basis .... check out Ricardo Semler and Lumiar (he has a TED. Com talk )
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I used to live on Mathematica (which is the Maths engine behind this) whilst I was studying, so the fact you can get it for free online is awesome as I don't have access to a licence any more.
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One thing they have expanded a lot is their interactive document format - many things that would have been applets are now done within the Mathematica environment.
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