Modern visual aids for teaching Mathematics in schools in India

There are many visual aids which are used by the Mathematics teachers in India. They differ from school to school but there are some basic aids that are used in most of the places. India is geographically a very big country and it is not possible to have similar aids in all the school. Moreover school belong to various categories like Govt schools, private schools, English medium public schools, schools in states, school managed by central Govt etc.
Let me mention some of the common items that are used by teachers as an audiovisual aid while teaching to the children.
1. Shapes like cubes, spheres, circles etc.
2. Items having some geometry and calculation potential like a clock dial.
3. Online visual aids in form of charts and tables.
4. Pictures of food items having geometrical shapes like pizza, rolls, cake, pie etc
5. Geometry drawing items like protractors, set squares, and compasses.
6. Shapes for understanding of 2D and 3D dimensions.
7. Notes and coins (currency).
8. Dice, cards, and spinners.
9. Measuring tape.
10. Measuring volumes with beakers, funnels, jars etc.

Visual Learning is the process of interaction and extracting knowledge through the graphics. The visual learners are engaged through the different means such as chalkboards, whiteboard screens, projectors and other mediums to help the students in their learning process.
There are some practical approaches and the implementation of the same could benefit the students in their learning process gradually. Some of the points could help the students to learn the Visual Learning at a faster rate indicated below -
1) Visualisation would help the aspirants to return to the text or the auditory learning. To facilitate the process, information is split up in bit size chunks making the learning process easier for processing and storage.
2) Creativity can be developed with the visual learning since they get stimulation in learning other aspects of their daily lives beyond the class rooms.
3) Visual Learning is the process of engagement of the students helping them to stay engaged longer. The main focus of this process is to keep students engaged without interruption to view the visuals. This would offer a deeper understanding of the mathematical concepts.
4) The teachers should encourage the students to learn the concepts without knowing how it could be relevant.
5) The teachers should be able to translate the visual representation in a lucid style. They should encourage the learners to adopt visual techniques such as six apples back into number in their brains patting them on par with the non visual peers.

Teaching is an art. A teacher may be having a lot of knowledge but the way in which he teaches the subject to the students is very important. A good teacher should go down to the level of the student and explain them the lessons. The teacher should aim at an average student and see that he will be able to make him to understand the subject. This quality is very important for a teacher who teaches primary classes. A teacher should have a lot of patience and answer the doubts of the students. In this pursuit, visual aids will come in very handy.
Actually we need not purchase or carry any models to the class. A computer with internet connection is sufficient and the teacher can prepare his teaching material and digital models of the aids you want to show can be placed in his material so that on screen he can show the same to the students.
The following are some of the important visual aids. 1. Your two hands with five fingers in each hand are very useful to show them the numbers and the values they obtain on addition or subtraction.
2. Work books with printed displays of various items to explain them additions and substations
3. Some food items like Pizza etc to explain the students about shaped and sizes of various items.
4. Clocks, stop watches, sand timers etc to make the students to understand about the calculation of time at a particular moment and other mathematical functions involving time
5. Protractors, set squares and compasses ect for teaching the students geometry and shapes of various items like round m triangle square etc.
6. 2D and 3D shapes.
7. Currency notes and coins
8. Dice, cards and counters and spinners
9. Trundle wheel and metre ruler
10. Items like weighing scales with various weights, cylinders, beakers etc.
11. Wooden prisms, columns and blocks

India is a huge country where we have wide variety of dynamic teaching methods and aids. What I have seen is most of the teachers design and/or improvises teaching aids available to them to make them more effective and easily understandable. The efficacy of any teaching aid depends on student's age, mental ability, social environment and former knowledge. So, a teacher need to select a teaching aid keeping in mind these points well as the availability and ease of use of such aids. Here are some of my suggestions:
1. If there is availability of internet and smart board or projectors, you may use apps like Geogebra for explaining, designing and displaying mathematical concepts to students.
2. Use graphs or graphical boards
3. Colourful beads or colourful balls can be used for a number of numerical concepts.
4. Clay or dough can be used to make and understand concept of shapes and counting number of sides, edges and angles of 3D objects made by them.
5. To understand concept of circle, sector and major/ minor arc, materials like cake, pizza, or even a cycle wheel can be used.
6. Time concepts can be understood with a wall clock.
7. Height and distance numericals can be understood using hypsometer. It can easily be made by students/teacher.
8. Time period concepts can be understood by using a simple pendulum.
9., Probability concept can be explained using a deck of cards, coins and similar or dissimilar balls in a cardboard box. This makes it more enjoyable and easily understandable.
10. Currency notes can also be used to make the concept of conversion easy.
11. And never underestimate using fingers to make concept of counting easy for young students.
12 Abacus board could be a useful teaching aid in calculations.

There is no limit to teaching aids in any subject, a teacher just have to look around for inspiration and think creative.

In recent years, the use of modern visual aids has become increasingly popular in teaching mathematics in India, especially at the elementary school level. These visual aids are designed to make complex mathematical concepts easier to understand and can be used to engage students in hands-on, interactive learning experiences.

One of the most popular visual aids used in Indian classrooms is the digital smart board. These interactive whiteboards can display diagrams, graphs, and equations in real-time, allowing teachers to explain mathematical concepts in a clear and engaging manner. Some schools also use tablet computers and projectors to display visual aids and educational videos, further enhancing the learning experience.

Another common visual aid used in Indian classrooms is manipulatives, such as counting blocks, fraction bars, and geometric shapes. These hands-on tools allow students to visualize mathematical concepts and experiment with different solutions, making learning more interactive and engaging.

Teachers also use mathematical games and puzzles to teach key concepts and develop problem-solving skills. For example, teachers may use puzzles like Sudoku or logic games to teach critical thinking and logical reasoning, while math games like Monopoly or Yahtzee can be used to teach concepts like probability and financial literacy.

In addition to these visual aids, many Indian schools also use digital learning platforms and apps to supplement traditional classroom teaching. These platforms offer interactive lessons, quizzes, and practice problems that students can access on their computers or mobile devices, allowing for individualized learning experiences and greater engagement.

Overall, the use of modern visual aids in teaching mathematics has been shown to be an effective way to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes in India. With the help of these tools, elementary school teachers are able to make complex mathematical concepts more accessible and enjoyable for their students.

Back to the time, when pathshala used to be the sole method of teaching mathematics in the open field with a blackboard and white chalk alongwith duster. In this modern era, students are vulnerable to huge resources which are used as aid for teaching in schools. Aids such as whiteboard which works on electricity, stylus pens used to write on electric whiteboard, animated videos to build concepts, recorded online lectures to revise and revisit again and again for concept clarity, 3D visuals to get an real view effect of shapes, trigonometry problems and many more stuffs, PowerPoint presentation to know the history of mathematics, Microsoft Excel softwares to explain statistical graphs, search engine used to verify solutions of the book in case of doubt, ebooks has replaced traditional libraries and time is saved as in the search box easily the queries are resolved with no delay and chaos. Students are engrossed and don't fear in failing in mathematics. Mathematics is a subject of interest if taught with proper methodology. The aids which are available must be used as and when required. WhatsApp Messenger and Gmeet keep the student and teacher connected via internet connection no matter the distance between them. The facility of voice recorder, text messenger, screen share, and many more help in assistance in these online applications.

These are just a few examples of modern visual aids that can be used to teach mathematics. As technology continues to evolve, there will likely be even more innovative tools and applications developed for math education.Visual Aids for Math.
Interactive Whiteboards: Interactive whiteboards can be used to display and manipulate mathematical concepts and equations. Teachers can use software and applications that allow them to write and draw directly onto the board, and students can interact with the board using touch technology.
Virtual Manipulatives: Virtual manipulatives are interactive, digital tools that simulate real-world objects and allow students to explore mathematical concepts through hands-on manipulation. These tools can be used to teach geometry, measurement, and other math concepts.
Online Graphing Tools: Online graphing tools can be used to create and analyze graphs and charts, which can be used to teach concepts such as algebra, statistics, and calculus. These tools often have features such as zooming, panning, and the ability to plot multiple functions.
GeoGebra: GeoGebra is a free, open-source software program that combines geometry, algebra, and calculus. It allows teachers and students to create and manipulate mathematical models and visualizations. It can be used for both basic and advanced mathematical concepts.
Desmos: Desmos is an online graphing calculator that can be used to teach and explore mathematical concepts. It includes features such as sliders, tables, and regression analysis, and can be used to create interactive visualizations that allow students to explore mathematical concepts.
Virtual Reality: Virtual reality can be used to create immersive mathematical experiences, where students can explore mathematical concepts in a three-dimensional space. This technology is still emerging, but there are already some examples of virtual reality applications being used to teach math.