Latest News

Teachers to Examine 'Math Matters' at Workshop

STAFF REPORTS - The Republic

A math teachers workshop emphasizing innovative classroom approaches will be held Monday through Friday at Columbus Signature Academy.

Fifty-six teachers from 11 counties will participate in “Math Matters in Southeastern Indiana,” a joint effort from Indiana University and Economic Opportunities Through Education by 2015, also known as EcO15.
 

Organizers say the workshop is especially important because only 21 percent of students pass the Indiana Core Standards 40 Algebra I graduation requirements, according to EcO15 figures.

Teachers will work in teams to design math units linked with area businesses and their practical operation. Each teacher will develop at least one project or unit for use connected to a business during the coming school year.
 

Indiana University professor of math education Catherine Brown said such an application makes learning more tangible.

“We know that students constantly wonder ‘Why am I learning this math?’ and ask ‘When will I ever use this?’ and are turned off by mathematics they view as abstract and useless,” Brown said.

“Students who learn mathematics through projects grounded in workplaces in their community won’t have these questions. They will see why math matters and opens life opportunities for them.”