Mathlete of the Year
Posted on May 15th, 2011 by Mary Lord
Cheering crowds. An ESPN crew. Who knew math could generate as much excitement as the NBA playoffs? Ask Scott Wu. On May 7, the Baton Rouge, La., eighth grader beat 223 other middle-school “mathletes” from around the country to win the 2011 Raytheon MATHCOUNTS national competition in Washington, D.C.
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Tags: Competitions for Students, Contest, Events, Mathematics, Programs for Students
Why do U.S. students fare so poorly in mathematics compared with peers in other nations? A new study suggests a major factor may be the easier math curriculum American kids typically encounter. “The consequences are clear-less opportunity to learn challenging mathematics corresponds to lower achievement,” the researchers conclude. 
San Diego teacher Jonathan Winn has done what some would say is impossible: He’s inspired high school students to get excited about math. His AP calculus class is the most popular course in a school with a large number of low-income students for whom English is not their native language. 
In this lesson, students in grades 6-12 learn how to make a graph to measure average velocity and calculate the mid-times for personal intervals of student runs, walks, and jogs. Working in groups, one member walks, jogs, or runs in a straight-line path while attempting to maintain a constant velocity. The other group members time the runner along the path, and then record and graph the data of each run.
A new study shows an increase in students taking rigorous high school courses and, as a result, scoring higher on achievement tests. The 2009 National Assessment of Educational Progress High School Transcript Study reveals that the percentage of high school graduates completing a “rigorous” curriculum jumped from 5 percent to 13 percent.
Many students consider Algebra II a complex course with scant real-world value. Yet, of all of the classes offered in high school, it is the leading predictor of college and work success. In recent years, 20 states and the District of Columbia have raised graduation requirements to include Algebra II. Now, researchers wonder if that’s such smart policy.
It’s easy to find your way to school. Now imagine trying to navigate the skies, with no signs to point you in the right direction. How do pilots find their way? These “pilot training lessons” developed by the Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education at the Stevens Institute of Technology will teach your young aviators the principles of navigation in a fun series of real-time activities.
In his State of the Union address, President Obama urged Americans to “teach our kids that it’s not just the winner of the Super Bowl who deserves to be celebrated, but the winner of the science fair.” Last week, the sports-fan-in-chief made good on that vow by welcoming 40 high school STEM superstars — finalists in this year’s Intel Science Talent Search — to the White House.
Forget graphing calculators. The hottest tool for learning math in this high-tech powerhouse is a relic from Japan’s preindustrial past: the venerable abacus. At a time when ubiquitous digital devices are blamed for making people “dumber,” the world’s original calculating device, known as the soroban, is more essential than ever, advocates contend.
