Connecticut School District Ditches Algebra Textbooks and Goes Online
Math students in Westport, Connecticut used to race through their Algebra I textbooks just to spend the beginning of Algebra II trying to relearn everything that they failed to understand the first time around. The math teachers became very frustrated and decided to revamp the entire algebra curriculum by limiting it to only half of the 90 concepts that are normally covered in a basic high school algebra class with the hopes that the students will better understand the key concepts.
In 2008, these teachers replaced the thick algebra textbooks with their own online curriculum. The lessons are written in Westport and sent to India to a program called Hey Math that jazzes up the algorithms and problem sets with fun sounds and animations.
The curriculum has been built from original lessons and assignments as well as material borrowed from the internet, books and conferences. The teachers want to balance traditional teacher-instructed work with exercises that the students do that encourages exploration. The program is set to save the Westport school district at least $25,000 a year on textbooks.
Many teachers and parents in the Westport school district say that their children are focusing better on difficult concepts and the students say that math is now easier to understand with the graphics and animation. This new method will also help students prepare for future college courses that may be conducted online.
—————————————————————————————
College Degree Programs | College Degree Courses | Accredited Education | Accredited Classes | Online Degree Courses | Accredited College Degree
