Midland ISD To Hold Summer Math Camps
From the Midland Reporter-Telegram | Posted: Thursday, May 5, 2011 4:06 pm
By Meredith Moriak, MRT Correspondent
For most students summer means playing games with friends, acting out silly scenes and participating in hands-on activities.
Add in a focus on math and that's exactly what participants at the Texas Mathworks Enrichment Summer Camp will do.
The two-week program for students entering the fourth through eighth grades focuses on introducing students of all skill levels to algebraic reasoning, program coordinator Susan Hair said.
"It's not a traditional sit and kill-and-drill atmosphere," said Hair, Midland Independent School District's secondary math supervisor. "Kids are moving, exploring and investigating."
The camp will be from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. Monday to Thursday, June 20-30 at Carver Center, 1300 E Wall St.
"The purpose of the camp is to prepare students for algebraic thinking," Hair said. "It is not remediation, but about looking ahead and preparing students to think abstractly."
Though the camp doesn't make math easy, it teaches students how to handle real problems and work through difficult situations while preparing for higher level mathematics, said Max Warshauer, who developed the math camp curriculum.
Warshauer is director of Texas Mathworks, a center focused on innovations in math education at Texas State University in San Marcos.
Math camp is possible because MISD received a $350,000 grant to work with Mathworks. Through the grant, they launched a pilot program for sixth- and seventh- grade students in eight Midland schools and fund the summer math camp.
"By learning the language of mathematics, (students) gain the fluency to tackle larger problems and are unafraid of making mistakes," Warshauer said.
Applications are available online at midlandisd.net and must be received by 5 p.m. June 13. Completed applications and the $50 registration fee can be mailed or delivered to Hair at 615 W. Missouri Ave.
For more information or to discuss financial assistance, call Hair at (432) 689-1991.
About Mathworks
Texas Mathworks is a center for innovation in mathematics education at Texas State University. Our mission is to develop model programs and self-sustaining learning communities that engage Texas K-12 students from all backgrounds in doing mathematics at a high level. Mathworks core programs are the Junior and Honors Summer Math Camps, Teacher Training, and Curriculum Development.