Grade 1 students at Mills Haven Elementary engage in a variety of math activities for the annual EIPS Week of Inspirational Math.
Sherwood Park, AB. — From March 11-15, students throughout Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) are multiplying their knowledge of real-world world math applications during the Division’s annual Week of Inspirational Math (WIM). “My favourite part about math is learning about different equations,” says Elara Scott, a Grade 1 student at Mills Haven Elementary. “I like using SplashLearn and my favourite tool is the number line. I feel happy when I solve a hard math problem because I did it and knew how to do it.”
Schools across the Division are hosting daily math activities, games and hands-on learning exercises to help promote an understanding and appreciation of math among students. The style of activities will vary among different grade levels—all promoting the idea becoming successful in math class is fun, engaging and achievable for everyone.
Mills Haven Elementary will hold their fourth annual Math-a-thon on Pi Day—March 14. Math will be incorporated into all education subjects for a unique and exciting experience. Students are also being encouraged to secure pledges for solving math problems and showing off their math skills as a numeracy-based school fundraising initiative. The Math-a-thon aligns with one of this year’s Mills Haven goals: Math is Interactive.
“My favourite part of WIM is exploring the videos and ideas around the role of struggle and mistakes in learning,” says Maxine Holm, a mathematics teacher at Mills Haven Elementary. “Even young children are uncomfortable when answers aren’t easy, and they need to work on getting comfortable with struggling to solve problems. Another part I like to explore is the different paths students use to solve problems. It’s exciting to watch students discover there are different ways to find an answer and even more exciting to listen to the discussions they have with each other around their strategies.”
Again this year, local community members have been invited to talk to students about the everyday application of math in their world of work. Presenters represent the fields of architecture, engineering, medicine, science, sports, technology and many others.
WIM is an annual event inspired by the work of Jo Boaler, a Stanford University professor and expert in math education. Boaler is a champion of the growth-mindset, an integral part of WIM. Rather than focusing on whether the answer is right or wrong, the growth-mindset promotes the idea the most important part of numeracy acquisition is the ability to learn from your mistakes, push forward and challenge yourself to reach greater heights as a learner.
“Numeracy is important because it incorporates the knowledge, skills and behaviours that students need to understand the world around them. It helps them develop logical thinking, reasoning and problem-solving strategies for everyday life—reading receipts, cooking, playing sports and more,” adds Holm.
The generous assistance of large corporations, local organizations and entrepreneurs throughout the Division will help students make important connections between what they’re studying and the impact it will have on their lives going forward.
Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,750 students in 42 schools. We are proud to be an integral part of our communities, including Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties, and the western portion of the County of Minburn.
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For more information, media can contact:
Laura McNabb, Director, Communication Services, EIPS 780-417-8204 cell 780-405-4902