New approach to math rewarded

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This article was published 13/05/2019 (2596 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A trio of local teachers earned some big recognition for their work in math education.

Education and training minister Kelvin Goertzen recently honoured nine outstanding educators at the annual Excellence in Education Awards.

“I’m pleased to recognize these dedicated educators who make such a difference in their schools and communities,” said Goertzen in his announcement in late April.

“These awards recognize the excellent work teachers and school leaders put into helping students reach their full potential by using innovative teaching methods and new approaches.”

Among those celebrated were Mark Schmidkte, Greg Speiser and Tera Woodyard, math teachers at Nelson McIntyre Collegiate, Louis Riel School Division,  presented with the Outstanding Team Collaboration Award.

Schmidtke, Speiser and Woodyard came together to revolutionize how math is taught. Concerned by low success rates and student frustration in math courses, the trio worked over the past five years to create a flexible approach that allows students to develop numeracy skills at their own pace, while helping them build confidence. The team created a self-paced program driven by screencast lessons, mastery checks and frequent one-on-one conferences that provide immediate and individualized feedback.

A math lounge now exists where students can drop in for additional support. The impact of this program has resulted in higher rates of student success, above-average achievement in provincial tests and a greater proportion of students choosing higher-level math courses.

“What’s so inspiring is that we’re helping students understand concepts, we’re helping them strengthen their abilities. Students can see their own mistakes, it models for them how they can be checking them,” explained Woodyard, expressing gratitude to her school. “What an awesome school division. There’s so much support for big ideas.”

“Student feedback says they’re really enjoying the approach. It’s quite flexible. The division and our school have given us space for this program. What separates us is that the program is self-paced, kids can take longer or shorter times to do the work. Instead of lecturing in front of a room, I’m having one-on-one conferences with kids.  Our school is full of success and innovation. We are excited to be part of it,” added Speiser.

For Schmidkte, the biggest impact has been seeing the students help each other.

“They’re having a math conversation. It’s an ongoing process and it’s changing the way we teach.”

The Outstanding Team Collaboration Award means a lot to the trio who collaborated to create the innovative approach to learning.

“We put a lot of work and effort into this, all the work we’ve done to benefit the students. It’s nice to be recognized by people in the system,” said Schmidkte.