SAN JOSE, California—Let's say you're a high school freshman, struggling to make sense of an algebra lesson. You could swear you were paying attention in class, but now that you're face-to-face with your homework, you don't have a clue. Where do you turn for help?

Thanks to some creative math students at Silver Creek High School in east San Jose, first-year algebra students can now go online to find help with such topics as slope, absolute zero, and operations with polynomials. The site is informative, entertaining, and also infused with the voice of experience. All of the lessons have been developed by students who have "been there."

"The Algebra I Helpsite" (at http://etc.sccoe.k12.ca.us/i2001/algebra.html*) was the inspiration of Silver Creek math teachers Arsalan Niazmand and Teresa Ceja. The teachers were participating in a professional development session on technology offered by their school district. Recalls Niazmand, "We were trying to make Web pages as part of the training and realized the kids would be much better at this. They're more creative than we are."

As an extra credit project, Niazmand and Ceja invited teams of students from Algebra II and Pre-Calculus classes to design Web page tutorials. The assignment provided an incentive for students to review concepts they had learned in Algebra I, and also put them in the role of the teacher. "This requires the student to understand a concept first, then develop it into a lesson," he explains.

In evaluating the Web pages, Niazmand says the teachers were more interested in content than razzle-dazzle graphics. "We were looking to see how well an idea is expressed. How well is the concept taught?"

At the same time, the teachers appreciated how much creativity students put into their projects. Some pages include animation, graphics, and writing geared to a teenage audience. "The kids really enjoyed doing this," Niazmand says. "They would never work this hard on regular assignments." Some students developed more than one tutorial.

In this urban school of about 2,400 students, teachers like Niazmand and Cejo are willing to try new ideas to help students succeed. Both teachers appear on a locally broadcast television program designed to help students master math concepts. "Math Mentor" airs three afternoons each week, during the prime hours for homework. Half a dozen teachers stand by to field calls from students. During the hour-long program, says Niazmand, "We might answer six questions on the air and help another 100 students by phone."

Next year, Niazmand hopes to expand the Web tutorials by involving a team of students as writers and editors. The site has generated interest from teachers and students who find it on the Web. "We've had email from as far away as Alaska," Niazmand says.