Value of a 'weird' approach
When Laura Sample first told her students at Mesquite High School in Gilbert, Arizona, that they would be learning about algebra by investigating the properties of bicycles, they gave her the kind of look that speaks volumes. "They thought it was a weird way to approach math," Laura admits, "and they had a lot of questions."

But encouraging students to ask—and answer—good questions is an important part of teaching. By the time students work their way through Laura's "Pedal Power" unit, which applies the functions of algebra to the physical properties of bicycles, she expects that "they've built a function base and can answer a unique question."

Unlike the more traditional approach she previously used for teaching functions, her new unit has "enhanced learning and helped students see how algebra applies in real life," Laura says. That's a welcome contrast to students' old reaction of "I'm doing math problems--great."

Inspiration for a 'newbie'
Laura had completed only two years of teaching when she signed up for the Intel® Teach Pogram course. From her recent college experiences, she was comfortable using computers for word processing and electronic presentations. But the idea of designing curriculum to take advantage of her school's abundant technology resources "was hard." Mesquite High, only five years old but with an enrollment already topping 3,500 students, has 1,200 computers on campus.

Several colleagues from Mesquite High took the five-day course with her, and Laura was impressed by the diversity of backgrounds. "What people were teaching was impressive," she says. Her school fosters a "mutually supportive" atmosphere, she adds, with administrators who are encouraging of new approaches and teachers willing to "constantly give ideas to other teachers." So far, about 20 percent of the Mesquite High staff has taken the Intel® Teach Pogram course, and about half the faculty regularly integrates computers into classroom learning.

Laura didn't come up with her bicycle unit immediately. Instead, she thumbed through a copy of Integrated Mathematics 3 (McDougal Littell, 1998), and began considering ideas. "Fountain and quadratics and parabolas didn't work," she admits, "but ideas in the book got my mind clicking. Functions are really important," she adds. The book's approach to explaining functions helped her see the value of connecting algebraic concepts with the real world. The subject of bicycles offered universal appeal and a wealth of online resources. And she was off.

It took some trial and error to teach the unit the first time, she admits, but students developed "good projects, good presentations." In terms of using computers to support student learning, she adds, "I was surprised how easy it was to do and apply."

What's next?
After teaching the unit once, Laura immediately began refining plans for the next year. "I hope to explain the material in a concrete way," she says, "so by the time they get to the problems, they're more ready."

Now a master teacher for Intel® Teach Program, Laura is enjoying the chance to teach her colleagues. Most fun for her, she says, "is seeing what my colleagues are doing. A 20-year veteran came up with a great unit." Experienced teachers don't seem to mind "learning from a newbie." A common reaction she hears from colleagues: "If Laura can do it, I can do it, too,"

Whether they are new to the profession or old hands, teachers "are always looking for new ways to teach our students and give them a way to learn and express themselves," Laura says. Computers offer a new tool for opening new avenues for learning, and she finds most of her colleagues "ready for new things. Teachers are glad to have the opportunity to develop curriculum."

Laura is also brainstorming ideas with colleagues for a new project for her second semester Algebra II class, possibly involving statistics from the world of sports. "Everything you try you might not like," she acknowledges, "but you’ll expand your resources and won’t get stuck doing the same old things."

Teachers are natural risk-takers, she suspects. "All of us have taken a risk, just by teaching high school!"

< Return to Pedal Power