“When I say, ‘math’ I hear lots of moans and groans,” said Piedmont Middle School math teacher Stephanie Steward.But Steward is seeing a lot less groaning and a lot more grinning when her students access the online math tutoring program, Voyager Math.
VMath is giving Piedmont’s middle schoolers a new look at the daunting equations of pre-algebra, the tricky angles of geometry and even the simple basics of decimals and fractions. With its player-versus-player math games and pre-gaming practice sessions, Steward said more and more of her students are raising their hands to answer questions in the classroom.
“I can see a big change already in a lot of my students,” Steward said as she glanced across the rows of empty desks in her classroom during her planning period last week. “Math is usually their least favorite subject because, a lot of times, they haven’t had a whole lot of success in that subject.
“Finally, this is something that is giving them more success.”
About 50 students in grades six through eight have only been using the program for a couple of weeks now, but Steward said an increase in their enthusiasm in the classroom is already showing.
To keep students motivated, Steward has a bulletin board in her classroom with the students’ names under categories from “Raging Rookie” to “Almost Einstein.” Students get their name moved up in categories as they earn more credits for playing time on the program.
Piedmont Middle math teachers Tina Cooper and Margaret Gilmer also use the program with their students.
Over 30,000 students worldwide, even from countries like Japan and England, access the program daily, according to the program’s Web site, VMathLive.com. When students sign up for the site, they are able to create their own online character, complete with a hair color and clothing style of their choice.
Students play in head-to-head games with other students, and sometimes teachers, to earn credits for correct answers and winning games. With their credits, users can “purchase” more accessories and features for their online characters.
While students enjoy the online interaction they gain from the program, teachers like Steward are more excited about the immediate feedback it gives her on whether students are grasping the lessons she’s teaching in class every day. “It gives me something to look at that lets me know every day if the students really got it,” she said.
But the best part, Steward said, is that students can access the program from any computer that has Internet access. She said she encourages her students to access it at home, the library and family member’s homes whenever they’re not in class.
And even when Steward isn’t around to guide her students through tricky problems, the VMathLive support center on the site can visually demonstrate how to solve a problem for a student.
Steward said with a program like this, she hopes to reach those students who become lost in a cloud of ¬¬¬¬ doubt when it comes to math before it’s too late.
“There is always that group of students that have not had much success in math,” Steward said. “But with this program, it gives them more confidence before they leave us and go to the high school.”
