Applied Academics

"I used to fall asleep in math class, which I don’t any more," says Natalie Peace, a sixteen-year-old student at Kelowna’s Mount Boucherie Secondary. "Applications of Mathematics helped me stay awake, regain my self-esteem, and begin to focus on a future at university." A future that includes her interests in psychology, journalism, acting-and, now in its own way, math.

Currently in grade eleven, Natalie took her first Applications of Mathematics course in grade ten. Until then, Natalie and Mathematics had not been the best of friends.

"That’s an understatement," says Natalie. "It got so I hated math."

Over the years, Natalie’s parents had become so concerned about her "poor" results that they cut back her social life with friends and replaced it with increased study time.

"The regular Mathematics stream skipped over connections I needed in-depth explanations for. Once I started taking Applications of Mathematics, I started to ‘get it.’ I started to like math."

Natalie credits Leanne Zorne as the teacher who helped her "get it". With degrees majors in Mathematics and English, Leanne began teaching the Applications of Mathematics curriculum in September 1996 and hasn’t looked back since.

"More students are demanding Applications of Mathematics than I can handle. Kids who come to this class are eager to find their own success. We show how math concepts apply to careers and real life and allow students the time and opportunity for in-depth study. You can tell when students "click." They like math more and achieve greater success."

One way Leanne makes math relevant is by bringing industry professionals into the classroom and by taking her class into the workplace. Her initiative is facilitated by a district philosophy that capitalizes on community partnerships and speakers—loaded into a database—who are willing to come to class and discuss applications of math in the workplace.

Natalie recalls how she went to Gorman’s Mill, a saw mill based in Kelowna to examine various applications of mathematics there. Leanne Zorne fondly remembers another teacher who took students to a safety plant that manufactured bulletproof vests. The plant manager offered the student who could solve key mathematical problems a summer job.

Notes teacher Zorne: "The benefits aren’t just for students. Teachers get to work with a dynamic new curriculum that helps all students achieve success."

Zorne adds that the Applied Academics curriculum really "encourages innovation in teaching, that helps students understand what they need to learn, why they need to learn it, and supports them in achieving mastery for present needs and for the needs of further education or job experience."

And, according to CFAA Executive Director Dave Chowdhury, "students are enrolling in Applications of Mathematics because they know all colleges, university colleges, BCIT, UVic and UNBC will accept students with Applications of Mathematics." In fact, through the university transfer program, students of Applications of Mathematics can pursue their education at any of the BC post-secondary institutions.

"Students like Natalie," says Zorne, "are using Applied Mathematics as a pathway to their own success, whatever that may be."

Please join us at CFAA in wishing Natalie—and all of her Kelowna classmates—many inspiring opportunities in the future.

Location: http://www.est.gov.bc.ca/cfaa/

Full of exciting, relevant information and sporting a fresh, new look, CFAA-Network offers the best way to keep up-to-date on all things related to Applied Academics.

As more resources for teachers and students become available—such as information on college/university credit and lesson plans—we will place it online. To keep on top of changes, make sure to check the site on the 15^th of each month, our regular site-update day.

"Sportscasters get most of their statistical information from the newswires or from the statisticians working for the leagues," says Scott Morrice, sportscaster for CJDC Television in Dawson Creek, B.C. "Sportscasters have to assess those statistics to make sure they make sense." Along with his broadcasts, Morrice also adds his own statistical interpretations.

One of baseball’s greatest records—Roger Maris’s record for most home runs in season—looked as if it might be shattered. Maris’s record was 61 homers in one year. This season, the St. Louis Cardinal player, Mark McGwire, hit homer after homer. With four games remaining in the season, McGwire had 56 home runs.

After having pulled some of McGwire’s personal statistics from the newswire, you know that for every 9.31 times at bat, he averages one home run. You also know that a player averages 3.46 times at bat during a game. You want to do a brief commentary on McGwire and his chances of beating the record with four games to go.

A discussion of this mathematical problem will be published on the CFAA Web site in December along with a lesson plan which shows how this real world application can be integrated into your Applied Academics classroom. CFAA publishes lessons for Technical and Professional Communications 12 and Applications of Mathematics 9/10 once a week. Lessons for Applications of Physics and Information Technology will be developed later this year.

If lessons like this interest you, send us E-mail to cfaa0010@bcitvm.bcit.ca to subscribe to our new lessons-on-demand service.

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Dave Chowdhury is Executive Director of the Center for Applied Academics based in Vancouver, B.C.

Before we begin, what would you like to say to the readers of our newsletter?

"It’s a time of extraordinarily rapid change when we must work together to find approaches to education that meet the needs of the majority of our high-school and high-school-graduating students."

What is the Center for Applied Academics?

"As an operating agency of the Ministry of Education, Skills and Training, the Center for Applied Academics facilitates the implementation of Applied Academics curricula. In addition, the Center for Applied Academics supports students, teachers, parents, and educational institutions to create Applied Academics’ initiatives for the classroom and the community."

Why does the CFAA exist?

"The CFAA exists to support students, teachers, parents, and educational institutions that want to use Applied Academics as a tool to make secondary and post-secondary education more relevant and more real. Courses such as Math 11, Math 12, Physics 11, and Physics 12 haven’t served very well those students who want to go to university, but can’t cope with those traditional courses. Or those students who want to pursue career-technical and vocational programs, and have to take these courses because there’s no alternative.

What’s the CFAA’s role?

"The CFAA is here to help people face the paradigm shifts that are happening in our society and in our educational systems. By providing support to students, teachers, parents, secondary schools, and post-secondary institutions, we offer a new way of looking at what the K-to-12 system needs to do to link with the post-secondary world.

"Drawing on our resources in the K-to-12 and post-secondary systems, we also function as an interpreter and a catalyst for changes to how our classrooms function. We help post-secondary institutions and secondary schools understand their respective standards, cultures and needs. And, on an institution-by-institution and course-by-course basis, we’ve helped create secondary school and post-secondary institution environments that are receptive to accepting students who have taken Applied Academics courses."

What services does the CFAA provide to teachers?

"Using a strategic approach to change initiatives, we train teachers who are ready and willing to teach Applied Academics. This year alone, we’ve trained 150 teachers, focussing them on what they can accomplish in the classroom. What’s more, each teacher we’ve trained has become part of an electronic network that allows them to communicate with each other and with new teachers of Applied Academics courses."

How have the results been so far?

"Though the number of students who’ve been taught is a small percentage of the total student population, the initial results have been promising. Teachers believe their students have learned subject matter to a much higher level using an applied approach than they otherwise would have done."

I’ve noticed you have a Web presence….

Yes, the Web’s an effective, efficient way to let people know about Applied Academics programs, initiatives, and issues. In terms of communications, we’ve found that anything we put out in hard copy becomes obsolete very quickly. Despite this reality, we’ll continue to communicate in paper-based in addition to Web-based media.

Finally, any comments on articulation?

While we still have to hear from one college, all of the colleges we have heard from are accepting Applied Academics courses for admission. We’ll post formal college responses on our Web site at www.est.gov.bc.ca/cfaa under "Articulation." In terms of direct admission to university, the University of Victoria and the University of Northern British Columbia both accept Applications of Mathematics courses as prerequisites. All of the four universities—SFU, UBC, UNBC, and UVic—will accept students transferring from colleges through the university transfer program for entry into the second and third years.

Applications of Physics 11
A growing network of Applications of Physics teachers in the Lower Mainland are planning for the implementation of the Applications of Physics 11 and 12 in September 1998. For more information, please contact Stephen Fuerderer, Cariboo Hill Secondary School in Burnaby. Stephen can also be reached by e-mail at fuerderer@bc.sympatico.ca

Applications of Mathematics and Technical and Professional Communications
Looking for real-world applications for Applications of Mathematics 9 to 12 and TCP 12? The Center of Applied Academics has teamed up with The Bridges Initiatives Inc. of Kelowna to produce Applied Lesson Plans that provide teachers real work examples of curriculum concepts that can be integrated into meaningful classroom learning experiences. For more information, please send e-mail to Vickie Shillington.

Information Technology
Mike Gilbert, School District 81, Fort Nelson is hosting a list server for Information Technology teachers. To subscribe to this list serve, please send E-mail to Mike at gilbert@husky.schdist81.bc.ca