Then he took a job as Math Supervisor in another state. As such, he descended from the lofty reaches of gifted-and-talented programs and became responsible for teaching, well, the rest of us. Like so many young students now as well as back in my day, I developed a profound algebra aversion. It made me feel so hopelessly inept that I narrowed my college search to those that would not make me take math.<\/p>\n
Borenson explains, \u201cThe way algebra was traditionally taught involved memorization without understanding.\u201d Well, not understanding makes anyone feel stupid and totally turned off. No wonder many kids don\u2019t like math.<\/p>\n
Patricia Scales, the principal of the school I visited for last week\u2019s\u00a0column<\/a>\u00a0on this subject, explained, \u201cWe hurry kids along when we really need to slow down and teach process and understanding. Only by getting solid foundations of a skill can they get to the next level, which takes time. But if you have them do it by rote, they don\u2019t understand and they\u2019re not thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n Especially with the testing insanity of the last decade or so, teachers want to help their students arrive at correct answers absolutely asap. So math instruction often regresses to teaching rules \u2014 algorithms, formulae, tricks, rote. Which is boring.<\/p>\n Of course, many math teachers don\u2019t themselves have deep understanding that they can pass on with confidence. They too mainly learned the rules.<\/p>\n Borenson says, \u201cThe focus of my entire career has been on the teaching of math. Already 25 years ago, I was looking to make algebra more visual to support understanding. I wanted to demystify the meaning of equations by representing them physically.\u201d<\/p>\n His first effort was a crude system of letters and pictures designed to help a disengaged 8th-grade class. \u201cThese visualizations allowed the weakest student in the class to solve advanced mathematics problem. To her it was instantly obvious. Clearly algebra needed to be more concrete so kids could get used to it and like it.\u201d<\/p>\n That early work evolved into what became his life\u2019s brainchild:\u00a0Hands-on Equations.<\/span> <\/a>Designed for students grades 3 \u2013 8, and struggling high-school students, the program has kids build equations, literally, with chess-like pawns representing the variables and numbered cubes. (A child demonstrates how to do it\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/span>)<\/p>\n Borenson says, \u201cPawns and cubes are much friendlier than x and y. Kids can see that you can\u2019t combine a constant (number) and x. Each lesson introduces only one more concept, and the sequence of lessons provides building blocks for young learners. Hands-on Equations is designed to give kids a head start before taking a regular algebra class.\u201d<\/p>\n He adds, \u201cWhen a kid is working on a video game, they don\u2019t ask, when am I going to use this skill? The reason they always ask what algebra is good for is because it\u2019s boring. They don\u2019t understand what they\u2019re doing, and they\u2019re not successful. Video games require strategic thinking; Hands-on Equations does the same.\u201d<\/p>\n Helping kids feel confident about their ability to think through a problem sets them up with good attitudes.<\/p>\n Hands-on Equations is not new, but it\u2019s still too much under the radar. Over the years, tons of\u00a0research<\/a><\/span> has supported the program\u2019s success with inner-city kids, English language learners, special needs students, and indeed, all kids. In video\u00a0testimonials<\/span><\/a>, math teachers and researchers both report the same experience I had at Patricia Scales\u2019 school, watching light bulbs popping over the kid’s heads.<\/p>\n Hands-on Equations was voted the #2 most downloaded math program for the iPad. Borenson argues that no other actually teaches algebra. \u201cIn most math apps, the child knows he\u2019s right because the program says \u2018Terrific!\u2019 or \u2018Good Job!\u2019 or something. Scientific American<\/em>\u00a0gave one (program) a top rating that can\u2019t teach algebra because there is no way for a child to check his answer. That\u2019s enabling. The fancy graphics are not teaching a kid to solve the problem on his own.\u201d<\/p>\n The program is gamelike, but without points, winning, or racing. Kids learn math rules as \u201clegal moves,\u201d in the language of video games.<\/p>\n Borenson\u2019s colleagues offer professional development for the use of the program. But honestly, he and the teachers I met believe that the manual supplied with the kits provides all a motivated teacher needs to know. The kits themselves are relatively inexpensive, and Borenson is negotiable when schools are seriously strapped. A book of word problems supplements each lesson, to keep the more advanced kids challenged.<\/p>\n It\u2019s rare for me to laud a marketed product. But Hands-on Equations certainly would have cleared up my problems with algebra, perhaps opening up my college search.<\/p>\n Borenson says, \u201cThe point is to get kids used to algebra so they like it. It\u2019s important that they develop positive attitudes towards math.\u201d<\/p>\n Surely improved attitudes would work wonders on kids\u2019 anemic math achievement.<\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column_inner][\/vc_row_inner][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”full_width_background” full_screen_row_position=”middle” column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” bg_color=”#cfe3de” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” row_border_radius=”none” row_border_radius_applies=”bg” overflow=”visible” overlay_strength=”0.3″ gradient_direction=”left_to_right” shape_divider_position=”bottom” bg_image_animation=”none” gradient_type=”default” shape_type=””][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” column_position=”default” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_row_inner column_margin=”default” column_direction=”default” column_direction_tablet=”default” column_direction_phone=”default” text_align=”left” row_position=”default” row_position_tablet=”inherit” row_position_phone=”inherit” overflow=”visible” pointer_events=”all” css=”.vc_custom_1676411877541{margin-top: 3% !important;margin-right: 15% !important;margin-bottom: 5% !important;margin-left: 10% !important;}”][vc_column_inner column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_tablet=”inherit” column_padding_phone=”inherit” column_padding_position=”all” column_element_direction_desktop=”default” column_element_spacing=”default” desktop_text_alignment=”default” tablet_text_alignment=”default” phone_text_alignment=”default” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ column_backdrop_filter=”none” column_shadow=”none” column_border_radius=”none” column_link_target=”_self” overflow=”visible” gradient_direction=”left_to_right” overlay_strength=”0.3″ width=”1\/1″ tablet_width_inherit=”default” animation_type=”default” bg_image_animation=”none” border_type=”simple” column_border_width=”none” column_border_style=”solid”][vc_custom_heading text=”About the Author:” font_container=”tag:h1|text_align:left|color:%23ffffff” use_theme_fonts=”yes” css=”.vc_custom_1676411818032{margin-top: 3% !important;}”][vc_column_text]\n Julia Steiny is a freelance columnist who also blogs about Restorative Practices and Restorative Justice. After serving on the Providence School Board, she became the Providence Journal\u2019s education columnist for 16 years, and has written for many other outlets. As the founding director of the\u00a0Youth Restoration Project,<\/a><\/span>\u00a0she\u2019s been building demonstration projects in Rhode Island since 2008. She analyses data and provides communications consulting on\u00a0Information Works!\u00a0<\/span>and the\u00a0RIDataHUB<\/span>, through The Providence Plan.<\/em>For more detail, see\u00a0juliasteiny.com<\/span> <\/a>or contact her at <\/em>juliasteiny@gmail.com<\/a><\/span>\u00a0<\/em>or 24 Corliss Street #40022, Providence, RI 02904<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n