Think Through Math Announces Winners of “Math EVERY Day” Challenge

 Contest Helps Change Student Attitudes about Math

PITTSBURGH – February 17, 2015 — Think Through Learning, authors of the award-winning Think Through Math (TTM), a web-based math instructional system for grades 3 through Algebra 1, announced today the winners of its national “Math Every Day” challenge.  


The contest, which ran throughout the month of January, challenged students across the country to provide examples of “how math is all around you.” Students were challenged to submit examples that demonstrated how math is used throughout every day, from very simple scenarios such as making change to much more complex situations such designing clothes.

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“Throughout the month, we posted examples of math in art, technology, food, nature, sports and fashion to provide inspiration. Then we asked TTM students to tell us how they encounter math every day and why that’s important.  We were continually impressed by the Math Every Day submissions that we received from students across the country and learned quite a lot in the process,” said Lisa Wise, Director of Motivational Programs for Think Through Math.

Think Through Math received nearly 1,000 submissions from 3rd grade through high school students over the course of the four-week contest. Submissions were judged based on three criteria: relevance of example to everyday life, quality of written narrative description and creativity/originality of the submission. The winning submissions incorporate a broad range of math concepts including metric conversion, spatial positioning, linear equations, variability, symmetry and more.  Excerpts from winning submissions: 

• “Each Lego piece represents a fraction of the entire creation. Each piece actually represents a fraction itself, for example if the two by four was the whole, than a two by two would be a half, a two by one a fourth.”
• “By setting up a proportion, I can use the sketch drawn to obtain the measurements needed to actually make the costume.”
• “I have to play the piano in a melodious way. If I don’t know the correct timing for each note it would sound as if I was playing random keys.”
• “Farmers need to be aware of how many hogs they raise and how many go off to slaughter. They must understand costs of gas, supplies and labor before packaging and delivering the pork to the local market. This process uses math to determine supply and demand as well as profit margin.” 
• “I use math to count my allowance. We split all of our money in three banks. Ten percent goes in my give bank. Ten percent goes in my save bank. We put the rest in our spend bank.”

 

Think Through Math awarded three classroom prizes in addition to 20 student finalists, all of whom received e-gift cards. The top three Math Every Day Classroom Prizes were awarded to: 

• “Math In Sports” - Ms. Pool, 4th Grade, Harmony Intermediate School
• “Math Around the Clock” - Ms. Holcomb, 3rd Grade, Timber Creek Elementary School
• “Holiday Farmers Market” - Ms. Warmbrodt, 7th Grade, Dan F. Long Middle School

The top 20 individual student prizes were awarded to:

• “Making Barbie Clothes” - Samara S., 3rd grade, Highlands Elementary School
• ”Fractions”- Kaleb A., 3rd Grade, Zilker Elementary School
• “Glamorous Everyday Math” - Rylee-Jo C., 3rd grade, Leadership Prep School
• “A World of Math” - Donia K., 3rd Grade class, Jan Sciff Elementary School
• “Math Every Day” - Sydney D., 3rd Grade class, Wellington Elementary School
• “Math In Markers” - Margaret N., 5th Grade, Sam Houston Elementary School
• “How Does Bowling Use Math” - Avery R. 5th Grade, Sam Houston Elementary School
• “Chores And Saving”. Taylor B., 5th Grade, Champions Academy
• “Getting To School” - Jacob B. 5th Grade, Champions Academy
• “Pizza” - Reefa M., 8th Grade, Westbrook Intermediate School
• “Legos” - Alex H., 8th Grade, Westbrook Intermediate School
• “Counting” - Amanda P., 8th Grade, Westbrook Intermediate School
• “Sketching Costumes” - Kimmy L. 8th Grade, Westbrook Intermediate School
•  “Math Before 8:00 AM” - Larissa C., 7th Grade class, Manzano Middle School
• “Girl Scout Cookies” - Mei C., 7th Grade, International Leadership of Texas Garland Middle School
•  “Bacon” - Carson C., 6th Grade, Indian Knoll Elementary School
• “Thermometer” - Evan C., 6th Grade, Indian Knoll Elementary School
• “Math and Basketball” - Jeana H. 6th Grade, Indian Knoll Elementary School  
• “Legos” - Cole F. 6th Grade, Indian Knoll Elementary School
•  “Landscaping” - Leila T., 6th Grade, Landrum Middle School

 
With more than 2.6 million students across schools currently the product across the U.S., Think Through Math (http://www.thinkthoughmath.com) provides rigorous adaptive lessons built upon both state-specific and Common Core standards, and is supported by the unique functionality of on-line, on-demand math teachers to assist struggling students.

About Think Through Learning & Think Through Math

Think Through Learning is a company of passionate and committed U.S. math teachers, software engineers and educational innovators whose mission is to help kids learn how to think mathematically.  At Think Through Learning, we know that success in mathematics transforms how students perform in school and beyond.  Our vision of effective education: a motivating blend of adaptive instruction on higher order thinking skills and on-demand online “instant 1:1 interventions” from LIVE, state-certified U.S. math teachers wherever a student is – school, home or elsewhere - at the precise moment that they need assistance.  In 2014, students on Think Through Math will do approximately one billion complex math problems and receive millions of live personalized “just-in-time teaching” sessions. The 2014 and 2012 recipient of the SIIA CODiE Award for Best Mathematics Instructional Solution, Think Through Math is recognized as the industry’s most respected and fastest-growing supplemental math curriculum.  Since its launch in 2012, Think Through Math has become a critical part of the RTI, STEM, and 1:1 strategies of thousands of districts and schools across the country, including some of the largest districts in the United States.