Nikki Lineham has developed a new way of teaching math. And now the Cedar Hill middle school teacher is watching her idea multiply across the Greater Victoria School District.
Lineham has been working for the past five years on the development of Educating Now, a system that takes the text-driven lesson plans teachers have used for decades and puts it into a video format that includes hints on the language and methods that have the greatest impact on students.
She says the technological changes happening across the globe means simply learning procedures and memorizing information is no longer enough.
B次元官网网址淭hey need to understand how it works so they can apply it to novel situations,B次元官网网址� said the Saanich resident, adding our learning tools are no longer limited to just pen and paper.
B次元官网网址淲e need them to be thinkers and problem solvers and to actually understand and be able to create and actually be like mathematicians and not be like calculators, because we have calculators.B次元官网网址�
School District 61 has now purchased a site licence for Educating Now to bring LinehamB次元官网网址檚 method to schools across Greater Victoria. The collaborative initiative with the Greater Victoria Teachers Association was part of an investment of more than $500,000 by the school district in numeracy and science resources.
B次元官网网址淓ducation assistants, teachers and administrators across the district now have access to the videos and resources,B次元官网网址� said Lineham.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a system that Lineham has been using herself for the past 10 years B次元官网网址� taking a more visual and hands-on approach to solving math problems.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 because of the way our brain learns things. In order for something to go into long-term memory it needs to be meaningful, which means there needs to be some form of engagement. As soon as you gets kids more active and get their hands on things, theyB次元官网网址檙e immediately more engaged. But more importantly they have to understand it.B次元官网网址�
Lineham points to the troubling trend that so many Grade 8 students have difficulty in doing subtraction equations properly, saying understanding the procedure is key for students to be able to retain the knowledge.
B次元官网网址淭hat whole idea of weB次元官网网址檒l get them to practise and practise and practise, thatB次元官网网址檚 not the way our brain works.B次元官网网址�
Lineham developed the program along with her brother Lou Douillard, who also lives in Saanich, which now includes close to 75 videos, primarily focused on Grades 6 to 8. B次元官网网址淚 started with middle school because thatB次元官网网址檚 my wheelhouse,B次元官网网址� said Lineham, adding Educating Now will be expanding to other grades as she looks to bring on additional school districts.
LinehamB次元官网网址檚 passion for math was on display this summer when she gave a TEDx Talk at Royal Roads University on busting the math myth.
B次元官网网址淥ur society believes thereB次元官网网址檚 such a thing as a math brain, and some of us have it and some of us donB次元官网网址檛. And actually, thereB次元官网网址檚 not.B次元官网网址�
Linehan uses the example of how people will often talk about how they donB次元官网网址檛 understand math.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a bragging right in our culture. No one brags about being illiterate.B次元官网网址�
And that is something she is committed to changing.
B次元官网网址淚 feel like numeracy is the ugly second cousin to literacy, it never gets any attention,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淢y mission in life is to change the way we teach, talk and think about mathematics, so that itB次元官网网址檚 accessible for all people.B次元官网网址�
editor@saanichnews.com
