Expanding math skills with innovative technology

Gone are the days of practicing arithmetic with a workbook and pencil. Teachers are finding innovative ways to teach the fundamentals of math with technology. Students in Collierville Schools are building upon foundational skills with Logitech crayons, expanding their knowledge by participating in math competitions and practicing the basics on interactive whiteboards. These materials were proudly provided to teachers through CEF’s teacher grant program. Keep reading to learn more about the new technology being introduced in math classes in Collierville.

Logitech Crayons

A goal Ashley Neugebauer created for her third grade Bailey Station Elementary class was to take math from paper to the digital world. Students usually work on their iPads in every subject area, but it can be hard to get a precise sketch without a utensil to write. With the class’s new Logitech Crayons, students are able to write clearly, line up numbers, draw diagrams and equations and build area models. Especially in elementary school, students need hands-on engagement to develop the skills required to learn math, so combining these motor skills with updated technology prepares them for future math courses.

MATHCOUNTS competitions

MATHCOUNTS is a middle school math competition program with four levels – school, chapter, state and national. The competitions are split into four rounds, with some students competing individually and others with a partner or team. Different rounds call for different rules – three of the rounds do not allow calculators and the final round is mental math only! Subjects include algebra, geometry, probability and more. Students at West Collierville Middle School practice for the competitions weekly at their club meetings. To prepare for the real competition, they train as if it were the real thing. During the real MATHCOUNTS competitions, students submit their answers with clickers. The clickers are a wireless personal response system that can anonymously and rapidly collect an answer to a question. CEF provided a new set of clickers to the WCMS MATHCOUNTS club during the previous grant cycle, helping students prepare for the competitions to come!

Interactive whiteboards

West Collierville Middle School also received new interactive whiteboards in math classrooms. These boards are a collaborative tool for students to participate in small group work. Studies show when students work together in small groups, they generally learn more content and retain information longer. The vertical boards boost math achievement by enhancing both engagement and understanding. They also address diverse needs, aid visualization and support data-driven teaching, aligning with the school’s improvement goals while fostering broad academic success.

If you want to help students expand upon their math knowledge like our partners, consider donating to our teacher grant fund! All contributions are poured directly into Collierville Schools classrooms.

Grants like these are made possible through the generosity of our sponsors! A special thanks to our sponsors who contribute $5,000 or more annually.

President's Circle:

• BankTennessee

• Collierville Police 

• IMC Logistics

• John Green & Company REALTORS^®

• Landers Ford – Kent Ritchey

• Orgill

• Town of Collierville

Benefactors:

• Boyle

• Crews Development

• Magnolia Homes

• Southern Security

Innovators:

• A-Team Roofing

• Choate’s

• Maximus Building Supply

• Patriot Bank

• Patriot Bank Mortgage

• Republic Roofing & Restoration

In Kind:

• Central Church