Keyshawn Brown is not one to shy away from a challenge. That is part of the reason why the 14-year-old Gary, Ind., student has become one of the best math students in the state.
An eighth-grade-student at Roosevelt Career and Technical Academy, Keyshawn competed in a statewide math contest sponsored by the Apangea Learning program, which provides online supplemental math instruction to students. Keyshawn’s performance throughout the month-long contest won him the honor of being selected as one of the top three students in Indiana.
“I like to do math and the reason I like to log on to Apangea is because I see it as a challenge,” said KeyShawn.
Apangea executives recently visited Roosevelt to honor Keyshawn. He received a family prize pack as well as an iPad for his hard work and dedication during the Hoosier Math Cup competition.
“When I go to the library and sign in, everyone tells me they are going to pass me (on points) that day, so I keep working harder,” said Keyshawn.
Representatives from the Indiana Department of Education and Apangea Learning, a distance learning company, also recently visited Leesburg Elementary School to award the First Annual Hoosier Math Cup trophy and prizes. Students in Teresa Jordan’s 6th grade math class won a statewide contest sponsored by Apangea, a provider of online supplemental math instruction.
The students worked on Apangea math in class and at home to earn the highest student average of math completed, beating out all other competing schools in Indiana. More than 23,000 Indiana students spent 37,000 hours on Apangea math, completing nearly 122,000 word math problems during the contest. The distance-learning method is supported by classroom teachers, who help students in K-12 solve problems in real time using the Internet.
“When we first entered the contest, we talked about how great it would be to accomplish ‘something’ as a class,” said Jordan. “As we progressed, students began to realize their own personal progress in Apangea and winning the Hoosier Math Cup became our class goal. I am so proud of every student for applying such dedication to make all of us a winner. It’s truly an honor to be their teacher.”
Jordan and each student in her class will receive T-shirts, a family activity pack with gift cards for dinner and a movie as well as a personalized certificate. The MVP of the class will receive his choice of a Wii, iPod Touch, or a $200 gift card.
“Ms. Jordan’s students are setting the pace for kids around the state who are using Apangea to boost math skills,” said Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett. “I’m proud of their work and Ms. Jordan’s commitment to encourage excellence. Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition.”
The next top three students in the state will receive prize packs and will be entered into a drawing for an iPad. Five regional champion classes will be recognized throughout Indiana and receive pizza parties, T-shirts and certificates. The corresponding schools also will receive a 2010 Regional Math Champion banner to display.
The math contest was kicked-off at Greenwood Middle School last year with Bennett present.
School districts, including those in Indiana, purchase licenses for Apangea’s services and provide their students access during school and after hours from home. The Apangea learning model is based on longitudinal research on cognition originally conducted by the U.S. military. The education system has been used in more than 3,000 schools. Apangea is a privately owned company based in Pittsburgh, Pa.
