California Elementary School Launches Math Lab

  • By Tim Sohn
  • 12/18/12

California's Robert Gisler Elementary School has opened a math lab intended to help increase interest in science, technology, engineering, and math.

More than 500 students at Robert Gisler, part of Fountain Valley School District, will be able to use Mind Research Institute's self-paced Spatial Temporal Math education program in the Hyundai ST Math Lab.

Mind Research Institute's Spatial Temporal Math program features a penguin named JiJi that faces obstacles in visual puzzles. Problems begin at an easy level and increase in difficulty as students proceed through the program. Students are first presented with solely-visual problems. As problems increase in difficulty, numbers and language are added. The program is aligned with Common Core standards and can be integrated with core curriculum.

Features of the program include:

  • Embedded assessments;
  • Reporting of student learning patterns;
  • Whiteboard integration; and
  • Teacher-guided instruction for the classroom.

In addition, students and teachers can use the math program on computers and mobile devices.

Topics covered are:

  • Kindergarten: sorting & classifying, numbers to 30, geometry, money, measurement, addition, and subtraction;
  • First grade: numbers to 30, addition, subtraction, place value, time, geometry, patterns and shapes, measurement, and money fractions;
  • Second grade: dddition, subtraction, place value, money, time & elapsed time, geometry, measurement, fractions, multiplication, and division;
  • Third grade: estimation & rounding, place value, money, time & elapsed time, multiplication, division, data & graphing, geometry, fractions, and sdvanced arithmetic;
  • Fourth grade: estimation & rounding, algebraic expressions, data & graphing, multiplication, decimals, division, factorization, fractions, geometry, and negative numbers; and
  • Fifth grade: algebraic expressions, data & graphing, factorization, fractions, ratios, percentages, functions, geometry, decimals, and negative numbers.

Funding for the math lab was provided in part by Hyundai Motor America.

"We are thrilled and very appreciative of the continued support the Fountain Valley School District receives from Hyundai Motor America," said Marc Ecker, superintendent of the Fountain Valley School District. "Their contributions to our ST Math program have provided additional resources for our students, enabling them to meet the rigorous California State Standards in mathematics."

Gisler is the second school in the Fountain Valley district to be granted the Mind Research Institute math program from Hyundai,, and the fourth school system in Southern California. In total, the ST Math program has been deployed to 2,000-plus students in the state.

Fountain Valley School District enrolls 6,300 students from the Fountain Valley and Huntington Beach areas of California. It comprises seven elementary schools and three middle schools.

For more information about ST Math, visit mindresearch.net. Go to fvsd.k12.ca.us to learn more about the Fountain Valley School Disrict.

About the Author

Tim Sohn is a 10-year veteran of the news business, having served in capacities from reporter to editor-in-chief of a variety of publications including Web sites, daily and weekly newspapers, consumer and trade magazines, and wire services. He can be reached at [email protected] and followed on Twitter @editortim.

Featured

  • laptop with AI symbol on screen

    Google Launches Lightweight Gemma 3n, Expanding Emphasis on Edge AI

    Google DeepMind has officially launched Gemma 3n, the latest version of its lightweight generative AI model designed specifically for mobile and edge devices — a move that reinforces the company's focus on on-device computing.

  • red brick school building with a large yellow "AI" sign above its main entrance

    New National Academy for AI Instruction to Provide Free AI Training for Educators

    In an effort to "transform how artificial intelligence is taught and integrated into classrooms across the United States," the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), in partnership with Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic, and the United Federation of Teachers, is launching the National Academy for AI Instruction, a $23 million initiative that will provide access to free AI training and curriculum for all AFT members, beginning with K-12 educators.

  • computer science classroom featuring a desktop setup with code on the screen, a large wall display with charts, and a labeled book on a clean desk

    McGraw Hill Expands CTE Offerings

    Education company McGraw Hill has announced a host of new career and technical education courses, designed to help learners gain professional, technical, and academic skills for workforce success.

  • stack of gold coins disintegrates into digital particles against a dark circuit-board background with glowing AI imagery

    Report: Most Organizations See No Business Return on Gen AI Investments

    Despite $30-40 billion in enterprise spending on generative AI, 95% of organizations are seeing no business return, according to a recent report out of the MIT Media Lab.