“Some of the teachers were a bit worried about their technology expertise, and we helped them identify a student in each class who is their technology expert,” Moss said. She added that the system “empowers the teachers and makes the kids feel that what they’re doing matters.”
It’s also easy for teachers to bring relevant, topical issues into the classroom with MathForward. At the end of the 2009-10 school year, the eighth-grade students applied the math concepts they’d learned to study the Gulf Coast oil spill.
The students used the NASA web site, Google Earth, and the BP web site to gather information as they examined the logistics of bringing in recovery vehicles and how much the devices used to control the oil spill would cost. They also calculated the ripple effect of lost tourism during the summer.
“Eighty percent of high school dropouts [occur] because kids can’t pass algebra,” Moss said. “Making math engaging and relevant for kids is what keeps me up at night.”
—L.D.
- Children learn best on paper: We need better technology, not less of it - July 13, 2026
- In districts, reaching readiness, retention, and success - March 5, 2026
- AI use is on the rise, but is guidance keeping pace? - January 2, 2026