GEAR UP Goes for Math Reality TV
An SSU program is putting a twist on a popular television genre to enhance the learning of mathematical concepts for high school students. "Extreme Makeover: Math Edition" is coming to local televisions soon.
The GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) program received a $50,000 grant from the AT&T Foundation and the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships to implement an innovative approach to teaching high school mathematics. The funding is a highly competitive process and Sonoma State was one of only 74 GEAR UP grantees selected for the 2006-07 academic year.
The GEAR UP program works with the Community Media Center of Santa Rosa to create a 30-minute educational DVD that will be broadcast on the CMC television station, reaching a potential audience of 156,000 residents.
"Extreme Makeover: Math Edition" involves a dynamic instructor leading a team of students on hypothetical construction projects that involve hands-on mathematical applications. In keeping with the TV show’s format, the students with be dressed as construction workers and their activities will be recorded at a local construction site thanks to Burbank Housing.
The "Extreme Makeover: Math Edition" DVD will be incorporated as a teaching aid into all four of Sonoma State’s federally funded PreCollege Programs, encompassing more than 1,300 students. The DVD will also be made available to as many as 70 other high schools throughout northern California as part of the University’s Early Assessment Program. One hundred copies of the DVD (in both English and Spanish) will be produced.
For more information contact Susan Wandling, director of Academic Talent Search for University Preparation Services, at 4-3122 or susan.wandling@sonoma.edu.
MovieFest Deadline is Oct. 3
Faculty and staff are being asked to remind interested students about the Oct. 3 signup deadline for Campus MovieFest. The event showcases Sonoma State students’ five-minute-long masterpieces, films all made within the week of Oct. 3. A digital camcorder, a tripod, an Apple laptop equipped with iMovie and Final Cut software, 1,300 songs to create a soundtrack will be made available as well as an expert staff for a week to provide technical assistance. The first of its kind event at SSU is completely free and will culminate with the finale at Spreckels Performing Arts Center in Rohnert Park where 16 chosen films will premier on Oct. 12. The films can be comedies, dramas, science fiction, action and adventure, thrillers and documentaries, to name a few. For further information, phone Megan Solomon at 4-4129 or e-mail her at as.pr@sonoma.edu. More information about the event and registration can be found at the MovieFest Web site. “Team spaces are limited so please let your students know as soon as possible,” asks Solomon.