Physics teacher Erich Landstrom is proud of his math-elites! They tackled some complex equations and formidable formulas. The SRHS team – made up of seniors Sean Joyce, Michael Martin, Shannon Patelsky, Katelyn Woodbury, Ralph Regis and Andy Bernardo – did not place, but still received $10 Best Buy gift cards and a free upgrade on the operating system of their TI-83 and TI-84 graphing calculators in advance of their Advanced Placement tests.
left: Ralph Regis, right: Andres BernardoPhoto credit: Robert Wenst, Historian, PBCCTM (Palm Beach County Council of Teachers of Mathematics)
The numbers added up just right for the math team from Atlantic High School, which edged out defending champion Spanish River High during the second High School Mathematics Competition at Palm Beach Atlantic University's Gregory Hall on Saturday. Palm Beach Gardens High placed third during the competition, in which teams solved algebra, trigonometry, statistics and pre-calculus problems using HP tablet computers and DyKnow interactive software.
The first-place team received a trophy and members received $75 Best Buy gift cards and TI-Nspire calculators. The second-place team received $50 gift cards, and the third-place team earned $25 gift cards.
Members of all other participating teams received $10 gift cards. The schools were Wellington High, Fort Pierce Central High, Lincoln Park Academy and Seminole Ridge High.
Atlantic High students Tanvir Ahmed, Matt Feldman, Zach Homans, Mike Quian and Craig Williams comprised the winning team, which was led by coach and calculus teacher Russ Williams.
The competition was sponsored by Best Buy, HP, Texas Instruments, DyKnow Software, Little Caesars and Panera Bread. Three professors in PBA's School of Arts and Sciences served as judges: Dr. Marsha Guntharp, associate professor of mathematics; Dr. Stephen Selby, associate professor of mathematics; and James Swick, assistant professor of mathematics.
Using HP tablet PCs instead of traditional pencil and paper, the four- to five-member teams raced against the clock to solve problems involving algebra, trigonometry, statistics and pre-calculus. Before the competition began, the teams received training in how to use the tablets. The machines are equipped with DyKnow, an interactive software program that enabled the questions to appear on each team's computer screen simultaneously. Students could submit answers electronically as well. The HP 2710p tablet PCs and DyKnow software are part of a two-year pilot program to provide 20 of the tablets at PBA to improve mathematics instruction.
http://www.pba.edu/media/news-releases/math-competition-10.cfm
