Serving Boone, Blowing Rock, Banner Elk, and other towns of the North Carolina High Country
Founded 05-05-05
April 19, 2007 issue
Math Camp at ASU Targets Students at All Levels of Understanding
Story by Kathleen McFadden
For some students, the idea of spending four consecutive June evenings focusing on math is rock bottom on their list of summer vacation options. For other students, the prospect of spending four evenings solving word problems holds vast appeal. For both sets of students, and everybody in between, Math Camp at Appalachian offers plenty of surprises and a nice payoff to boot.
“A lot of students come with severely twisted arms,” laughed Dr. Anita Kitchens, Math Camp director, “but after about five minutes, they’re okay. They’re hit with the idea that we’re on a team.”
At the same time, Kitchens encourages math enthusiasts to come too. “We want the high achievers to feel welcome,” Kitchens said.
Picture a sports camp, like a basketball camp, and transfer that image to an academic subject. You still have stations, teams, coaches, trophies and lots of hands-on activities, but instead of practicing jump shots and dribbling, you’re practicing solid mathematical skills with the potential for a big boost in understanding and a greater appreciation for just what math is all about.
“You don’t tell people who are great at basketball, ‘You can’t come to basketball camp,’” she said, “and you don’t tell those who haven’t touched a basketball, ‘You can’t come.’” In short, “Math Camp is for everybody,” she said.
“We hit things that people have the tendency to memorize and not think about,” Kitchens explained. “We emphasize that math isn’t just a memorizing process; it’s a thinking process. A little bit of technique goes a long way.”
Kitchens also focuses on students’ learning styles, understanding that left-brain and right-brain thinkers don’t process the same way. “There’s no reason why people should struggle with math,” Kitchens continued. “If a student doesn’t have a learning style that’s heads-on with what’s being taught, they immediately relate it to inability and that’s where it stays. We do an exercise to see if the student is left brain or right brain. Algebra I is very left brain and sequential, and that’s when we lose a lot of potentially strong math students.”
In addition, Math Camp focuses on teaching students “how important it is to believe in yourself,” Kitchens said. “We talk to them about how to be successful.” And those are lessons that apply equally well to both left- and right-brain thinkers.
Students who struggle with math often complain that they don’t understand why they have to learn it because they’ll never use it. Kitchens has that corner covered too. Magic tricks that she explains with math? You bet. Practical applications of math, like in biology and medicine? You bet.
Some students are apprehensive and self-conscious about their math abilities. Kitchens has thought of that too. “Nobody’s put on the spot. There are no grades and no pressure. Everybody does his best and has a good time,” she explained.
Math Camp is a social event too. Every evening features free food provided by Subway, CiCi’s Pizza, KFC and Harris Teeter and the opportunity to meet other students and socialize.
Now in its 10th year, Math Camp is endorsed by the Watauga County Schools. Enrollment is limited to 90 students.
Math Camp is for rising sixth through twelfth graders and will be held Monday through Thursday, June 25 to 28, from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The fee is $95. For out-of-town students, Super 8 (828-264-4133) is offering a special lodging rate of $49.99 per night for Math Camp attendees and their families. “They can vacation during the day and go to Math Camp at night,” Kitchens said.
For additional info about the camp, call Kitchens at 828-264-0181. To register, pick up a brochure at any Watauga County school and mail it in or fax it. Alternatively, click to www.camps.appstate.edu or call 828-262-4992.