CLARKSTON, GA—Dekalb County K-8 students exhibited their enthusiasm and mastery for math by solving more than 94 million math problems in seven months on the First In Math (FIM) Online Program website. One school, Indian Creek Elementary, achieved the top honor—ranking number one in the state for the "Top 100 Students" category, placing among the top 5 in the state for the "All Grades" category, and placing among the top 100 schools in the nation.
Indian Creek students work together on many class projects; FIM is an activity that motivates and excites individual students and entire classrooms.
Additional DeKalb County honors go to Austin Elementary School, home to the top three first grade teams in the state, Snapfinger Elementary, home to the number one 2nd grade player and Sagamore, home to the number one 4th grade player.
For all of these students, their accomplishment is the result of hours of practice and dedication, and of intrinsic motivation—the desire to engage in a task for its inherent pleasure and satisfaction, according to First In Math creator Robert Sun. “The students who achieved this goal believed in their capacity to learn and experienced first-hand that their efforts resulted in success and their success motivated them to keep striving. The joy and self-satisfaction they experienced is familiar to anyone who has mastered a new skill and been motivated to keep improving,” Sun explains.
Created in 2002, First In Math Online is a supplemental, web-based program that involved more than 5,000 schools and 1.5 million students across the country during the 2013-14 school year. In Georgia, more than 350 schools and 120,000 students participated this year. The program is designed to be dynamic and extremely customizable to each student’s needs. Comprehensive content is presented in a game format and engages all types of learners through a variety of options.
Shawn Collier, First In Math Implementation Specialist, was thrilled to learn about Indian Creek’s accomplishments. “I believe that our content can not be beat, however, the math we offer is just the tip of the iceberg. We offer parents a chance to feel proud of their children and to celebrate them for academic achievements, and we offer the public the opportunity to recognize these children, as well.”
Indian Creek is also home to Georgia’s #1- and #3-ranked fifth-grade teams, as well as the #3-ranked fifth-grader in the state. All students and teams were recognized at a special ceremony on May 15 attended by FIM Vice President Barbara Asteak and her colleague Brett Eaker.
Award ceremonies, as well as recognition for the Player of the Day and other accolades throughout the school year, are an important aspect of the First In Math culture, according to Asteak. “Recognition leads to pride and confidence among students and encourages them to see themselves as capable learners who are able to achieve their goals. It’s exciting for us to see the power of math transform students’ attitudes and engagement,” says Asteak.