Digi-Block, Inc., announces its Spring 2004 recipient
Grant will place material in the hands of California's Santa Maria-Bonita School District
WATERTOWN, MASS. (May 14, 2004) - Digi-Block, Inc., a leading developer of mathematics products for elementary schools, today announced the recipient of its semi-annual Digi-Block Math Grant for curriculum development and implementation using the Digi-Block Learning SystemSM. Receiving the $5,000 grant is Santa Maria-Bonita School District. This K-8 school district serves 12,730 students.
The Digi-Block Learning System will help Santa Maria-Bonita School implement a hands-on, standards-based, inquiry approach to math instruction. Targeted grades will be 1, 2 and 3. The Blocks will be used in supporting the three phases of teaching mathematics: conceptual learning, fact strategies and memorizing.
"To encourage creative and successful uses of Digi-Block, we encourage participants to provide unique examples of how the blocks will be used in the classrooms. Digi-Block is excited to be able to award Math Grant to a deserving educator this spring," said Ann Lewis, Digi-Block VP of Education. "We will be following each project closely to see how the Digi-Block Learning System improves student learning. Through the semi annual grants, Digi-block demonstrates its commitment to putting this powerful teaching tool into the hands of more educators".
Santa Maria-Bonita School District
Karen Prewett's proposal takes into consideration the large student pool of English language learners, who often move from school to school within the district. As a teacher on special assignment for mathematics, she says, "I have noticed how difficult the concept of place value is for students. The numeration blocks that many teachers use are oftentimes a manipulative nightmare, trading ten ones for 1 long is a task in it self, let alone extending the materials to support addition, multiplication, subtraction and division algorithms. Understanding, children do not learn (only) by doing …they learn by thinking, discussing and reflecting on what they have done."
The objective is to target grades 1, 2 and 3, California State Standards 1.1.1, 1.1.3, 2.1.1, 2.1.4, and 3.1.1. Concrete manipulative such as Digi-Block would enhance the student's conceptual understanding of place value, numeration, addition and subtraction algorithms. According to Karen Prewett, "The Digi-Block Learning System will assist our teachers in raising test scores by providing students with a tangible manipulative that will improve their understanding and conceptual learning."
