NEWTOWN, PA—Big wins are often the result of meaningful collaborations. At Goodnoe Elementary in Bucks county, PA, Math Specialist Charyl Kerns Hills and student Ben Cramer have brought teamwork to a new level.
Left: Ben Cramer, founder of the Goodnoe FIM Boot Camp. Right: Cramer and Ethan Smith contemplate a solution to a tricky word problem from the First In Math site.
Cramer and Hills led their school to top-tier status in the First In Math Online Program, earning more than one million stickers during the 2013-2014 school year. Hills says she learned about the milestone accomplishment from Cramer, who calculated and monitored the stickers needed to reach that goal.
According to Hills, a math specialist for nearly 20 years, Ben deserves all the credit. “He dedicates his recess to run a First In Math ‘Boot Camp’ for any student in the school who is eager to play.”
Cramer, the top-ranked fifth grader at the school with nearly 23,000 stickers, was not always a math enthusiast. “In third grade, I thought the games were boring and a bit too complicated,” says Cramer. But in fourth grade, he noticed another student in his class had 17,000 stickers. “I thought, if he could do it, I could do it!”
That competitive spirit provided focus for Cramer. With support from Hills, he established his FIM Boot Camp, motivating peers with an initial goal of 4,000 stickers each. As a result of their experiences with First In Math, many Boot Camp graduates have come to realize what teachers already know: “Everybody can do math,” says Cramer.
Cramer’s strategy for reaching and maintaining his number-one position is “to play until I am ahead.” Since FIM provides students and educators with up-to-date statistics on all players, Cramer, who spends at least 45 minutes a day on the site, is always setting a new goal.
He is also encouraged by his fellow ‘Campers. Sessions are scheduled during recess because, according to these students, ‘recess can be boring.’ The group works as a team to solve problems projected onto a whiteboard. They instruct each other in various strategies and tricks, and share their enthusiasm for favorite games. According to Hills the new Rock, Paper, Scissors game has been a particular favorite, as are Pundi’s Puzzle, XYZ shuffle and Know & Show.
The students play at home as well, and agree that with a little practice, anyone can succeed at First In Math.
Cramer, whose competitive fire is also evident when he takes to the basketball court in winter or the baseball field in summer, explains that First In Math and sports are both competitive. “When you practice, you get better at everything. And, everything is connected to math. With math, you can help everybody win.”
This sentiment is echoed by Hills. “First In Math meets the needs of my students. It’s a way to impact math learning by motivating kids to achieve in a positive way. Ben and his Boot Camp are an ideal example of how the First In Math program allows students to grow mathematically and in other ways—encouraging them to be leaders and collaborators in and out of the classroom.”