Community

Program Shows Students Value Of Math in Careers

West Virginia educators wants students to know the sum total of the math skills they learn can equal success in whatever career path they choose.

As part of a statewide "Math4Life" initiative through the West Virginia Department of Education, Ohio County Schools has produced a video earlier this month that seeks to answer the ever-present battle cry of confused math students: "When are we ever going to use this?"

A number of people recognizable in the local community were recruited to answer that question for students, and among those speaking in the video are U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.; Lisa Allen, president and CEO of the Ziegenfelder Co.; and State Sen. William Ihlenfeld, D-Ohio.

The state's Math4Life initiative seeks effort to improve student mathematics performance throughout the state over the next five years, and a major part of this effort is improving students' attitudes toward math, explained Walt Saunders, assessment and federal programs coordinator for Ohio County Schools.

The video begins with Saunders teaching students about prime numbers and factor trees, and the students asking in unison, "When are we ever going to use this?"

Participants in the video explained the computations they must make in their daily lives.

"At Ziegenfelders, we sell our products at over 40,000 locations across the country, and at each location we sell about 10 bags per week," Allen tells students. "How many bags do we need to service our customers for one year?"

Ohio County Board of Education member David Croft, an attorney, talked about his prior job as an accountant and how numbers are necessary in putting together financial statements.

Pastor Darrell Cummings of the Bethlehem Apostolic Temple said he must use math to determine how many attended his service that week.

"We also have an annual budget, and annual giveaways," he said. "We have to how many to expect, what is the cost how much we have to raise."

Laura Graves, owner of Avenue Eats and Whisk, explained she deals with budgeting and payroll needs, and must use math everyday.

"And chefs and bakers rely upon math and measuring for recipes, and calculating how much food is needed," she said.

Sean Danehart, a plumber with Ohio County Schools, said he uses math to measure for pipe and determining any water loss,

Ihlenfeld said he uses math as he sits on the Senate's Finance Committee, the committee tasked with crafting a balanced budget for West Virginia.

Wheeling Park High School broadcasting teacher Scott Nolte, also a sports reporter, said he uses math and number to educate the public.

"I use math to tell the story -- how many points a player had, their average and their statistics," he said.

In radio, math is used to "backtime" and determine how many seconds there are until the station identification at the top of the hour, Nolte said.

Superintendent Rick Jones said he used math in a large way when determining the financial amounts needed for the school district's bond issue that was passed last year.

It was determined $76 million in construction projects were needed in the district, and voters would be asked to approve a $42.2 million bond issue.

"I use math everyday in transactions when I buy something, or in the Senate when we're balancing the budget," Manchin told the students. "We have to use math to determine how can we afford to take care of our great country.

"I encourage you to use your math, and use it everyday. It will prove invaluable for you in your life," Manchin said.