JHS teacher wins Siemens award for advanced classes

Mar 14, 2009 (The Jamestown Sun - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- SI | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- Calculus can be hard, one math teacher said, but the most important lesson of the class is learning that things aren't always what they seem.

David McDowell, calculus and pre-calculus teacher at James-town High School, said he tries to make the course as fun as it is challenging. For his work, the Siemens Foundation awarded him the state Siemens Award for Advanced Placement.

The Siemens Foundation supports educational initiatives in science, technology, engineering and math. Each year, the Siemens Award for Advanced Placement selects one teacher from each state for their work and dedication to the Advanced Placement program, according to the foundation.

Advanced Placement classes are meant to better prepare students for college-level courses. At the end of the class, students can take AP exams, test out of some subjects and receive college credit.

Teachers are selected for the award, in part, based upon how many students pass the AP exams. Nationally, about 64 percent of students who take the AP Calculus AB exam pass it, McDowell said. At Jamestown High School, about 90 percent pass the exam, he said. And each year nearly all of the 30 or so calculus students take it.

Students take a mock AP exam the week before the test to prepare them for the real one, McDowell said, "to gets the butterflies out of their system."

That's a practice McDowell started when he began teaching the subject 12 years ago.

His success is because of many things, said Bob Toso, Jamestown Public Schools superintendent. Students work hard, he said, and math teachers at all levels give students a strong base.

McDowell agreed.

The district's administration has supported the program too, he said.

But also, McDowell has a fun sense of humor and a different way of relating to students, Toso said.

"I'd be very surprised if that didn't translate into the classroom," he said.

McDowell said he has a passion for the subject and even works on math problems in his free time. Not all students share that passion, he said, but he tries to infuse humor and practical interest into the subject.

Some students won't use much calculus once they graduate, but the goal is to teach all students to think critically.

"The critical-thinking skills developed in calculus carry over into fields such as law, business, medicine and politics," McDowell said in his application for the award.

Another part of McDowell's success, Toso said, is his dedication to the students. Some students get frustrated, McDowell said. Some drop the class. Some leave in tears.

But if students ask for extra help, McDowell makes himself available both before and after school.

"If they'll come at 7 in the morning, I'll help them," McDowell said.

Many students struggle with the subject. But like other fields, practice is key, he said. Students should practice math like the practice a piano.

"Math understanding at a high level required willingness to ponder it and ponder it and ponder it," he said.

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