MADISON TOWNSHIP — Jennifer Porter figured her students may as well learn math if they wanted to play video games.
A first grade teacher at Mifflin Elementary, Porter started letting her students play math games if they had extra time in class, using a free platform called Prodigy.
Now her students’ skills may earn them national recognition.
Mifflin Elementary won Prodigy’s state championship for the month of March.
Mifflin students at all grade levels earned points for the school by correctly answering math problems throughout the month.
Schools are divided into three tiers based on enrollment, according to Prodigy’s website. In each tier, the school with the most points at the end of month wins.
“The kids took it on more as a challenge for themselves than anything,” Porter said. “Our students’ dedication and hard work have truly paid off, and our gym is now officially decked out with a brand-new school banner and plenty of awesome Prodigy swag for our math masters.”
By clinching the state title, Mifflin has earned an exclusive invitation to the National Championship, which takes place from May 1 to 15.
“We are competing for some incredible prizes, including a $25,000 technology grant for our school, $1,500 to fund a massive celebration, and even more Prodigy gear,” Porter said.
Porter said the students’ momentum and excitement has been a bright spot as teachers prepare for the permanent closure of Mifflin Elementary at the end of the school year.
“There’s been a lot of hard news this year,” she said. “It’s kind of giving us something to look forward to.”
Prodigy claims its platform boosts students’ math performance, helps them practice concepts at their own pace and changes kids’ attitudes about math for the better.
Porter said the platform is also helpful because she can assign specific math concepts for students to work on if they need extra practice.
Porter said if Mifflin wins the contest, the prize funds will be distributed between Madison Primary and Madison Intermediate, where Mifflin students will attend next year.
