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Crunching numbers By DAMIAN MANN School's out, but 55 students are studying harder than they ever have. They've enrolled in the CIM Cyber Summer School, designed to help students who have fallen behind to prepare for the mathematics questions on the state assessment tests. This two-week intensive training course, offered from July 23 to Aug. 3, takes place every weeknight from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The main site is at the Jackson Education Service District in downtown Medford and is linked by high-speed phone connection to Eagle Point and Ashland. Mail Tribune / Drew Fleming North Medford High School sophomore Reginaldo Villa does an algebra problem at the CIM Cyber Summer School in Medford, where students prepare for the state tests. The site is linked via television screens and microphones to Ashland and Eagle Point. The Ashland class is in the background. Students and teachers from all three locations interact through television cameras and microphones. "We used to bus kids to one location," said Pam Lucas, coordinator of the migrant education and English as a Second Language program for the Jackson ESD. "The transportation costs ate us up." The students are on a fast-track schedule as they learn areas of measurement, calculation and estimation, geometry, algebraic relationships, and statistics and probability. This is the third year of this program, funded by the ESD and a portion of a $15,000 federal migrant education and English as a Second Language grant. It is also the first time the ESD has tried linking up three sites at one time, with varying degrees of success. "A certain amount of time is needed to get used to the technology," said Lucas. "We're still learning how to use this technology." Educational organizations throughout the state are using similar distance-learning programs as a way to bring education to the most remote regions of the state. "It's the wave of the future," said Lucas. Students had mixed reactions about the technology but seemed to agree that the intensive mathematics course was worth the effort. Severa Flores, 16, of South Medford High School, said she liked the technology, which allows her to see students from other areas working on the same assignments. Flores said she had one purpose in coming to the class: "I want to learn." Marco Amezcua, 16, characterized the technology as "weird. I didn't like it at first." He came to the class, he said, "because my mom made me." He is hoping to eventually get enough credits so he can get back into North Medford High School, but admitted he still has a long way to go. Even though he was persuaded to go to the class, Amezcua said he would be happy to do it again. "It's a much better class size." He also liked the personal attention he has received from the teachers. Eric Macias, 14, of South Medford, said his mother also urged him to take the summer class. As to the technology, Macias said, "I barely pay attention. It distracts me if I pay attention to it." He likes working with the other students and the teachers. "They can help you and you can help them." Mathematics teacher Anastasia Kimura said the two-week course does cram in a lot of information. "They are hit or bombarded with all these concepts," she said. She admitted the technology is a little cumbersome at times, but ultimately it does help reach more students. Since Kimura is the math expert, she helps the other teachers in Ashland and Eagle Point who are working with students trying to resolve difficult algebraic and geometry problems. Every Friday, students are treated to math game night at South Medford High, where they earn "CIM bucks" that entitle them to bid on movie tickets and other events. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.