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Walking off a math problem
 The answer to a difficult concept is often only a step away. Or steps, in this case. Ten thousand of them.
Lower School math coordinator Haydée Von Sternberg envisioned a solution to one of those difficult problems earlier this fall, when Michelle Caywood, the director of physical education and athletics, told faculty and staff members that she could provide each of them a pedometer, or step-counter.
Mrs. von Sternberg got one and, after contemplating its digital display, realized it could be the perfect tool to teach her Class 3 students about place value — which can initially be a tough concept to grasp.
“The typical mistake the girls make is to count to 1 million after 9,999 rather than 10,000,” Mrs. von Sternberg said. “I was wearing my pedometer, which counts up to five digits, and I thought, ‘This is perfect for the girls.’”
With Ms. Caywood’s aid, Mrs. von Sternberg marshaled five extra pedometers for Class 3. Each day, five randomly selected girls wear the pedometers, and the next morning they record their steps on a sheet with Mrs. von Sternberg. She makes sure they know which digit is the tens place, which is the hundreds and which is the hallowed ten-thousands.
“The children love it,” Mrs. von Sternberg said.
That was readily apparent on a recent morning, when a group of Class 3 walkers was eager to show off the pedometers. (In the photo above, they show how the pedometers clip to the shorts underneath their uniforms to most accurately track their movements.) “I’ve already taken 191 steps,” one student reported. When asked if it was hard keeping track of this intellectual and physical exercise, the girl responded, “No, it’s easy. And it’s really fun. By the afternoon, I’ll be in the thousands.”
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