MABLETON, Ga. — Flashback to your last math class: What if you had the chance to learn the subject from a fellow student?
When COVID-19 shuttered schools across the country, Gabrielle Tobin created a way to make math a little easier for her peers.
"I knew the Cobb County School District was shutting down much like the rest of the country," the 9th grader and girl scout told 11Alive. "I immediately thought of my peers."
Specifically, Gabrielle worried about the kids she knew at Lindley Sixth Grade Academy in Mableton. Recognizing the challenges of math and extra hurdle of virtual learning, she rallied her friends to help. The group began creating peer-to-peer math videos to aid students learning remotely.
"We're in the same range as them so it's easier to connect with us and to hear a voice that's similar to theirs," she said of the "For Math's Sake: Peer-to-Peer Videos."
The idea excited principal Dr. Denise Magee.
"I was so excited because math is our deficit," she said. "We always need support in the area of math."
Under the guidance of Magee, the videos highlight the math standards and vary from low tech to high tech storyboarding. Each video is available for easy student access online, though Dr. Magee is already helping to expand that reach.
"[Gabrielle] doesn't know this yet but originally I'm from the Bahamas and I've shared the link with people there so they can access her resources," Magee said.
Gabrielle hopes the project, part of her endeavor to get the prestigious Girl Scout Gold Award, will make learning virtually a little easier and bring a little more fun to a subject she loves.
"I love math and I'm very passionate about it," she said.
Students can view the peer-to-peer math videos online here.
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