Why Is Mathalicious Raising Money on Kickstarter?

Audrey Watters:

Mathalicious is currently raising $164,000 to create a series of math videos - 52 in all as the project name suggests. That's one math video a week, along with a teacher's guide on how the videos can be incorporated into lessons. The videos will follow the approach of the rest of Mathalicious mission: show students how math helps you understand the world around you. I don't mean "two trains leave the station" kind of story problems either. I mean problems that are interesting and relevant to students and that teach basic math concepts (Common Core State Standards-aligned) as well as broader problem solving and critical thinking skills. A sample lesson on probability: Does "Bankrupt" come up more often than it should on Wheel of Fortune? Is the show rigged?

$164,000 is sizable goal for a Kickstarter project; the average project seeks under $10,000. But there have been some fairly incredible success stories with Kickstarter as of late. Musician Amanda Palmer raised her goal of $100,000 for her latest record and tour in just 6 hours (she's now raised over $600,000 with 21 days still to go). 5 projects so far this year have raised over $1 million, and when its campaign ends on May 18, the Pebble E-Paper Watch will have set the new Kickstarter record, with over $10 million raised. The original ask: $100,000.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at May 14, 2012 3:56 AM
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