By Brian Pham
At Fountain Valley High School (FVHS), there are a variety of math courses, and for many upcoming senior and junior students, they are able to choose from this variety. Starting next year, FVHS has decided to add to this variety with the new addition of Data Science.
The class is currently taught at Huntington Beach High School (HBHS) and it will be taught at FVHS by math teacher Jane Springer, who currently teaches Accelerated Geometry and Algebra 2/Trigonometry.
“Data Science is a new course that teaches students how to analyze data, create and read graphs and learn how to create visual representation from sets of data,” Springer said. “The main type of math they will learn in the course is statistics and they will also learn a little coding as well. Throughout the course, the students will learn useful skills to use personally or in their careers.”
This class differs from typical math classes like Algebra 1 and Geometry in the way that it’s taught. Typically math classes are conceptual and consist of day-to-day lessons.
“What sets it apart from most math classes is that it will work with real world data and is completely project-based,” Springer said.
This class will be helpful for a variety of pathways. Many students at HBHS have already found uses for it in their daily lives and careers.
“In just about every career, there is data to organize, manage and interpret,” Springer said. “One of the students in the class has a fashion business and has learned how to use spreadsheets to organize and manage her finances in the class. Another student works on set design and has learned how to set up a spreadsheet to do calculations for his job in 30 seconds that used to take him 45 minutes.”
Ideally students who take this course will have completed Algebra 2, but it is offered as both an alternative to Algebra 2 and to a fourth year course of math, replacing Precalculus, AP Calculus or AP Statistics.
“Data Science just seems more practical for me and I can see myself applying the skills learned in that class more often than something like [Precalculus],” junior Benjamin Pham said.
While this class can be considered an alternative to classes like AP Calculus and AP Statistics, students should not walk in expecting an easy A.
“What I’d like students to understand is that this is not going to be necessarily an ‘easy course’ or one where they can come and do nothing and get a good grade…Everyone will need to come to class prepared to contribute to their group and put in the work as the majority of work will be done during the class period,” Springer said. “It’s also the first year this will be offered, so I’m sure there will be a learning curve both for the students and the teacher(s)!”
To find more information on the class and to listen to student testimonials, students can view this slide show. If students would like anymore information on the class or to sign up, students can message their counselors or Springer at jspringer@hbuhsd.edu.
