Waldorf Mathematics Professor Receives Grant to Create Textbook

By: Joseph Halverson

Andrea Blanchard, Waldorf mathematics professor, recently received a grant from IPAL (Iowa Private Academy Libraries) to create her own textbook for her General Mathematics course. 

General Mathematics is one of the options Waldorf students are given for general education requirements.  Blanchard, being one of the professors instructing this, decided to help her students by creating her own textbook.

Blanchard started working on her textbook in the beginning of this past summer (2021), after receiving her grant from IPAL earlier in the spring. 

IPAL is a consortium in Iowa to fund private colleges in order to share knowledge and resources to the benefit of students. Every year IPAL receives applications for grants and this past year, Andrea Blanchard was selected for her idea to create her own textbook.

Blanchard finished the work on the book prior to this school year and plans to make it available to students soon.  She plans on making it available online to her students but must post it to an OER (open educational resource) first as part of the grant requirements.

“That way anyone can use it not just our students,” Blanchard said.

 This grant will also offer new opportunities to students.

“One thing is the organization,” Blanchard said. “I have it set up so it will go through the same order as we go through the concepts in class, rather than skipping around, how it is now. Of course, it will be free as well. That’s obviously a big advantage too.”

Blanchard also plans to update the book as the school year goes on through trial and error. She says she will also work with students and receive feedback about what works and what does not work.