For some students, math is the hardest class they will take in their college career. At Moorpark College, Rena Petrello is working hard to make sure every student, whether they can attend traditional classroom times or not, can do well in math.
“What feeds me in the classroom is getting to see a student who does not believe in themselves to do well in math,” she says. “To suddenly make this switch to, ‘I can do the math!’ and there’s something about that transition that helps their self esteem, and makes them lift their head a little higher.”
Petrello has been teaching at Moorpark since 2004. She has spent the last several months working with Cengage Learning, an international academic content provider, developing instructional mathematics videos.
Just this week Cengage and Petrello won a Platinum Award- Best of Show at the Aurora Awards in Salt Lake City.
The Aurora Awards is an international competition for independent, corporate, and freelance film and video producers. Entrants come from across the US, Russia, Denmark, Hong Kong, Germany, Australia, Mexico, and more.
Petrello is a former Moorpark student and teaches several sections of Math on campus. However, she has been on sabbatical for the Fall ’08- Spring ’09 semesters, working with Cengage.
“I’m basically teaching to a computer,” said Petrello. “All my content is video. You can’t rewind a teacher, but you can rewind a video.”
Online classes have been growing in popularity, and Professor Petrello has spearheaded the concept, and was the first “pioneer” for online math courses at Moorpark College. These classes give students the flexibility to “attend class” at 2 a.m. if need be, giving working professionals and students with families a chance to attend class as well.
When she’s not working 10-14 hours a day on instructional videos, Rena enjoys acting, painting and singing. She is also expecting her first child with husband, Moorpark College Speech Professor Rolland Petrello.
“I have a very rich life, because I feel like my school life feeds into my non school life, and my non school life feels into my school life,” says Petrello. “I personally believe that everyone can do math. And there are a lot of people that don’t believe that about themselves.” Professor Rena Petrello is out to change that.
To see one of Petrello’s videos, click here. |
Math Professor Rena Petrello spearheaded math online at Moorpark College. (Randy Phenning)
