Chicago High School Math Teacher Makes Hollywood Debut, Films Walk-On Role on CBS Show 'NUMB3RS'

Chicago High School Math Teacher Makes Hollywood Debut, Films Walk-On Role on CBS Show 'NUMB3RS'

CHICAGO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Adding to the excitement of the back-to- school season, Oak Park and River Forest High School math teacher Sheila Hardin soon will make her Hollywood debut on the hit CBS TV show "NUMB3RS" thanks to her success in inspiring students to learn more about math and how it impacts their everyday lives.

Hardin won the role of a lifetime through a Texas Instruments (NYSE:TXN) (TI) and CBS Paramount Network sweepstakes, "Use 'NUMB3RS' Every Day for a Hollywood Get-Away." The sweepstakes was part of "We All Use Math Every Day(TM)," a mathematics education program developed by TI and CBS, in association with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). The program encourages teenagers to study and learn more about math and provides free classroom activities that help students explore the math derived from the concepts featured in the show.

Hardin will film her guest appearance in Hollywood on Sept. 7-9, 2006. The episode will air during season three of the series this fall.

Hardin's ninth grade student, Kevin Binder, nominated her for the prize and earned extra sweepstakes entries by answering additional math questions online. Hardin and Binder won grand prize trips to Hollywood with their families to tour the "NUMB3RS" filming location and meet the cast.

"I am inspired that Kevin has taken such an interest in 'NUMB3RS' through the 'We All Use Math Every Day' program that he completed the math activities on his own time," said Hardin, who teaches geometry and Advanced Placement calculus. "I hope that my experience will inspire all of my students to be excited about learning and applying math to their daily lives."

Thousands of educators across the nation are downloading the classroom activities from http://www.cbs.com/numb3rs each week and more than 32,000 have signed up for teacher kits, encouraging over three million students to become more engaged and interested in math.

"TI congratulates Sheila and Kevin for winning the sweepstakes, and more importantly, for inspiring students and educators to achieve more in math and learn how the subject prepares them to succeed in life," said Melendy Lovett, president, Educational and Productivity Solutions business, TI.

Educators can visit http://www.cbs.com/numb3rs to download the classroom activities; to sign up to receive a teacher kit which includes program information, activities, a classroom poster and bumper sticker; and to register for a weekly e-mail packed with classroom activities and exclusive insider information about the "We All Use Math Every Day" program.

About Texas Instruments

Educational & Productivity Solutions, a business of Texas Instruments, provides a wide range of advanced tools connecting the classroom experience with real-world applications and enabling students and teachers to explore mathematics and science interactively. Designed with leading educators and researchers, Texas Instruments' educational technology and services are tested against recognized third-party research on effective instruction and improved student learning. Such research shows that use of graphing calculators and wireless collaborative technology in the classroom helps teachers implement instructional strategies that lead to higher student interest, engagement and achievement in mathematics.** For more than 15 years, TI has worked closely with educators and administrators to develop student-focused curricular and supplemental classroom materials, and it supports the world's largest professional development organization for the appropriate use of educational technology. More information is available at http://www.education.ti.com/ .

Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company includes the Educational & Productivity Solutions business. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com/ .

** See http://www.education.ti.com/research for more information.

About "NUMB3RS"

Ridley Scott, Tony Scott, Barry Schindel, David W. Zucker, Nicolas Falacci, and Cheryl Heuton are executive producers of NUMB3RS, which was created by Cheryl Heuton and Nicolas Falacci. NUMB3RS is produced by CBS Paramount Network Television in association with Scott Free. CBS Paramount Network Television is a division of CBS Studios Inc.

About the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, providing vision, leadership, and professional development to support teachers in ensuring mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students. With 100,000 members and 240 Affiliates, NCTM is the world's largest organization dedicated to improving mathematics education in prekindergarten through grade 12. The Council's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics includes guidelines for excellence in mathematics education and issues a call for all students to engage in more challenging mathematics. More information is available at http://www.nctm.org/ .

Source: Texas Instruments

CONTACT: Amy Canaday of GolinHarris, +1-972-341-2552, or
acanaday@golinharris.com , for Texas Instruments

Web site: http://www.cbs.com/numb3rs
http://www.education.ti.com/
http://www.ti.com/
http://www.nctm.org/
http://www.education.ti.com/research

NOTE TO EDITORS: Interviews with Hardin, Binder, "NUMB3RS" and TI representatives are available. Contact Amy Canaday.

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