The special sessions on Mathematics Education Reform for this year are co-organized by William Barker, Bowdoin College; Kenneth Millet, University of California - Santa Barbara; Dale Oliver, Humboldt State University, and Bonnie Saunders, University of Illinois at Chicago. The session is co-sponsored by the MAA Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM), the CUPM Subcommittee on Calculus Reform and the First Two Years (CRAFTY) and the MAA Committee on Mathematical Education of Teachers (COMET).
organized by Samuel Rankin, AMS. How can mathematical sciences departments develop environments that are nurturing to all students? We will have presentations from individuals who have helped to build nurturing environments in their respective departments. A panel discussion will follow and focus on how departments can develop nurturing environments as part of the departmental mission.
organized by Dale Oliver, COMET, and Bonnie Saunders, MER. Through its "Common Ground" initiative, the MAA is encouraging and facilitating constructive discourse between mathematicians and mathematics educators in their mutual efforts to improve K-12 mathematics teaching and learning. This session brings together some of the leading voices in this discourse to highlight key areas of common ground on topics such as school mathematics, instructional practices, and the preparation of teachers. Included in this session are examples of relevant collaborative efforts involving mathematicians and mathematics educators.
organized by William Barker, William Haver and David Bressoud, CRAFTY and CUPM. We have asked our speakers to consider (but not be limited by) the following questions: Why is it important to attract more students into the mathematical sciences? What are the major roadblocks to increasing the number of students? In what ways can mathematicians most effectively address this issue? What changes in the academic culture do we need to produce to be successful? What mistakes must we avoid when trying to increase enrollment in the mathematical sciences?
Abstracts are available for the talks, which are listed in this schedule:
Thursday, January 12, AM
Mentoring and Nurturing Students in Mathematics Departments
8:00 - 8:20
David C. Manderscheid, University of Iowa
The Mathematics Program at the University of Iowa: A community of mentors.8:30 - 8:50
John C. Meakin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Promoting excellence through a supportive environment.9:00-9:20
Sylvia T. Bozeman, Spelman College
Building a Nurturing Mathematics Community.
9:30-9:50
William Y. Velez, University of Arizona
Increasing the number of mathematics majors: It takes a village.10:00 -10:50
Panel discussion
Mentoring and Nurturing Students in Mathematics Departments.
Moderator: Samuel Rankin, AMS
Panelists:
Sylvia T. Bozeman, Spelman College
David C. Manderscheid, University of Iowa
John C. Meakin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
William Y. Velez, University of Arizona
Thursday, January 12, PM
Reaching for Common Ground in K-12 Mathematics Education
2:15-2:35
R. James Milgram, Stanford University
The search for common ground in K - 12 mathematics education
2:45-3:05
Jeremy Kilpatrick, University of Georgia
Math War Veteran Tells All.3:15-3:35
Joan Ferrini-Mundy, Michigan State University
Reaching Common Ground: Issues in Teachers' Mathematical Education and Professional Development.
3:45-4:05
4:15-4:35
Andrew M. Gleason, Harvard University
Disagreeing about Common Ground.
Johnny W. Lott, The University of Montana
Standards and the National Math View.4:45-5:05
Richard O. Hill and Sharon L. Senk, Michigan State University
Results from a Capstone Course for Future High School Mathematics Teachers, jointly taught by a Mathematician and a Mathematics Educator.5:15-5:35
Valerie A. Debellis, Shodor Education Foundation, and Joseph G. Rosenstein, Rutgers University
Lessons learned from our long-term discrete collaboration in the mathematical preparation of teachers.5:45-6:05
Joseph G. Rosenstein, Rutgers University
The rush to calculus and the rush to algebra.
Friday, January 13 AM
Attracting more students into the Mathematical Sciences: Why and How?
8:30-8:50
W. James Lewis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Attracting and Retaining Students in the Mathematical Sciences.
9:00-9:20
Harriet S. Pollatsek, Mt. Holyoke College
Attracting More Students to the Mathematical Sciences: strategies from the CUPM Illustrative Resources for changing department culture and curricula.
9:30-9:50
Robert L. Devaney, Boston University
Bringing Contemporary Mathematics into the Curriculum.
10:00 - 10:20
Robert Eugene Megginson, University of Michigan
Attracting more minority students into the Mathematical Sciences through undergraduate research experiences: Why and How?10:30 - 10:50
William McCallum, University of Arizona
How does technology affect student attitudes to mathematics?11:00 - 11:20
Andrew J. Bernoff, Francis Edward Su and Lesley A. Ward, Harvey Mudd College
Pizza, Problem-Solving, and Promoting a Math-Friendly Culture.
11:30 - 11:50
Robert S. Keller, Loras College
Getting Students to Speak Mathematics: One Model that Works.
MER has planned gatherings at the joint winter meetings to enable participants to meet with others who are interested in educational issues. The first gathering was a reunion dinner for the participants of the 1988 MER workshop in Chicago. The reunion dinner has changed to an established MER banquet which can be attended by any interested participant of the joint meeting and is announced in the official program. The banquet is funded by individual ticket purchases. The MER Banquet is an opportunity to make or renew contacts with other mathematicians who are involved in education projects and to engage in lively conversation about educational issues. The after-dinner discussion is an open forum for participants to voice their impressions, observations, and analyses of the current education scene.
This year the MER Banquet is held in honor of Naomi Fisher who will be retiring in the Spring. The open mike session will be devoted to a celebration of Naomi's work with MER and elsewhere with an eye towards how we all will help continue that work in the future.
Tickets for the banquet may be purchased when registering for the meeting.