US Math Courses

Multiplication for Every Age

Too often as teachers, we focus on what we are teaching this school year...and that's about it. We may look at standards from the previous year, but what about the year before that? How often do we critically look at what students are learning outside of our grade band? In this course designed for elementary and secondary math teachers, we will be looking at the Math Progression documents that led to the creation of the Common Core State Standards. We will specifically focus on how the foundation for multiplication is laid as early as kindergarten, and the way this skill is developed and refined throughout a student's education. We will also be exploring some great activities and resources for problem-based learning that you can take back to your classroom.

Batman Revisited

Instructor: Jerome White, Lusher Charter School

Were you enthralled by the Batman Equation that went viral among nerdy circles in 2011? Have you been amazed by Wolfram Alpha's Person Curves? These are fascinating examples of how a single algebraic definition may be used to graph an intricate design (as opposed to the more common project of using many independent curves to construct a design). In this course we explore a process that will allow the secondary student and teacher to create a "complicated" design with just a single algebraic definition. This process (different from that used for the Batman Equation and Person Curves) will reinforce deeper understandings of secondary Math topics such as: domain and range, graphical transformations, function addition/subtraction, function composition, parametric equations. We will use Desmos or Geogebra, both free, or other graphing software of your choice. Here are some examples of student work from the course instructor's classroom:

Its Not Rocket Science

Model and sport rocketry is an often overlooked area of STEM education that has the power to motivate and engage students in a powerful way. In this course we will learn the basics of rocket assembly, flight, and safety, culminating in an exciting launch at Cape Metarie. In addition to engineering and design principles, participants will make connections to science and mathematics such as various methods for calculating altitude, center of pressure, and center of gravity.

Geogebra for Beginners

Instructor: Michael Huberty, Moundsview High Schools, Moundsview, MN

Geogebra for Beginners is a six-hour course designed to allow you to learn some of the basics of Geogebra (a free dynamic geometry software package). No prior experience is required.

Hands-on Math

Instructor: Ira Nirenberg, Ben Franklin HS (ret), New Orleans, LA

It’s been said that the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results—ready to try something different? In this workshop, rather thanbeginning with definitions, formulas, and equations, we begin with hands-on activities that inspire those definitions, formulas, and equations. Let’s stop putting the cart before the horse. Most middle and high school mathematics begins with an abstraction—we write down a ratio, and then go through some kind of mathematical manipulation (perhaps we cross multiply) to arrive at an answer. We draw lines and begin talking about slope and intercept. We show students how to “solve” word problems. We give students formulas that appear out of the blue. How well have these approaches worked for you? If they haven’t been as effective as you’ve wished, and you’d like to bring back some classroom ready activities, join us for something a bit different. Please bring a calculator!

Low Floor High Cieling

Low-floor, high-ceiling and multi-grade problems including some that literally start on
the floor (grades 7 -12)

In this workshop we will begin by examining problems that all students in grades 7 - 12 can enter into by making use of the floor space in classrooms, gymnasiums and hallways. We will create physical representations of the solutions to these problems that can be displayed on a wall or hung from a ceiling. We will examine other low-floor, high-ceiling and multi-grade problems that don't make use of the floor space and discuss how all students can access all of these problems according to their own competency and background knowledge, and learn alongside their peers with different strengths.

Instructor: Ron Lancaster, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada

STEAM/STEM Challenges

Instructor: Karen Bryant, St. Marks School, Southborough, MA

Have you seen or heard about the marshmallow challenge? Want to engage your students in other fun STEM/STEAM challenges? Do you want to incorporate good problem solving using the engineering design cycle into a course? Over the six hours, participants will engage in some challenges that I have used that require students to brainstorm, prototype and refine. Most of the challenges require very inexpensive materials and are suitable for all ages of students.

Five Good Precalculus Labs

Instructor: Dan Butler, Moundsview High School, Moundsview, MN

Let's spice up our precalculus curriculum with some amazing labs. We will use
Excel, The Geometer's Sketchpad, GeoGebra, the TI-84, hands-on materials and anything else we decide to use to explore some of the concepts of precalculus through great problems and interesting constructions. We will also take some time to discuss what needs to be in a precalculus course in light of the current state mathematics education.

Design Thinking Boot Camp

Don’t just teach design thinking, learn to become a design thinker! The Design Thinking Bootcamp is a six hour course created to help teachers learn how to transform lessons, design new challenges, and help find meaningful solutions for curriculum by building upon their own creative confidence. Teachers will walk throughand learn about the design thinking process whilecompleting their own design challenge.

Scratch Integration

Instructor: Jenna Deboisblanc

Scratch Integration is a six-hour course designed to help teachers integrate the programming environment Scratch (MIT Media Lab) into their math and science teaching.

Contact

List of 1 members.

Dr. Andy Talmadge

North Carolina State University - PhD
University of North Carolina at Charlotte - BS

2009