Panels and Other Sesssions
WORKSHOP ON TRAINING T.A.s
David Manderscheid, University of Iowa
Thursday, August 10, 1:00 pm to 2:20 pm
How are T.A. training sessions set up? What are the similarities and differences between such sessions? How can case studies be used to support T.A. training? How might T.A. training compare with preparing your faculty? These issues and others will be discussed. Participants should bring T.A. training materials they might have to this interactive workshop. The session will be moderated by Diane Herrmann, University of Chicago, and Eileen Shugart, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Making the Connection Between Research and Teaching in Undergraduate Mathematics: A Sample of ChapterS from a forthcoming book on mathematics education research
Chris Rasmussen, San Diego State University
David E. Meel, Bowling Green State University
Michael Oehrtman, Arizona State University
Thursday, August 10 1:00 pm – 2:20 pm
Barbara Edwards, Oregon State University, and Teri Jo Murphy, University of Oklahoma will discuss several chapters from a forthcoming book on research in undergraduate mathematics education, with emphasis on the implications of that research in the teaching of undergraduate mathematics courses. Chapters from the forthcoming volume include papers written by mathematics education researchers and by mathematicians discussing topics in the undergraduate curriculum as well as overarching issues in undergraduate mathematics education.
GEOMETRY IN THE HIGH SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Johnny Lott, University of Montana-Missoula
Thursday, August 10, 1:00 pm -2:20 pm
Many mathematicians have fond memories of a one-year, proof-based course in Euclidean geometry. Did it ever exist and for how many students? Does that course still exist today and for how many students? What is the nature of the geometry courses offered today? The panelists will provide research-based information about how the high school geometry course has evolved over the years, what high school students have learned in that course, and how colleges and universities follow up on the high school geometry course. This will not be a session about what the high school geometry course ought to be, but rather evidence-based information for mathematicians involved in high school mathematics education. The panelists and their topics are as follows: Sharon Senk, Michigan State University, “How the High School Course has Evolved Over the Years”; Sharon Soucy McCrone, Illinois State University, “Research on What High School Students Take Away from the Course”; Eileen Donoghue, City University of New York, “How Colleges and Universities Follow Up on the High School Geometry Course” ; and James King, University of Washington, “New Directions in the Course, Such as Use of Software.”
SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES ON QUANTITATIVE LITERACY IN THE UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM
Caren Diefenderfer, Hollins University
Thursday, August 10, 2:30 pm – 3:50 pm
There is a growing interest in Quantitative Literacy (QL) and Quantitative Reasoning (QR) at many levels of undergraduate education. Some institutions have opted to include QL/QR requirements in their general education requirements, others have embedded QL/QR requirements in major requirements and many others are trying to decide how to address the QL/QR needs of undergraduate students. Three different professional groups have been working with these ideas over the past 20 years. This panel will compare how summer PREP programs, the QL SIGMAA, the National Numeracy Network (NNN) and NSF funded Mathematics Across the Curriculum projects have each addressed QL/QR in the undergraduate program.
MAA SECTION OFFICERS MEETING
Thursday, August 10, 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm
This meeting will be moderated by Nancy L. Hagelgans, Ursinus College, Chair of the MAA Committee on Sections.
SIGMAA ON ENVIRONMENTAL MATHEMATICS INVITED ADDRESS
A. A. Bartlett, Department of Physics, University of Colorado Boulder
Thursday, August 10, 4:00 pm – 5:30 pm
“Arithmetic, Population and Energy Sustainability”.
MAA PRIZE SESSION
Friday, August 11, 11:30 am – Noon
This session will be moderated by Martha J. Siegel, Towson University, MAA Secretary.
GÖDEL’S CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FOUNDATION OF MATHEMATICS
Ron Barnes, University of Houston-Downtown
Linda Becerra, University of Houston-Downtown
Friday, August 11, 1:00 pm - 2:20 pm
This session is offered in recognition of the 100th anniversary of his birth. Panel participants will discuss: (1) an outline of the situation of the foundations of mathematics before Gödel’s results; (2) Gödel’s results and their interpretations and applications in mathematics; (3) an outline of their implications in computer science and other areas; (4) a summary list of what has evolved since Gödel’s time; and (5) a consideration of what questions in the foundations of mathematics have not yet been resolved. A summary listing of results already proven or decided in the foundations of mathematics along with a companion listing of conjectures not yet resolved will be provided to the session attendees. After short presentations of the above considerations, questions from the floor will be entertained by the panelists.
The panelists will be John Dawson, Penn State University at York, “An Overview of the Foundations of Mathematics, Before, During and After Gödel” and Martin Davis, Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University, “Why Mathematicians Should Care about Gödel's Work.” This program is dedicated in remembrance of Professor Torkel Franzen, a leading authority on Gödel and author of 'Gödel's Theorem: An Incomplete guide to its Use and Abuse', who died on April 19, 2006. The session is sponsored by HOM SIGMAA.
APPLYING FOR YOUR FIRST JOB
David Manderscheid, University of Iowa
Friday, August 11, 2:30 pm – 3:50 pm
This session is aimed at Ph.D. students and at recent Ph.D.s. An overview of the employment process will be given with ample opportunity for participants to ask questions. Questions that will be addressed include: How do you find which jobs are available? How do you choose which jobs you want to apply for? What are academic and other employers looking for in the materials that you send? What should you be doing now? How do schools conduct interviews? How can you best prepare for these interviews? How do employers choose to whom they will make offers? Panelists will include Sharon Clarke, Pepperdine University; James Freeman, Cornell College; Peter Stanek, Lockheed Martin, and Trachette Johnson, University of Michigan. The session is co-sponsored by the MAA Committee on Graduate Students and The Young Mathematicians Network.
ENHANCING THE TEACHING OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT STATISTICS
Murray H. Siegel, South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics
Friday, August 11, 2:30 pm – 3:50 pm
The number of students taking Advanced Placement Statistics continues to grow. Many high school mathematics teachers who teach AP Statistics were trained to teach calculus and may not have the background required to be an effective statistics teacher. This panel provides insights into activities, use of software and alternate methods of assessment that will be useful to AP Statistics teachers at all levels of experience. In addition, lessons to be learned from the 2006 AP Statistics exam will be examined.
MAA ALDER AWARDS SESSION
Friday, August 11, 3:00 pm – 4:30 pm
Presentations will be given by the 2006 Alder Award recipients. The session will be moderated by Carl Cowen, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, MAA President.
Active Learning in the Non-Calculus Classroom: My Favorite Activities
Christopher Swanson, Ashland University
When I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Michigan in 1999, I had experience in teaching precalculus and calculus and had received training on how to use active learning in these courses. During my first two years at Ashland University, I taught eight different courses (none of which were precalculus or calculus), and struggled with how to create an effective active learning environment for these courses as well. Having just finished my 7th year of teaching at Ashland University, I have taught most of these courses multiple times and have developed/found numerous activities that my students and I enjoy. In this talk, I will present my favorite activities from some of these non-calculus courses.
SIGMAA ON THE PHILOSOPHY OF MATHEMATICS INVITED ADDRESS
Martin Flashman, Humboldt State University
Bonnie Gold, Monmouth University
Friday, August 11, 4:45 pm – 6:15 pm
Michael D. Resnik, of the Department of Philosophy the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, will speak on "Some Problems and Solutions in Contemporary Philosophy of Mathematics.” This talk will begin by surveying some of the major problems and positions in contemporary philosophy of mathematics. This will provide the background for sketching my own approach to these problems--mathematical structuralism—and some of the important objections to my view.
MAA BUSINESS MEETING
Saturday, August 12, 11:30 am - Noon
This session will be moderated by Martha J. Siegel, Towson University, MAA Secretary.
TOWN HALL MEETING: WHAT SHOULD FUTURE MATH MAJORS LEARN ABOUT PROOF IN HIGH SCHOOL?
Dan Teague, North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Saturday, August 12, 1:00 pm – 2:20 pm
This session, sponsored by SIGMAA TAHSM, will be organized as a town hall meeting. The intent is to have an open discussion between university faculty and high school teachers of advanced mathematics on the kinds of experiences and understanding about proof that future math majors should have as a part of their high school program. Many (perhaps most) future mathematics majors will have completed AP Calculus in high school. Some will have taken courses beyond that. Where and in what ways should proof be introduced to these students? Panelists will include Tom Banchoff, Brown University and Dan Teague.
HOW TO GET PUBLISHED IN MAA JOURNALS
Don Albers, MAA Director of Publications
Saturday, August 12, 1:00 pm – 2:50 pm
Editors of MAA journals will provide advice on what to write and how to write for MAA journals. Panelists will include Lowell Beineke, The College Mathematics Journal Editor; Allen Schwenk Mathematics Magazine Editor; Kyle Siegrist, Journal of Online Mathematics and its Applications Editor; and Dan Velleman, The American Mathematical Monthly Editor-elect. The panel will be moderated by Dan Velleman.
WEBWORK, A WEB BASED INTERACTIVE HOMEWORK SYSTEM
Michael E. Gage, University of Rochester
Arnold K. Pizer, University of Rochester
Vicki Roth, University of Rochester
Saturday, August 12, 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm
WeBWorK is a program which allows students to do their mathematical homework interactively over the web. It is currently being used by over 100 colleges, universities and high schools in courses such as college algebra, pre-calculus to vector calculus, differential equations, linear algebra and statistics. WeBWorK can handle most homework problems typically used in such courses and is distributed with an extensive library of problems. The purpose of this session is to bring together instructors who are currently using or thinking about using WeBWorK. Several topics will be covered. There will be an introduction to WeBWorK for those unfamiliar with the system. Assessment issues (e.g. "does WeBWorK improve learning") will be addressed. Finally we will discuss more general topics such as (1) the status of the national library of WeBWorK problems, (2) the introduction of new components such as Michigan's Gateway Testing and (3) innovative educational uses of WeBWorK. Further information on WeBWorK and this session can be found at http://webwork.rochester.edu.
GRADUATION IS COMING: NOW WHAT?
Sarah Ann Stewart, Belmont University
Saturday, August 12, 1:00 pm – 2:20 pm
Aimed at undergraduates, this panel session will provide information regarding career options for students with a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics. This will include a discussion of careers that do not require graduate degrees, as well as a discussion of when and why to apply to graduate school. We will try to indicate what grad school is like, what courses one should have before going, what the GRE is and the importance of the subject test, what the different kinds of schools are, etc. Panelsits include David Anderson, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Marian Barry, National Security Agency; Don Saari, University of California, Irvine; Faisal Siddiqi, Society of Actuaries; and Andy Sterrett, editor of 101 Careers in Mathematics. The session is sponsored by the Young Mathematician's Network.
