| Opening Speaker |
Keith Devlin Stanford University, devlin@stanford.edu "Math 20-20 Vision" By the year 2020, we are likely to have seen two major revolutions in mathematics education. Videogame technology will bring an understanding of basic mathematics to children in the affluent western societies who do not respond to current teaching methods. At the other end of the economic spectrum, cheap mobile phones will deliver instruction in basic quantitative skills to the millions in the developing world for whom the mobile phone is the only programmable computing device in the home. Both revolutions require taking a fresh look at the nature of mathematics and how it can be taught. |
| Closing Speaker |
Roger B. Eggleton Illinois State University, roger@ilstu.edu "The Enchantment of Mathematics" Oh, are
you a Mathematics teacher? You must be
able to keep your check book balanced, and do your tax return in no
time! Well, what does
it take to be a
teacher of Mathematics? What does it
take to be a Mathematician? How might
those two vocations overlap? Where does
Problem Solving fit in? What about
Building Theories? Where does the
Enchantment of Mathematics enter the picture? |
| Workshops |
Cullen,
Craig and McCool, Jenni Illinois State University, cjculle@ilstu.edu "Click and Drag Geometer’s Sketchpad" This workshop will provide teachers with samples of Geometer's Sketchpad (GSP) activities geared toward Algebra I through Calculus. Teachers will have the opportunity to work on these sample activities as well as work on creating their own GSP files. The presenters will also provide suggestions to help ease the frustrations that are associated with implementing the use of technology into a classroom based on their own experience using the software as an integral part of their own teaching. This session will be appropriate for all levels of GSP users. |
| Kalantari, Iraj and
Kalantari, Bahman Western Illinois University, I-Kalantari@wiu.edu Rutgers University, kalantari@cs.rutgers.edu "Polynomiography" Polynomiography is a powerful mathematically-inspired computer visualization medium for creativity and playful learning with numerous applications in education, math, science, art and design. Polynomiography helps bridge art and math in a unique way and has abundant artistic and educational potential, especially with respect to creativity and innovation. |
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| McCaw, Donna Western Illinois University, DS-Mccaw@wiu.edu "Math Teacher Career Workshop" Twenty high school students from throughout Illinois will be selected as Mathematics Scholars As Teachers (MSAT) awardees to attend this inaugural event. These awardees will be invited to attend the 58th Annual Western Illinois University Mathematics Teachers Conference along with their sponsoring teacher. The award will cover the registration costs of the conference and lunch for the student and teacher. The luncheon workshop will focus on the career opportunities associated with teaching mathematics. |
|
Grades K-4 |
Bielicke, James
Valley Park Elem. School, jbielicke@vpk12.mo.us "Facilitating math concepts to primary learner" The issues to be discussed are about the primary (K-2) math learners. The topics of the presentation are assessment, investigations, think time, spiraling and cooperative learning. They will be discussed as they pertain to the beginning foundations of a math education. Each of these topics plays a vital role in creating interest in the learner. I have a background with these issues as I have been teaching a primary grade for eight years. Each year, I try to improve on my instruction to deliver the mathematics concepts in the most effective ways I can find. I feel that the information about these topics is important because it gives some insight into the building blocks of math education in our public schools.
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| Holly, Karen Chicago Public School, k.holly@comcast.net "Building Algebra Thinking in Grades Kdg through" Building a strong sense of algebraic thinking in the elementary grades is essential to success in high school and beyond. Experience activities and discourse around this topic to help build that foundation with your students. |
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| Lewis, Cathie Hamilton School, Moline, tlncl1227@sbcglobal.net "Intervention Activities for Primary Mathematics" I will share a number of activities that can be used for interventions with students in grades Kindergarten through 3. The activities address a variety of mathematical concepts and can be used with individuals or small groups of students. |
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McCool,
Jenni et al. Illinois State University, jkmccoo@ilstu.edu "Fun numerals to intervals and back: How young children think about measuring" This presentation will present variety of ways that young children view the parts of a ruler and misconceptions students often have regarding measuring tools. Video clips of children working with and explaining their ways of thinking about ruler will be presented. Participants in this workshop will leave with tasks that can be used to explore students' thinking about measurement, as well as tasks that move students through more sophisticated levels of thinking about measurement concepts. |
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| Thompson, Bess Lincoln Elementary School, Thompson@mcusd185.org "Singapore Math Model" Singapore Math is a collection of teaching strategies that are used in classroom in Singapore. It places a great deal of emphasis on developing strong number sense, great mental mat skills, and an intense understanding of place value. There is also a strong focus on developing students who are problem solvers by using model drawing. This visual approach helps students organize information and solve problems in a step by step sequence. The students progress from a concrete experience to a pictorial stage and then move to the abstract level. This progression allows the children to develop a solid understanding of the concepts before they work with the abstract algorithms. The concepts are taught to mastery and will be revisited but not re-taught. |
|
Grades 5-6 |
Genovese,
Sean Macomb Junior High, genoveses@mcusd185.org "Golden Math Fun" Phi, the Golden Mean and Ratio, is one of the most peculiar and unique number s in mathematics and art. Yet Phi, and many related mathematical concepts, can be used at an intuitive level with younger students to: explore the concept of ratio, practice mental math, pencil and paper and calculator computation, drawing and construction and other skills. The Golden rectangle and Golden Spiral can be recognized and used in art, architecture and nature. Suggested and demonstrated activities will include paper folding and compass and straight edge construction and collage. |
|
Hendricks,
Barbara Western Illinois University, BB-Hendricks@wiu.edu "Playing around with Math: Mat Games and Centers" This session will look at variety of hands-on math games and center ideas covering the concept of graphing, fractions, pre-algebra, percents, decimals, and problem solving. |
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Mitchell,
Martha Western Illinois University, MA-Mitchell@wiu.edu "Make fun count" Make math interesting for all your students. In this session many of the NCTM content standards will be explored as we pick up straws, find squares, form a line, make rectangles, and roll dice. Prepare to “put on your thinking cap” and test your skills. |
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| Mitchell,
Martha Western Illinois University, MA-Mitchell@wiu.edu "Fraction Understanding" Participants will examine fraction concepts through different models and worded problems. They will explore different strategies for fraction operations. |
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| Stinson, Kelly Schuyler Industry School, kstinson@sid5.com "Mathematics Manipulatives in Grades K6" The presentation focuses on the use of mathematics manipulatives in the classroom. Research on this issue will be discussed as well as findings, suggestions for improvement, and better uses in the classroom. Practical activities will be presented geared towards immediate implementation into the K-6 classroom. These activities may include: gallon man for measurement, money man, using tangrams to discuss properties of shapes, algebra tile use in learning multiplication facts, algebra tile use in learning the rules of operations with positive and negative integers, and math bingo games created for specific objectives as class review. |
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| Grades 7-8 | Donald, Karlie Western Illinois University, KM-Donald@wiu.edu "Trends in Math Achievement" Abstract: This talk will examine the mathematical achievement of 3rd through 8th grade students as measured on such instruments as the ISAT, the NAEP, and the TIMSS. Analysis of these state, national, and international assessments will include a reflection on past performance, current status, and future implications. |
| Felt, Kathy Sherrard Junior High, Feltfan3@mchsi.com "Making RtI fit into middle grades classroom" In most schools, RtI (Response to Intervention) is new to middle school/junior high math classroom. This regular session will explore some of the most effective interventions and strategies for success that have found to successfully implement RtI in the junior high mathematics classroom. |
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| Gustafson, Daniel Western Illinois University, DJ-Gustafson@wiu.edu "Inconvenient Critical Thinking" Today's high school students avoid critical thought and as a result high school graduates are not prepared to analyze real world data and make intelligent and informed decisions. I have developed an activity rooted in past content knowledge with the intent of invoking inconvenient critical thought towards the future. The controversial central theme of the activity is one with which every student has a vested interest- climate change. My goal is to provide a turnkey activity with limitless interdisciplinary potential that helps students learn how to think critically. Using historical climate data representing the past 570 million years students are allowed the opportunity to use their mathematical knowledge in scientific notation, percentages, graphs, estimation, and scale to analyze the data and make their own interpretations and arguments. |
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| Lewis, Tom Hamilton School, Moline Tlncl1227@sbcglobal.net "Neat Activities for the Math Classroom" I will share some extra activities I have used in my classroom that provide enrichment for my students. The activities help prepare for ISAT and promote more high-level thinking. Several of the activities have grade level specific packets that allow them to be tailored to various classroom situations. |
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| Tribbey, Fern ICTM, tribbeyf@gmail.com "Is There a Difference Between Assessment FOR Learning and Assessment OF Learning?" Description: How do we know if our students are learning what we are trying to teach? Monitoring student learning is an everyday occurrence. What does this look like in our class? When do we use assessment of learning? How do we know if our given curriculum is helping our students learn the mathematics we want them to know? How do we know if the given program materials we are using is helping us do our job? What is the student’s role within our assessment practices? Come to this session to begin to learn when to use assessment for learning and when to use assessment of learning. |
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| Grades
9-14 |
Blackford, Tom Western Illinois University, JT-Blackford@wiu.edu "The Mathematics of Poker: Odds, Outs and Oscillations" The popularity of poker has rapidly grown in the last few years. Many people believe that it is just a game of luck, but in the long term, it is a game of skill. More specifically, it involves a long series of decisions, which can be made in part by computing their mathematical expectation. We will dicuss the basics of probability, expectation, and odds, and how they relate to poker and other casino games. |
| Brian Dalpiaz, Sarah
Dalpiaz, Jim Sheff Spoon River College, Brian.dalpiaz@src.edu "Teaching Developmental Math with Computer Assisted Learning" The number of students entering college who test into developmental mathematics is astronomical. Most of these students have very low levels of confidence in mathematics and have convinced themselves that they will never understand math or be successful in a math course. It is an unfortunate fact that most of these students will never complete a college-level math course. At Spoon River College we have developed a new strategy to help these students overcome their fears and misconceptions about mathematics, to improve their success in developmental math, and to provide a strong foundation to prepare these students for success in college-level math courses. Spoon River College’s strategy is based on the fact that students will rarely succeed in a math course unless they do the homework and do it right. Students often think that they can understand math content by watching a teacher explain it at the board, but what these students need to realize is that you learn more by doing than by watching. It is equally important that students are doing the problems correctly. A student can complete all of the homework and gain nothing if it has not been completed correctly. It is imperative that a student receive quick feedback to make sure they are doing it right. To improve student success in developmental math at Spoon River College, we have made three fundamental changes. 1. We have increased contact time between instructors and students. 2. We have increased communication among full-time and part-time math faculty and designated a leader to provide guidance to all developmental math faculty. 3. We have incorporated the Hawkes Learning System, a computer-assisted course design in which the students complete their homework and exams on the computer. |
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| Kranjc, Marko Western Illinois University, M-Kranjc@wiu.edu "The Problem of Lockers" We will discuss the well-known problem of lockers, how we believe it should be presented and in what grade, and what is its purpose. |
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| Rosene, Candace Western Illinois University, CE-Rosene@wiu.edu "Problem Solving Percents" Whether it is an extended response item or understanding density or levers, our students need to be able to work with ratios fluently. Proportional reasoning dominates mathematics and many of its applications. This talk will deal with proportional reasoning, especially percents. Most students struggle with this topic, and this talk is intended to help teachers introduce this concept. Teachers will be provided with a wide range of efficient hands-on activities dealing with proportional reasoning. Participants will also have opportunity to explore alternative ways to work percents, pattern blocks and other manipulatives. |
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| Reese, Jennifer Paw Paw Jr/Sr High School, jreese@2paws.net "Stepping Out of our Comfort Zones" Discussion on experiences with varied levels of student motivation and abilities. Focuses on things I have done to make the classroom more conductive to learning based on the individual needs of studnet, (teaching in a way never taught and probably would not hav liked). I used to leave school shaking my head, thinking, "What planet are these kids from?" Now I realize, they are from earth and I am from somewhere else, (They don't have to be driven and interested as we were, but they can learn to like the power they have in the class and have fun in math class). |