Events: Notices & Reports

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Images from 2011 Conference, Washington, DC

Forthcoming:

15th Annual Legacy of R.L. Moore Conference,
noon 14 June – noon 16 June, 2012

The Educational Advancement Foundation and the Mathematical Association of America are co-sponsors of the conference to be held in Austin, Texas, at the Omni Southpark Hotel.

For registration details please visit:

http://events.SignUp4.com/rlmoore2012

The program planning is underway. One theme will be the use of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in calculus. Another, continuing from the previous conference, will be the link between IBL and the Emerging Scholars Program.

Thus far we are pleased to confirm the following plenary speakers.

Patrick Bahls, University of North Carolina – Asheville.

Author of Student Writing in the Quantitative Disciplines, and blogger at Change of Basis, Professor Bahls is director of the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates program in his department and will discuss undergraduate research and Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL).

David Bressoud, Macalaster College.

Professor Bressoud has headed a large-scale NSF-funded project, Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus. His presentation will focus on some results of this recently-completed project. He has been chair of the College Board Advanced Placement Calculus Development Committee, 2002–05, and member, 1999–2005, and was President of the Mathematical Association of America, 2011–12. He will be speaking on "Characteristics of Successful Programs in College Calculus: Preliminary Findings."

James A. Mendoza Epperson, University of Texas at Arlington

Professor Epperson oversees the mission and design of the Master of Arts in Mathematics for secondary teachers program at UT-Arlington. He also leads training and orientation of instructors working in the Emerging Scholars Program (ESP) and its prototypes across the nation. ESP is an adaptation of the Mathematics Workshop Program at the University of California, Berkeley, which was developed based on the research of Dr. Uri Treisman,. now at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Epperson has served on the Advanced Placement Calculus Test Development Committee (2007–2010).

Jill Guerra, University of Arkansas Fort Smith, and Catherine Beneteau, University of South Florida

Professors Guerra and Benetau are among the Principal Investigators of an NSF-funded collaborative project applying the approach of Process Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning (POGIL), which has been successful in chemistry, to undergraduate pre-calculus and first semester calculus courses.

Jonathan Hodge, Grand Valley State University

Professor Hodge is the author, with R.E. Klima, of The Mathematics of Voting and Elections: A Hands-On Approach (AMS, 2005). He received the George Pólya Award for expository excellence from the Mathematical Association of America in 2011. The title of his talk is "Inquiry, Authority, and Democracy"

Abstract: Traditional pedagogies often emphasize the authority of the instructor rather than empowering students to become independent and autonomous learners.  In this talk, we will explore ways in which inquiry-based learning can be used to establish more democratic and less authoritarian learning environments.  Drawing on research from social psychology, we will consider the potential of inquiry-based learning to promote the habits of mind that are essential to both civil discourse and constructive engagement in society

Lee Mahavier-Peterman, Cross Keys High School, Atlanta, Georgia.

Lee Mahavier is an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) mathematics teacher and a teacher mentor in Georgia State University’s “teacher residency” program where master's students work full-time under the supervision of an experienced mentor for an entire academic year. Her talk: "Moore Method for the Masses:  Illustrations of Success with Public School 9th Graders."

Abstract: It has been well documented that Moore Method is highly effective in university settings and with hard-working students.  We will demonstrate that it is also a successful way to teach high school students, including under-prepared and unmotivated ones.  What does Moore Method really look like in a ninth grade public school math class?  What does the teacher actually do in the classroom?   How do you know this works?  Here we will explore these questions while illustrating key elements of Moore Method with real-life examples from the 2011-2012 school year.  

Karen Rhea, University of Michigan.

Dr. Rhea has been director of the Introductory Program, which serves about 4500 students annually in pre-calculus and the first year of calculus and is widely viewed as one of the most successful programs of its scope in the country. She received the Deborah and Franklin Tepper Haimo Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics in 2011.

IBL and the teaching of calculus will be the topic of her presentation.

Diana White, University of Colorado, Denver

Math Teachers' Circles, developed at the American Institute of Mathematics (AIM), establish the foundation for a culture of problem solving among middle school math teachers in the U.S. and thereby foster the confidence to tackle open-ended math problems. As a result, middle school teachers become better equipped to initiate more student-centered, inquiry-based pedagogies in their classrooms.

Dr. White will be speaking on "Math Teachers’ Circles: Inquiry Based Learning for Practicing Teachers."

Members of the Committee on the Undergraduate Program in Mathematics (CUPM) will be attending the meeting. CUPM is one the most important committees of the Mathematical Association of America, being charged with making recommendations to guide mathematics departments in designing curricula for their undergraduate students. There will be a panel session to discuss the current guideline revisions being undertaken.

As usual, break-out sessions and ample opportunity for round table discussions will be a substantial part of the meeting.

As further program details are developed, this page will be updated. For notification of updates you may wish to subscribe to the Legacy listserv or follow the Legacy Facebook page.

 

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Recent Events

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American Mathematical Society – Mathematical Association of America
Joint  Annual Meetings, Boston, 4–7 January 2012

The Legacy project sponsored an exhibit booth where volunteer attendants, such as Project NExT fellows and IBL practitioners, answer questions and distributed free literature and videos relating to inquiry-based learning.

Click on the image below to view our flyer for the meeting:

Among the many interesting Presentations on the Joint Meetings Program, some relating directly to Inquiry-Based Learning were those listed here.

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For previous conferences and links to their videos see reports of past events.

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Last Revised 17 April. 2012