Science and Mathematics Education Commons^™

Seating Groups And 'What A Coincidence!': Mathematics In The Making And How It Gets Presented, Peter J. Rowlett

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Mathematics is often presented as a neatly polished finished product, yet its development is messy and often full of mis-steps that could have been avoided with hindsight. An experience with a puzzle illustrates this conflict. The puzzle asks for the probability that a group of four and a group of two are seated adjacently within a hundred seats, and is solved using combinatorics techniques.

Just Mathematics: Getting Started Teaching Postsecondary Math For Social Justice, Kenan A. Ince

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Following the summer 2020 civil rights movement and increasing attention to the intersections of mathematics with politics and power, many math educators have reported a desire to implement an antiracist pedagogy and to examine the intersections of their subject with issues of equity, inclusion, and social justice. Many resources exist for K-12 math educators interested in incorporating social justice into their curricula, but resources are comparatively scarce for college and university instructors (though this is changing quickly!). We discuss why one may want to teach mathematics for social justice, how to begin to implement issues of social justice into postsecondary …

An Urgent Plea For More Graduate Programs In Statistics Education, David Eli Drew, Sam Behseta, Cherie L. Ichinose

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Lately, much has been written about the importance of amplifying statistics-related content in the K-12 curricula. This can be viewed in parallel or as an addendum to the existing mathematics curricula in the United States. Nevertheless, a key component of this debate is the lack of robust and cutting-edge academic programs in statistics education. In this piece, we emphasize the urgent need for investing in creating strong statistics education programs, which would significantly contribute to nurturing quantitative literacy as well as preparing a more informed citizenry in the 21^st century.

The Math Games Seminar: A Mathematical Learning Community, Anthony Delegge, Ellen Ziliak

Journal of Humanistic Mathematics

Learning communities can be an effective means of engaging university students across disciplines. Games have always been a source of both enjoyment and interesting mathematics. Based on our own interest in games, and the deep, strategic discussions we found ourselves having with students when we played games with them, we decided to design a learning community around the mathematics of games. We hoped in particular that such a community could be a great pathway to introducing mathematical thinking to students not majoring in mathematics, and that they would gain a greater appreciation for our field. In this paper, we describe …

Mathematics For Human Flourishing, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Why does the practice of mathematics often fall short of our ideals and hopes? How can the deeply human themes that drive us to do mathematics be channeled to build a more beautiful and just world in which all can truly flourish?

Race, Space, And The Conflict Inside Us, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Talking about race is hard. Our nation is wrestling with some open wounds about race. These sores have been around a while, but they have been brought to light recently by technology, politics, and an increasingly diverse population. And regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, we will all need to work at healing these sores, not just in our personal lives, but in our classrooms and in our profession.

Freedom Through Inquiry, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

I delivered this speech at the Inquiry‐Based Learning Forum & 19th Annual Legacy of R.L. Moore Conference on August 4, 2016. It is partly an homage to an influential teacher, partly an excuse to articulate what makes some styles of teaching so effective, and partly an excuse to talk about difficult issues facing our nation and our classrooms today.

Guidelines For Good Mathematical Writing, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Communicating mathematics well is an important part of doing mathematics. Many of us know from writing papers or giving talks that communicating effectively not only serves our audience but also clarifies and structures our own thinking. There is an art and elegance to good writing that every writer should strive for. And writing, as a work of art, can bring a person great personal satisfaction.

Within the MAA, we value exposition and mathematical communication. In this column, I’m sharing the advice I give my students to help them write well. There are more extensive treatments (e.g., see Paul Halmos’s How …

To The Mathematical Beach, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

What context am I missing that hinders my connection with my students? How often do I take the time to get to know their backgrounds? What are the primary experiences that shaped them, and do those present obstacles or opportunities for learning? And in what ways does the mathematical beach say “open to all” but still feel restricted?

These questions appear unrelated to mathematics, but if we ignore their effects, some of our students will not flourish.

The Lesson Of Grace In Teaching, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

I want to talk about the biggest life lesson that I have learned, and that I continue to learn over and over again. It is deep and profound. It has changed the way I relate with people. It has reshaped my academic life. And it continually renovates the way I approach my students.

The Awards Project: Promoting Good Practices In Award Selection, Betty Mayfield, Francis Su

All HMC Faculty Publications and Research

Every year the MAA honors many members of our community with a wide variety of prizes, awards, and certificates for excellence in teaching, writing, scholarship, and service (see maa.org/awards). The winners exemplify our ideals as an association; consequently, they are often viewed as role models and leaders. So it is important to ask: Do these awards, as a whole, reflect the outstanding contributions of the breadth of association membership?

What We Say, What Our Students Hear: A Case For Active Listening, Dorothy Buerk

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

The Need For Interviews In The Mathematics Classroom, Emam Hoosain

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

A Response To Dancis, Margaret Schaffer

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Another Response To Dancis, Ted Eisenberg

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Evaluation In The Mathematics Classroom, Emam Hoosain, B. Naraine

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

What Else Do We Forget To Tell Our Teachers?: A Response To Dancis, Stephen Sproule

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Is Mathematics Education Taking A Step Backward?, Frances Kuwahara Lang

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

This article addresses the current political, socioeconomic, and educational state of mathematics education in California. The “back-to-basics” movement in mathematics mirrors the “back-to-phonics” movement in language arts. At a time when ethnic minorities have become the majority, the dominant culture has chosen to revert back to practices that are inequitable and empower the elite. Critical educators must carry on the dialogue necessary to empower the disenfranchised mathematically and undermine the social injustice and economic inequality that will result if this movement is embraced.

Research Papers In A Math Methods Course: A Window Into The Life Of Ramanujan, John Grant Mcloughlin

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

The Classroom Encounter, Reuben Hersh

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Natural Math, Maria Droujkova

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Problems That Matter: Teaching Mathematics As Critical Engagement, Jeffrey Bohl

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

On Solving Equations, Negative Numbers, And Other Absurdities: Part I, Ralph A. Raimi

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

John Dewey, The Math And Science Standards, And The Workplace, Bernard A. Fleishman

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Math Lingo Vs. Plain English: Multiple Entendre, Stephen I. Brown

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

The Triex: Explore, Extract, Explain, Sherman K. Stein

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Mixing Calculus, History, And Writing For Liberal Arts Students, W. M. Priestley

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

A University Mathematician's View Of What's Wrong With University Mathematics Education, Reuben Hersh

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

Attitudes Of Students To Independent Learning, S. Kenneth Houston

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.

What Is Mathematics?: An Answer To Our Liberal Arts Dilemma, Bruce Williamson

Humanistic Mathematics Network Journal

No abstract provided.