Can rounding have an impact on the real world? In the case of the Olympics it certainly can. In the Women’s Downhill event this week, two women were awarded the Gold medal in a tie. However, they did not record the same time. This was because of rounding. Continue reading And The Gold Goes To…Rounding!
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AMATYC Has Much To Offer
by Kathryn Kozak, VP of the SW Region of AMATYC
The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) is the main professional development organization for mathematics teachers at two-year colleges. Part of its mission is to “offer multiple opportunities for the preparation and continuing professional development of a competent and diverse mathematics faculty skilled in a variety of teaching modalities addressing different learning styles.” To fulfill this, AMATYC offers an annual conference, webinars, traveling workshops, an online community for members to discuss topics, a mathematics journal (MathAMATYC Educator), and a newsletter (AMATYC News). In addition, AMATYC has several position statements and guidelines that range from mathematics teaching to preparation of mathematics faculty.
Topics Affecting Mathematics Education Today
by Kathryn Kozak, VP of the Southwest Region of AMATYC
I was hoping to write an informative article about a topic that is currently important in mathematics education, such as common core standards changes, developmental education redesign, or availability of open source books. However, I have to admit that I haven’t been able to concentrate on any of these topics. Currently, I am on sabbatical and sitting at my brother and sister-in-law’s farm in New South Wales, Australia, and watching the Grand Final of Australian League Football. So I am a bit distracted, and these topics are not on my mind right now. However, all of these topics and more are immensely important today.
Continue reading Topics Affecting Mathematics Education Today
ArizMATYC Business Meeting
An organization like ArizMATYC does not operate without the work of many volunteers. All ArizMATYC members (or potential members) are welcome to join the ArizMATYC Business Meeting scheduled from 2:00 to 3:00 PM on October 12 in Prescott. The meeting will be held in Room 19-225 at Yavapai College.
We are helping to host a regional AMATYC conference in 2013 and your involvement would be appreciated. One way you can get started is to join your fellow members at this meeting.
Here is the agenda for this Fall’s meeting.
ArizMATYC Business Meeting Fall 2012 Friday, October 12, 2012 Yavapai Community College
- Approval of Minutes
- Treasurer’s Report – Anne Dudley
- Conference Update
- Project ACCCESS
- Secretary’s Report – Kristina Burch
- Historian Report – David Dudley
- Webmaster Report – David Graser
- Membership Report – Laura Watkins
- New Business
- Newsletter Recognition: Sue Jensen
- Regional Meeting Update
- Election of New Officers
- ArizMATYC T-Shirts
- AMATYC Conference in November
- Upcoming ArizMATYC Conferences
- Recommendations for future meetings
- Ask members to bring someone with them to the next meeting
- Incentives: extra “raffle” ticket for door prizes
- Award for bringing the most guests
- Survey what people liked about these meetings in years past (on the post-conference survey)
- Advertise what ArizMATYC can do for its members
- Ask members to bring someone with them to the next meeting
- Ideas for Sessions:
- Poll members about expertise and what they could present
- Need ideas for finding speakers: NAU speakers bureau, textbook authors, consultant who went
- Technology sandbox
- Reports/updates on planning
- Recommendations for future meetings
- Future Meetings https://arizmatyc.org/wp/?page_id=22
- Spring, Feb 2013 — Phoenix College (Joe Sueyoshi)
- Regional 2013 — Flagstaff (Ana Jimenez)
- Fall 2013 — Northland Pioneer (Eli Blake)
- Spring 2013 — Central AZ, Signal Peak CC (Ken Hurley)
Is Hacker a Hack?
Many of you are probably familiar with the recent op ed piece in the New York Times, Is Algebra Necessary? In this piece Dr. Andrew Hacker, emeritus professor of political science at Queens College, CUNY, argues that all students do not need to take algebra to be productive members of society.
This article has generated a great deal of controversy (probably what he intended in the first place).
- Andrew Hacker, CUNY Professor, Questions Whether Algebra Is Necessary In Schools, Huffington Post
- Why Algebra is Necessary: Rebutting Andrew Hacker, Hemant Mehta
- Why Algebra Matters (and Why Andrew Hacker is Off-Target), Dropout Nation
- Andrew Hacker on the Supposed Superfluousness of Algebra, Samir Chopra
- Times Op-Ed Scribe Andrew Hacker Remains Staunch Opponent to Mandatory Math, Finds Reaction By ‘Math People’ To Be Typical, New York Observer
- In Defense of Algebra and Other Difficult Subjects, Judy Bolton-Fasman
The Diane Rehm Show hosted Dr. Hacker and several other panelists on August 29. You can listen to the show by clicking on the Listen link in the upper left of the page.
Where do you fall in this debate?
New Newsletter
A new newsletter is available: Summer Newsletter
ArizMATYC’s Scholarship for the National AMATYC Conference
ArizMATYC is awarding a scholarship to cover an AMATYC member early registration fee for the upcoming AMATYC Conference, to be held on November 8 – 11 in Jacksonville, Florida.
Any ArizMATYC member is eligible, but preference will be given to ArizMATYC members who have never attended an AMATYC conference.
To apply or nominate someone for this scholarship, please follow this link* and submit the application prior to the deadline of Friday, August 3, 2012.
The recipient of the scholarship will be required to choose one thing learned at the AMATYC Conference and present it in a session at the upcoming spring ArizMATYC Conference.
Message from the Southwest Vice President
I just returned from the spring board meeting of the AMATYC Board. The most exciting thing to tell you is that the board has approved the Southwest Regional Meeting to take place in the summer of 2013. It will be a great deal of work, but I know this region is up for it. This gives all of us an opportunity to show the other regions how well we can host a meeting. Your affiliate president will be contacting you with more information.
There were many other ideas and information discussed at the meeting. One of the information items that was presented is that a few of the AMATYC committees have openings for regional representatives. I would like to have a southwest representative on all of the committees, so if you are on one of these committees, or are interested in joining these committees, and would like to represent the southwest region, please contact the chair of the following committees:
- Math Intensive – Sandy Poinsett (sandrap@csmd.edu)
- Mathematics for AAS programs – Ned Schillow (nschillow@lccc.edu)
- Research in Mathematics Education for Two-Year Colleges (RMETYC) – April Strom (april.strom@sccmail.maricopa.edu)
In addition, several task forces were created during the meeting. If you are interested in serving on one of these task forces, please let me know and I will forward your name to Jim Roznowski. He will contact you if there are still openings on the task force. The task forces are:
- 40th Anniversary Planning
- Live streaming of annual conference sessions Review of Standards – Beyond Crossroads Updating the guidelines on academic preparation
In addition, there is a Statistics pre-session on Wednesday, November 7, in Jacksonville, Fl. There is no cost for the pre-session, but you will have to provide all travel costs.
Also, approved at this meeting was a pre-session on research in two-year mathematics programs, hosted by the RMETYC committee also on November 7. Look for more information on this from April Strom.
I am excited to be a part of this region. Please let me know if you need anything from me.
Kathryn Kozak, VP of the Southwest Region of AMATYC
AMATYC DMC Newsletter is Available
I just got an email that the Developmental Math Committee has put out their Spring Newsletter. There are a number of interesting articles on inverted classrooms and some of the new courses under development around the country. Happy Reading!
Joint SUnMaRC, MAA, ArizMATYC Conference Report
Twice each year the Arizona Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (ArizMATYC) holds a conference for mathematics instructors from two-year institutions in Arizona. These conferences offer various sessions of interest to mathematics educators, as well as a meeting for the Mathematics Articulation Task Force where representatives from Arizona community colleges and four-year universities address articulation issues.
This spring, ArizMATYC had the unique opportunity of holding a joint meeting with the Southwestern Section of the Mathematical Association of America and the Southwestern Undergraduate Mathematics Research Conference. Over the course of three days, more than 230 registrants from a dozen states converged on Pima Community College’s beautiful Downtown Campus to attend sessions on programs for pre- and in-service teachers, technology in teaching, undergraduate mathematics research, developmental education, applied and pure mathematics, and engaging students in mathematics. There was a stimulating panel discussion on how to find a job in industry with a mathematics degree and keynote speeches from Dr. Phil Kutzko, Dr. Steven Dunbar, Dr. Omayra Ortega, and Dr. Rebecca McGraw. Dr. Kutzko informed attendees of the National Alliance, a partnership of faculty working to increase the number of underrepresented students in the math sciences. Dr. Dunbar provided a brief history and role of Mathematical Olympiads in mathematical culture. Dr. Ortega shared her interesting journey to and current research in mathematical epidemiology. Dr. McGraw discussed research areas such as technology, cross-cultural comparisons, curriculum and assessment development and the psychology of learning. Finally, we welcomed with a diverse group of presenters consisting of faculty, instructors, K-12 teachers, graduate students and undergraduate students coming from Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Nebraska, North Carolina and Michigan.
We are grateful to Pima Community College for hosting and to all of the participants, presiders, special session organizers and keynote speakers for contributing to the success of this conference. We look forward to our next conference scheduled this fall at Yavapai CC in Prescott, Arizona.
Ana Jiménez
ArizMATYC President