These people right here, they are my kind of people—math people. Not necessarily math majors but students choosing to spend their lunch hour participating in an Integral Bee. There was community, celebration, a few extra credit points, and yes…integrals. The Math Club at UW Tacoma organized it, advertised it, and made it a reality. MathContinue reading “February 22 Day 1081: Math People”
Category Archives: mathematics
January 29 Day 1057: Paper vs iPad grading
I spent at least 7 hours grading today—mostly exams on paper and some homework files submitted electronically. All of it was for students in the same class. First observation: When did everyone’s handwriting become so illegible? Second observation: Why do I think my tricks to decipher handwriting on the iPad will work on paper? IContinue reading “January 29 Day 1057: Paper vs iPad grading”
December 31 Day 1028: Here’s to 2022
The last day of the year brings reflections on the past and hopes for the future. It was a good year with a rough start and a whirlwind finish. The delta and omicron strains of COVID required pivoting from our plans for a return to normal. But by summer, travel was back in full forceContinue reading “December 31 Day 1028: Here’s to 2022”
December 2 Day 999: Mathematical Cooperation
It was a full day’s meeting at the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences. Presidents, Executive Directors, and friends of 19 different mathematics organizations met to work together and support each other in their efforts to promote research, improve education, and expand the uses of mathematics. It’s a great group of people and I amContinue reading “December 2 Day 999: Mathematical Cooperation”
November 19 Day 986: A Few AMATYC Highlights
The conference is continuing for another day but I am heading back this evening. There was plenty of positive math energy but here are some things I particularly want to remember. Indian food last night with April Strom, Chris Rasmussen, and Peter Liljedahl followed by the second half of the AMATYC Ignite event. For theContinue reading “November 19 Day 986: A Few AMATYC Highlights”
November 18 Day 985: Kudos for Flexibility
I want to acknowledge the persistence of my friend April Strom and the Teaching for Prowess Team. Even though it seems nothing was going right this morning, they made things work. Pivot number 1: The hotel wouldn’t allow anything on the walls. No tape, no blue tape, no static clings, nothing. The plan was toContinue reading “November 18 Day 985: Kudos for Flexibility”
November 17 Day 984: Hello Toronto!
I arrived after a restless night of travel. It’s brisk with a little snow on the ground. I took it easy today. Coffee at Tim Hortons, a session on active learning, a lovely keynote by Peter Liljedahl, and a meal sharing small plates with friends, both old and new. Quick lessons from the day: NotContinue reading “November 17 Day 984: Hello Toronto!”
October 22 Day 958: NJ Resilient
While I have attended a few “first meetings since…”, this was the MAA New Jersey Section’s first in-person meeting since the start of COVID. They were planning for in-person last Spring but Omicron subvariants threw a wrench in the plans. Spring pivoted to virtual. As with many of the first meetings back, attendance was lighterContinue reading “October 22 Day 958: NJ Resilient”
October 15 Day 951: A Study in Unknots
Construction around campus has been a headache. I silently swear every time I park in the lot up the hill and have to discover a new pathway down and around the construction zone. As I walked past the line of huge concrete water drainage pipes, I noticed inside each one was an o-ring. Mathematically speaking,Continue reading “October 15 Day 951: A Study in Unknots”
September 30 Day 936: Live from LA, It’s NCTM!
This is my second time attending the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference, the first time in-person. It’s been simultaneously inspiring, exhausting, and humbling. I knew more people than expected including colleagues, friends, and past students from long ago when I lived and worked in Los Angeles. Yet I felt very much alone. GreatContinue reading “September 30 Day 936: Live from LA, It’s NCTM!”
Math Belongs to All of Us 