Teacher Courses
Our courses for teachers are intended to encourage and support excellent teaching of mathematics. The courses are led by highly experienced instructors recognized for their record of outstanding teaching. All courses address both content and methods, and include a wealth of problems and examples. The sessions combine lecture, workshop, and interactive classroom discussion.
To subscribe to announcements about teacher courses, see our contact page.
Spring 2010 Courses top
Great Problems mini-course (Register)
| When: | Wednesdays 5pm - 7pm, on 2/24, 3/3, 3/10. See below regarding 3/17. |
| Where: | NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St (map). Room 1314. |
| Instructors: | Larry Zimmerman and Gil Kessler. |
| Registration fee: | $40. |
This three session mini-course will take participants through a variety of wonderful mathematics problems. Participants will see both classic well-known problems, and little-known gems.
There will be an additional related "Math & Dinner" session on Wednesday 3/17 (see registration below). It will be open for free to all interested math teachers. This is a perfect opportunity to bring along colleagues.
Math & Dinner (Register)
| When: | Wednesdays 5pm - 7pm (followed by dinner), on 3/17 and 4/7. More dates may be added later. |
| Where: | NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St (map). Room 1314. |
| Fee: | None! (except for the meals) |
Not a course! Just informal gatherings for teachers, to discuss some mathematics, work on some problems, and have dinner together. As sessions are planned, they will be added to this page.
March 17, 5pm, "A Pleasing Potpourri of Paradoxes and Puzzles", by Gil Kessler. This talk will be open to both Great Problems mini-course participants and non-participants as well. Come see a selection of unusual problems, then join us for dinner at a nearby restaurant.
April 7, 5pm, topic and speaker to be determined.
Past Courses
We had our first full course for teachers in Spring 2008. You can see the listing of past courses here.
Future Courses top
To be offered in future semesters (order to be determined).
To subscribe to information about teacher courses, see our contact page.
Math Team for Teachers
This course is for teachers who intend to coach a Math Team, a Math Club, or a related extracurricular activity. Participants will learn how to conduct a Math Team, and will become acquainted with different types of competitions, and with available resources. Techniques for training students, motivational devices, and philosophy of the Math Team experience will be addressed. Mathematical topics essential for Math Team will be presented. Among these will be basic Math Team Algebra, introductory Number Theory, Geometry, Combinatorics, and many more topics not ordinarily encountered in the standard curricula or pursued in depth in the usual courses. Appreciation of problem solving is a key component - how to do it and how to teach it. Special emphasis is placed upon potential for student growth as a consequence of Math Team.
Constructing and Writing Mathematical Proofs
This course is intended for those who wish to acquire deeper insight into the nature of proof and hone the craft of proof writing. Specifically, techniques of proof presentation are developed through a sequence of topics and related problems. We break from the traditional educational model stressing short answer questions and exercises, and cultivate a taste for Mathematical problems requiring sustained thought, effort and often special skills. Important topics are developed together with the acquisition of more sophisticated techniques of proof composition. Among the key topics are Mathematical Induction, Pigeonhole Principle, gleanings from Combinatorics, Inequalities, essential Number Theory, and Geometry.
Problem Analysis, Research, and Writing
This course addresses the creation of Mathematical research papers at the Secondary School and early Undergraduate levels. It is intended for teachers and advisors wishing to encourage student research, guide student inquiry, and train students to compose well-crafted Mathematical projects. The entire process of creating a Math Research paper/project will be explored in great detail. Problem analysis, problem posing, sources, resources, written and oral presentations, extensions, and techniques of writing will be examined. Many exemplars will be studied ranging from the basic expository paper to papers in which original problems are solved or original ideas are explored.