Past Teacher Courses
Fall 2009 Courses top
Math Team for Teachers
| When: | Saturdays 11:30am - 1:30pm, 11/21, 12/5, and 12/12. |
| Where: | NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St (map). Room 201. |
| Instructors: | Larry Zimmerman and David Hankin. |
| Registration fee: | $40. |
This mini course is for teachers who intend to coach a Math Team, a Math Club, or a related extracurricular activity. It can also be taken by those who simply enjoy doing mathematics and solving math team type questions. Participants will learn how to conduct a Math Team, and will become acquainted with different types of competitions, and with many available sources and resources.
Some mathematical topics essential for Math Team will be presented, accompanied by a wealth of examples. Techniques for training students, motivational devices, and philosophy of the Math Team experience will be addressed. Appreciation of problem solving is a key component. Special emphasis is placed upon potential for student growth as a consequence of Math Team.
A Return to Calculus
| When: | Wednesdays 5pm - 7pm, Oct 7 - Dec 16, 2009.
Namely (no class on crossed-out dates): |
| Where: | NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St (map). Room 1314. |
| Instructor: | Larry Zimmerman. |
| Registration fee: | $100. |
Topics from first year Calculus are revisited and viewed from several perspectives.
Emphasis is placed on the underlying structural principles and pervasive unifying themes. Both classic and non-routine problems are presented together with some special theorems and non-standard proofs. In addition, we will offer tips for presentation and course design.
This course would be especially helpful to those teaching or planning to teach Calculus, and will provide insight and practical suggestions based on many years of experience teaching it.
Election Day Workshop for Middle School Teachers
| When: | Election Day, November 3rd, 2009, 9am - 2pm. (There will be muffins starting around 8:15am.) |
| Where: | Stuyvesant High School, Manhattan (map). |
| Presenters: | Richard Kalman and Japheth Wood. |
| Fee: | None! |
We are pleased to offer a math circle session for middle school teachers at
Stuyvesant HS this election day. We hope you can join us for an enjoyable day
of mathematics, as always in a supportive environment. Space is limited, so
please write to japheth@nymathcircle.org soon if you are
interested. Your RSVP is required to attend.
Summer 2009 Courses top
Math & Dinner
| When: | Thursdays, Aug 6 and 13, 2009, 5-7pm, followed by dinner. |
| 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. Two sessions are planned:
August 6th, 5pm, Interactive Math Investigation, by Jesse Johnson and Ben Blum-Smith. Jesse and Ben recently attended the Math Circle Summer Teacher Training Institute, run by Bob and Ellen Kaplan (who visited both our teachers' and students' classes this spring) and will share their favorite topic with us. As always, the style of this evening of mathematics will be interactive, with everybody welcome to participate in deriving (from scratch) a classical result from ancient Greek mathematics.
August 13th, 5pm, Pianos and Mathematics, by Jeff Suzuki, Brooklyn College. Why does Asian music sound so distinctive, and a C-D chord sound so jarring? What are flats, sharps, and what do they have to do with irrational numbers? This talk will begin with an introduction to music theory and its mathematical challenges. Along the way, we'll learn how to tune a piano (or at least, learn why a piano is tuned the way it is) and explore some of the many connections between mathematics and music.
Middle School Math Teachers' Circle
| Format: | Monthly meetings leading up to a three-day immersion workshop upstate. It is possible to only attend the workshop. |
| Monthly: | Second Wednesday of each month
(3/11, 4/8, 5/13, 6/10, 7/8) 5pm-7pm at NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St (map), Room 512. |
| Workshop: | Three days 7/27-7/30 at Union College, Schenectady, NY (map). |
| Fee: | None! |
We are forming a math circle for middle school math teachers, with the aim of building a community of teachers interested in developing problem solving skills, deepening content knowledge and discussing pedagogy. The Middle School Math Teachers' Circle will meet on the second Wednesday of each month, followed, at the end of July, by a three day immersion workshop at Union College.
If you'd like to register for the summer workshop but can't attend the monthly meetings, use the registration link above, and mention this in the comment box on the form.
Spring 2009 Courses top
Math Enrichment for Teachers 1.6
| When: | Wednesdays 5pm - 7pm, Feb 25 - May 27, 2009.
Namely (no class on crossed-out dates): 2/25, 3/4, |
| Where: | NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St (map), Room 512. |
| Credit: | No officially-recognized credit. |
| Instructor: | Japheth Wood, Larry Zimmerman. |
| Registration fee: | $100 (for the whole course). |
This course is intended for math teachers, whether new or experienced, who wish to enrich their classes. Participants will continue a mathematical journey through number theory, algebra, and geometry, exploring fundamental notions and some special topics. Both new participants and those continuing the Fall course are welcome.
The course will include several guest speakers. Problem posing and problem solving will be emphasized throughout, and opportunity will be provided to work on challenging problems during class time.
Middle School Math Teachers' Circle
| Format: | Monthly meetings leading up to a three-day immersion workshop upstate. It is possible to only attend the workshop. |
| Monthly: | Second Wednesday of each month
(3/11, 4/8, 5/13, 6/10, 7/8) 5pm-7pm at NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St (map), Room 512. |
| Workshop: | Three days 7/27-7/30 at Union College, Schenectady, NY (map). |
| Fee: | None! |
We are forming a math circle for middle school math teachers, with the aim of building a community of teachers interested in developing problem solving skills, deepening content knowledge and discussing pedagogy. The Middle School Math Teachers' Circle will meet on the second Wednesday of each month, followed, at the end of July, by a three day immersion workshop at Union College.
If you'd like to register for the summer workshop but can't attend the monthly meetings, use the registration link above, and mention this in the comment box on the form.
Fall 2008 Courses top
The following courses were offered in Fall 2008.
Math Enrichment for Teachers I
When: Tuesdays, 4:30pm - 7:00pm, 9/23/2008 - 1/13/20099/23,
Where: NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St
(map),
Room 813.
Instructor: Larry Zimmerman.
Credit: 3 "P" In-Service credits.
Fee: $200 (or $100 with no credit).
This course is intended for math teachers, whether new or experienced, who wish to enrich their classes. Participants will be taken on a mathematical journey through number theory, algebra, and geometry, exploring fundamental notions and some special topics. Problem posing and problem solving are emphasized throughout the course. Particular attention is given to the structural underpinnings of mathematics that are relevant to sound and effective teaching, as well as to ways to engage students of multiple levels and with different strengths.
The course will also address teaching techniques, effective motivational devices, classroom management tips, test construction, and a variety of suggestions for teachers. Although mathematical content is mostly on a high school level, middle school teachers will benefit from the course too, since both content and methods are addressed.
Math Enrichment for Teachers II
When: Wednesdays, 5:00pm - 7:00pm, 9/24/2008 - 1/14/20099/24,
Where: NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St
(map),
Room 1013.
Instructor: Larry Zimmerman.
Fee: $100.
This course is intended to heighten mathematical awareness and appreciation by revisiting key topics from university level mathematics. Material will be drawn fom Calculus, Vector Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Abstract Algebra, Number Theory and Advanced Euclidean Geometry. The course will reacquaint the participants with concepts in a gentle manner, while providing a wealth of illustrative examples that cast light on related secondary mathematics. Classic probems will be included.
This course is not designed to acquaint teachers with new syllabi nor provide special training for teachers who are about to teach Mathematics for the first time. However, new teachers may benefit from the course since both content and methods are addressed.
Spring 2008 Courses top
The following course was offered in Spring 2008.
Math Enrichment for Teachers I
When: Wednesdays, 5pm - 7pm, February 27, 2008 - May 21, 2008
Twelve sessions (except April 23).
Where: NYU Courant Institute, 251 Mercer St
(map),
Room 513.
Instructor: Larry Zimmerman.
See above for description.