2012 — The Year in Review

me and secretary of educationA nice consequence of maintaining a blog is that it makes reflecting on the year easy and convenient.  And 2012 was quite a busy year!  Here are a few math and teaching highlights.

In March, I ran a workshop at the Celebration of Teaching and Learning that focused mathematical writing.  I wrote a piece for the CTL blog, and was inspired to put together some additional resources on getting students writing in math class.

In April, I spoke at TEDxNYED on creativity and mathematics.  My talk can be seen on the TED website here.

In July, I visited the White House for a roundtable discussion on President Obama’s proposed National STEM Master Teacher Corps.  I was even photographed with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan!

Also in July, I attended the Bridges Math and Art Conference, and I’ve posted a number of images of some of the beautiful artwork on display there.

In September, my piece “N Ways to Apply Algebra With The New York Times” ran in the NYT Learning Network.  The piece, a response to Andrew Hacker’s controversial OpEd “Is Algebra Necessary?”, generated a lot of great comments and ended up being the third-most-viewed lesson on the LN in 2012.

In October, I posted “This is Not a Trig Function“, which not only generated a lot of great discussion, but also caught the attention of a Fields Medalist!  I also briefly appeared in this Relatively Prime podcast on mathematics education.

In November, I ran a workshop at the TIME 2000 conference on combinatorial dancing, and I was honored to be interviewed over at Math-Frolic!.

And in December, I was named runner-up for the inaugural Rosenthal Prize for Innovation in Math Teaching by the Museum of Mathematics.

All in all, it was a fun, productive, and busy year!  I look forward to a great 2013, and hopefully a little more downtime.

Happy New Year to all!

Related Posts

Runner-Up for the Inaugural Rosenthal Prize

rosenthal prizeLast night I was named runner-up for the inaugural Rosenthal Prize for Innovation in Math Teaching, presented by the Museum of Mathematics.

The goal of the Rosenthal Prize is to celebrate and promote creative, hands-on teaching methods in mathematics.  My work, and that of the winner, will be freely available to teachers through the museum’s website.

The awards were presented last night at MoMath’s “Teacher Preview Night”, so I was able to see the new museum firsthand.  There are many amazing exhibits that allow visitors to interact directly with the beauty, elegance, and wonder of mathematics.

I am very proud to have been recognized by MoMath for my work, and after seeing how innovative and creative the Museum of Mathematics is, being recognized by MoMath for innovation and creativity in mathematics teaching is even more meaningful.

Math Lesson: Fiscal Cliff

My latest contribution to the New York Times Learning Network is a math lesson that explores the mathematics of the so-called Fiscal Cliff.

Look Before You Leap!  Understanding the Mathematics of the Fiscal Cliff

In this lesson, students explore the quantitative consequences of the expiration of policies like the Bush Era Tax Cuts and the Payroll Tax by calculating income tax differences for individuals across income levels, and putting those numbers in context.

Students are also directed to consider the situation from the perspective of the government by approximating tax-revenue increases and investigating the consequences of discretionary spending cuts.

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