Central Iowa Middle School Math Teachers' Circle

Contact us

Elgin Johnston
396C Carver Hall
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50011

515-294-0302

ehjohnst@iastate.edu

CIMSMTC is partially funded by the Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership
Grant # IMSEP13-08-08
in conjunction with
Iowa State University

The Central Iowa Middle School Math Teachers' Circle

offers an opportunity for middle school teachers to work together learning, discovering, and communicating intriguing mathematical ideas while becoming acquainted with an effective problem solving approach to teaching mathematics.

Sessions led by Circle organizers and guest presenters

will be devoted primarily to discovery, problem solving and interactive learning centered around problems and activities that are appropriate for middle school math.

Meetings will focus on problem solving ideas

such as symmetry, pattern recognition, parity, special cases, invariants, etc. These ideas will be illustrated through problems in areas such as geometry, graph theory, tiling, counting, number theory, and probability.

Participants will practice incorporating a problem solving approach into mathematics education and providing peer support for these efforts.

Handouts or short modules based on the materials covered will be available after each session, accompanied by a list of online resources for these activities.

Dinner will be provided. Some travel costs may be reimbursed. Stipends will be paid to teachers who attend 80% of the sessions. Continuing Education credit wil be available.

Perhaps most valuable of all, the Circle will give you a chance to meet and exchange ideas with other central Iowa middle school mathematics teachers.

The Circle will meet

on Tuesday evenings from 5:45 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. 7-8 times during the 2009-2010 school year. The first meeting will be October 20 in Carver Hall on the Iowa State University Campus in Ames.

About the artist

Robbie Cropper writes, "Art for me was one of those things that has been a part of my life since I was a child, but was always back burner. It wasn't until recently that I realized that people really enjoy my artwork, and I should do more with it. In the next year I hope to continue to grow as an artist, and put on my first art show."