CRMSE Events

CRMSE Distinguished Speakers Series 

CRMSE THEME 2007/2008 

Approaches to Teaching and Learning in Mathematics and Science:
Commonalities, Differences, and Emerging Trends 

1. Learning Theories and Research

What are the main learning theories in mathematics and science education and how are they different or similar? How do the learning of mathematics and science relate to each other? What are the approaches currently emerging in science and mathematics education? How do these approaches integrate social and cognitive aspects? 

2. Politics and Policies

What are the relationships between the political tensions present in science education (e.g. teaching of evolution, overall presence in the curriculum, and so on) and mathematics education (e.g. math wars, national standards and so on)? How do "tracking" and level-based structures influence student learning or identity in science and mathematics? How do matters of diversity, language, and equity play out in science and mathematics education? 

3. Teacher Professional Development

How do the fields of science and mathematics education foster and theorize about teacher communities and professional development? How does the interplay between and among content, pedagogy, and children's thinking affect professional development in each field? 

Deborah Ball and Hyman Bass

Deborah Ball and Hyman Bass will give joint talks at SDSU on June 5 and 6, 2008:

   
Thursday, June 5, 2008, 4:30-5:30 PM, Arts & Letters 201:

"Improving U.S. Mathematics Education: History, Myths, and Strategies"

The National Mathematics Panel has just issued a report responding to the charge: What is known about the teaching and learning of mathematics up to algebra that would enable more children to be successful in algebra? The report suggests that, although we have made substantial progress in some domains, we still have a long way to go in building the knowledge base we need to improve the quality of instruction and students’ learning. This report is one more entry into several decades of critique and aspiration regarding the quality and level of mathematics learning of our nation’s youth. In this session we will provide an overview of the issues that have framed both the problems and efforts to address them. We will highlight patterns in that history that have impeded progress, identify key strategies for significant improvement, and discuss what it would take to deploy them.

Reception will be from 3:45-4:30 PM on the Arts & Letters patio. RSVP to Karen Foehl if you plan to attend.

Download the event flyer here.

   
Friday, June 6, 2008, 10:00-11:00 AM, Arts & Letters 101:

"Proving the Impossible"

Students' work on an impossibility proof will be used to investigate three features of helping students learn to prove mathematical claims: task design; the creation of social and intellectual environment; and the development of specialized language.

Reception will be from 9:15-10:00 AM on the Arts & Letters patio. RSVP to Karen Foehl if you plan to attend.

Download the event flyer here.

   
As part of a series of colloquia addressing these themes, two speakers visited San Diego State University in May 2007: 

Andrea diSessa

Andrea diSessa spoke at SDSU on Friday, May 4, 2007.  He addressed the first CRMSE theme, on the topic 

"Why Do Science and Mathematics Educational Research Look Different?" 

Download the event flyer here

Wolff-Michael Roth

Wolff-Michael Roth also addressed the first CRMSE theme when he spoke on May 18, 2007 on the topic

"Learning Research in Science and Mathematics: A Comparative Perspective" 

Download the event flyer here.

 

'Brown Bag' Occasions 

Time and Location for All Events

Time: 12:30 - 1:30
Location: 6495 Alvarado Road, Suite 200A, Room 26
Contact Information 

May 9, 2008: Chuck Flacks, Policy Analyst and CRMSE Advisory Board Member, and Ashley Wildrick, Director of the Life Sciences Summer Institute, both part of the San Diego Workforce Partnership  

The Life Sciences Summer Institute: Energizing STEM Education While Building Tomorrow's Workforce 

Abstract: By now the refrain is all too familiar: students must find relevance in their studies in order to do well and to not drop out of school. In the world of career education it has long been practiced that students take on summer internships and employment to motivate and inform their transitions into the world of work. Throughout California programs are springing up to place students into summer internships with companies that use science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

We have a wonderful window of opportunity. Many companies are so lacking in workers with the necessary basic skills in math and science that they are looking outside of the San Diego region, and outside the country for talent. At the same time, schools and teachers are seeking real-world applications for their curricula to stimulate students and keep them learning. The summer internship programs that are able to place students with these needy companies satisfy everyone, and may turn curious high school students into future scientists and engineers.

In this presentation and discussion, Ashley Wildrick, Director of the Life Sciences Summer Institute and Chuck Flacks, Policy Analyst, both from the San Diego Workforce Partnership will present the role of the workforce system in helping educational institutions improve their pedagogy and student experience while, at the same time, helping industries develop tomorrow's talent pool.

The Life Sciences Summer Institute (LSSI) is an internship program for high school students, college students and high school science teachers to have hands-on training and experience in research and life sciences companies. Started through a grant from the US Department of Labor, and co-developed with the industry association BIOCOM, the LSSI has operated since the summer of 2005 with increasing numbers of interns and participating companies.

 
May 23, 2008:   Grant Proposal Workshops.    Susan Nickerson, Cynthia Park and Rafaela Santa Cruz:   Information-Sharing;    Lisa Lamb:  Status of method of sharing grant/program information.

 

CRMSE Gatherings 

April 18, 2008:  The first "wine-and-cheese" event, open to all CRMSE members and friends, started at 3:30 pm in the CRMSE Conference Room (6475 Alvarado Rd. Suite 206). Fred Goldberg and Sharon Bendall shared about Learning Progressions, a three-year project for Grades 4-6, in collaboration with the University of Maryland. This event is open to all CRMSE members and friends.

More "wine-and-cheese" events will be held in the future. Information about these events will appear here. These events will be open to all CRMSE members and friends.

 

Other Events 

None scheduled.

 

Past Events 

Reception at AERA 2007 Annual Meeting, Chicago. 

CRMSE hosted a reception at AERA 2007.  See photos here.