Education
The author of this website, Alexander Bogomolny (formber associate professor of mathematics at the University of Iowa), describes the purpose of this website as a call for mathematics appreciation in response to "math anxiety" and stereotypes. Noting that, "in pragmatic terms we need mathematics very rarely, and, when we do, the mathematics we need is mostly trivial," the author suggests that "judging Mathematics by its pragmatic value is like judging symphonia by the weight of its score." The Mathematics Miscellany and Puzzles are intended to initiate curiosity to foster learning of Mathematics. The interactive website allows visitors to respond to questions, engage in puzzles, view short animated films showing curves and 2D and 3D transformations, and read about a variety of topics. [VF]
http://www.wcer.wisc.edu/cirtl/index.html
The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL), housed at the University of Wisconsin, builds off the core principles of teaching-as-research and learning communities to "develop a national faculty in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) committed to implementing and advancing effective teaching practices for diverse student audiences as part of their professional careers." The strategy includes the creation of a program of graduate-through-faculty development in STEM higher education that will ultimately be transferred to national universities. Visitors can browse the website for the DELTA project at the University of Wisconsin, which serves as the development laboratory (in partnership with Michigan State and Penn State) for the project. The Diversity Institute aims "to increase the retention of women and under-represented minority students in STEM disciplines through national impact on individuals who shape STEM education at the university level." More information about these programs, courses, and ways to get involved can be found at the website. Still in the early stages, the group has not posted publications or presentations, but does have an Innovative Programs Database and links to related course syllabi. [VF]
Economics professor, Ariel Rubinstein, created this website to provide teachers some basic instruction in Game Theory along with "free user-friendly didactic tools for conducting web-based thought experiments." The materials are based on his experience in teaching a course in Game Theory using web-based experiments during the years 1988 to 1999. Sample problems are available in five languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian and Slovak. Some articles are available from the home page, but access to the instructional material requires instructors and students to register at no cost. A slide show reviews the registration process and demonstrates the web-based course. [VF]
http://www.c3.lanl.gov/mega-math/
MegaMath is a project of the Computer Research and Applications Group at Los Alamos National Laboratory that aims to make mathematics accessible to young children. The collaborative project represents the work of classroom teachers, mathematicians, students in education and computer science, elementary school and high school students, school administrators, computer scientists, and parents. An image map is used to invite viewers to explore topics in mathematics, try out games, and read about the project or browse the glossary and reference section. Teachers will find some interesting activities posted, along with related materials on: the Big Ideas and Key Concepts, Background Info, Vocabulary, NCTM Standards, Evaluation, Materials and Preparation, and information For Further Study. MegaMath invites others to join the collaboration via the Internet. [VF]
http://www.ecb.org/surf/quilts.htm
Wisconsin Educational Communications Board (ECB) publishes the Surf Report, a review of instructional websites on a variety of topics, including Mathematics. This webpage provides some helpful links on integrating art and quilts with mathematics or social studies instruction. From this website, visitors can read about how teachers and students have learned with quilts, read stories about quilting, review a history of Quilts and Quiltmaking in America: 1978-1996, visit galleries, and explore other online resources. The resources might be helpful for teachers looking to develop instruction that integrates mathematics and diverse cultures. [VF]
http://mathforum.org/mathmagic/
Math Forum (formerly from Swarthmore College, discussed in the October 20, 1995 issue of The Scout Report) hosts this website of materials from the MathMagic K-12 telecommunications project developed in El Paso, Texas by Alan A. Hodson. The project aims to "provide motivation for students to use computer technology while increasing problem-solving strategies and communications skills." Materials are posted by grade level (K-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12). Each grade section includes over 20 documents with sample problems and games to try out.
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The University of Colorado at Boulder established the Engineering Center Complex in order to support Discovery Learning, a project in which "undergraduates work alongside graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, faculty, and industry representatives, as collaborative partners on original research." Summer research internships and other opportunities are also available for the K-12 community. The website devotes significant attention to the (elaborate) Discovery Learning Center (DLC) building design by including Architectural Diagrams and Floorplans and a photo gallery of the facility. The DLC is "designed to support vertically integrated research teams working on interdisciplinary projects, ranging from genomics-based research to the latest in space experiments." The Research section provides links to the websites of the eleven projects within this facility: Biotechnology/Biomaterials Discovery Laboratory, Center for Drinking Water Optimization, Center for LifeLong Learning and Design, Colorado Center for Information Storage, Colorado Space Grant Consortium, Coleman Computing Discovery House, Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Systems Laboratory, Small Communicating Computer Laboratory, Space Experiments Institute, Micro/Nano Electro- Mechanical Systems, and BP 3-D Visualization Laboratory Biotech/Biolab. [VF]
