We congratulate Professor Xu and Professor Buteau who were both recently promoted to Full Professor.
News and events
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Our Prospective Math Teachers Integrating Programming in Niagara School Classrooms
As part of a new experiential learning component to MATH 3P41, the MICA III course for future math teachers taught by Professor Chantal Buteau, students paired with Niagara Catholic District School Board teachers in order to develop and implement programming-based math activities in the classroom.
The collaborative initiative with Niagara Catholic falls under, and is partially funded by, the Ontario Ministry of Education’s Mathematics Knowledge Network, for which Buteau is a Brock representative.
For the full article in Brock news:
https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2018/05/students-introduce-innovative-ways-to-make-math-fun/
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Condolences to the family of Darrell Short
It is with profound sadness that the Department of Mathematics and Statistics wishes to let our students, former students and other members of the Brock community know that Darrell Short passed away on Tuesday April 17th at the age of 61. Darrell has been with us for over 37 years as a Teaching Assistant, helping and inspiring countless students in a multitude of courses. His contributions to the Department were immeasurable, touching the lives of students, faculty and staff members alike.
The Department would like to extend its condolences to Darrell’s family. He will very much be missed by all of us. It simply won’t be the same place now that he has passed.
Darrell’s obituary is available via this link.
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OAME Golden Section Spring Conference
Golden Section of OAME, Brock University’s Faculty of Mathematics
and Science, Faculty of Education, and Department of Mathematicspresent
The OAME Golden Section Spring Conference
Ahead by a Century . . . Strategies for Keeping You on the Cutting Edge
Thursday April 19, 2018
Session A: 4:00pm – 5:15pm
A1: Teaching Mathematics Through Inquiry/Project Based Learning
Presenter: Gillian Berard & Mary Vetere, NCDSBA2: The Great Escape!
Presenter: Laura Cronshaw & Jaime Rootes, NCDSBA3: How Problem Solving Supports Differentiated Instruction in the Mathematics Classroom
Presenter: Melissa Wigglesworth & Kim Cruise, NCDSBA3.14: Special Education Through the Lens of the Renewed Mathematics Strategy
Presenter: Anthony DiToro, NCDSBA4: Creating a Thinking Classroom . . . One Step at a Time
Presenters: Tricia Brenneman, Elizabeth Pattison, DSBNA5: Ideas for MAT 1LK and MAT 2LK
Presenter: Pamela Chun, DSBNA6: A Fresh Look at Diagnostic Assessments (Grade 9)
Presenter: Jeff Martin, NCDSBA7: I Want to Learn Geogebra . . . Help!!!
Presenter: Angelo Lillo, DSBNSession B: 5:30pm – 6:45pm
B1: Mathematics Through a Leadership Lens
Presenter: Chris Moscato, NCDSBB2: Fractions in Pieces
Presenters: Susan Ume, NCDSBB3: Growth Mindset in the Primary Mathematics Classroom
Presenters: Luana Kent, NCDSBB4: Creating a Thinking Classroom . . . One Step at a Time
Presenters: Tricia Brenneman & Elizabeth Pattison , DSBNB5: Strands? Expectations? Categories? How Do I Record Marks When I Spiral With Activities?
Presenters: Alison Pridham & Deanna Ward , DSBNB6: Breaking Away from a Workbook in MEL3E/4E
Presenter: Danielle Grebenc, DSBNB7: MCF3M – The Middle Child
Presenter: Jennifer Corbett, DSBNRegistration Information
All registration will be done electronically at www.oame.on.ca/mcis
Sign in, click on Choose Conference, then click on Online Registration for Golden Mini-Conference 2018.
If you have questions regarding registration, please e-mail: [email protected]
Other questions can be directed to: [email protected] or [email protected] -
Brock-NCDSB Computational Thinking in the Mathematics Classroom
Brock-NCDSB Computational Thinking in the Mathematics Classroom
April 20, 1:30pm – 3:30pm
Brock University room TH 253
We are happy to invite you to attend the Brock-NCDSB Computational Thinking in the Mathematics Classroom event at education which our MATH 3P41 future mathematics teachers will briefly present the programming-based mathematics tasks developed in collaboration with NCDSB teachers.
This new collaborative initiative falls under the Ontario Ministry of Education-funded Mathematics Knowledge Network (http://mkn-rcm.ca), more particularly as part of the Computational Thinking group (http://mkn-rcm.ca/ct/). For Brock University, it is an experiential learning component newly integrated to one of its course offering (i.e. MATH 3P41).
KEYNOTE by Dr George Gadanidis (UWO)
Co-Director of Mathematics Knowledge Network and a Canadian leader in the area of computational
thinking in school mathematics education. -
Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock: Dr. Anjali Khirwadkar
Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock
Season 2017- 2018
Elementary School Mathematics Education in India:
Implications for Teacher Training programs for
Mathematics TeachersApril 2 @ 10:00 in TA403
Dr. Anjali Khirwadkar
Faculty of Education (Brock University)Abstract: Education in India is undergoing a change as per the global demands and expectations
from the future citizens. There are efforts to bring in quality in teaching Science, Mathematics in
the country by harnessing the advantages of the technology. More recently, two prominent policies
of the Indian government—the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in 2001 and the Right to Education
(RTE) Act, 2009 have seen education priorities rise amongst the countrymen. It is essential that
children right in the primary and elementary stage develop interest in learning mathematics. It is
the teacher who can bring change in inclination towards learning mathematics. This paper
highlights some key factors to be considered in teacher preparation program in the country
especially for training mathematics teachers.For information, contact: Chantal Buteau: [email protected] or Joyce Mgombelo: [email protected]
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Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock: Dr. Joyce Mgombelo
Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock
Season 2017- 2018
Collective Learning: Re-thinking the Environment, Artifacts and
Classroom InteractionsMarch 19 @ 10:00 in TA403
Dr. Joyce Mgombelo
Faculty of Education, Brock UniversityDr. Joyce Mgombelo is an Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Brock University. Her
research program focuses on: mathematics cognition; identity; and ethics- based on principles of
human cognition. This work is developed from the theoretical perspectives of enactivism, complexity
science and psychoanalysis. Mgombelo’s most recent work includes the SSHRC funded collaborative
research projects, “Educating for the 21st Century: post-secondary students learning ‘progmatics’
(computer programming for mathematical investigation, simulation, and real-world modeling)” and
“Advancing research methodology in mathematics education for collective learning systems” as well
as the Canada Global Affairs collaborative development project, “Capacity Development for
mathematics teaching in rural and remote communities in Tanzania”Abstract: Over the past two decades, a group of Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group
(CMESG) members have been working on understanding the ways in which mathematics learning
occurs in classrooms viewed as collective systems. That is, how mathematics classrooms can be seen
as complex systems in which agents spontaneously interact and adapt to each other, organizing and
sustaining learning processes in a collaborative way. In this presentation I will offer a discussion about
how artifacts such as classroom boards play a vital role in the coordination of behaviours or actions in
a mathematics classroom viewed as a complex system. The source of inspiration for this discussion
comes from studies in cognitive stigmergy which have led to a better understanding of how (human)
agents in a complex system communicate indirectly through their environment which is articulated,
and is typically composed of artifacts, which build up the social workspace, or field of work.All undergraduate(including teacher candidates) students, graduate students , and faculty, from Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Faculty of Education are welcome!
For information, contact: Chantal Buteau: [email protected] or Joyce Mgombelo: [email protected]
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Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock: Dr. Mina Sedaghatjou
Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock
Season 2017- 2018
Finger Counting in the Era of Touchscreen-Based Technology
12 February @ 10:00 in TA403
Dr. Mina Sedaghatjou
Faculty of Education, Brock University
[email protected]Mina is serving as an assistant professor (ILTA) in faculty of education at Brock University.
Mina’s research reflects broad interests in the areas of mathematics and STEM education, and use
of technology in teaching and learning augmented by the role of collaborative and sensory
engagements. Mina is also serving as a research associate in STEM education and computational
thinking in the Faculty of Education at Western University.Abstract: In this presentation, I will describe how the use of touchscreen-based technology can enable young children’s sensory engagement in learning mathematics through introducing a novel iPad application called TouchCounts. TouchCounts connects touchscreen-based technology with finger-counting and encourages the child to use their fingers to summon objects (numbers) and associate specific gestures to numerical operations. Drawing upon Nemirovsky’s perceptuomotor integration theoretical lens and other foundational aspects of Husserlian phenomenology, the study reports on a preschool child named Alex developing mathematical tool fluency and expertise. Overall, this case study demonstrates that one-on-one multimodal touch, sight and auditory feedback via a touchscreen device can serve to assist in a child’s development of number sense.
All undergraduate(including teacher candidates) students, graduate students , and faculty, from Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Faculty of Education are welcome!
For information, contact: Chantal Buteau: [email protected] or Joyce Mgombelo: [email protected]
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Congratulations to Dr. Henryk Fuks and Dr. Mei-Ling Huang
The Department of Mathematics and Statistics wishes to congratulate Dr. Mei-Ling Huang and Dr. Henryk Fuks. At the 2017-2018 Faculty of Mathematics and Science awards, Dr. Huang received the Dean’s Distinguished Scholar Award. Dr. Fuks was awarded the Distinguished Research Award for Faculty. Congratulations to them both!
For more details, please see the story in the Brock News.
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Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock: Dr. Abolfazl Rafiepour
Math Ed Seminar Series @ Brock
Season 2017- 2018
Revisiting the Role of Common Sense in
Mathematical Word Problem SolvingDr. Abolfazl Rafiepour
Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman (Iran)
Visiting Professor at Department of Mathematics and Statistics (Brock University)29 January @ 10:00 in TA403
Dr. Abolfazl Rafiepour is an associate professor of mathematics education, in faculty of
mathematics and computer, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Iran. He is a visiting scholar
professor at Brock University. His special research interest is about modelling and application in
domain of mathematics education. He taught several mathematics and mathematics education
courses at the undergraduate and graduate level and has supervised more than 20 master students
and one PhD student in the domain of mathematics education. He published more than 20 research
papers. He also presents several papers in national and international conferences.Abstract: In this lecture, the role of mathematical word problem will be recognized in
mathematics education and school mathematics textbooks. Then relation between mathematical
word problem and modelling activities will be explained. Afterward “suspending of common
sense in solving mathematical word problem” as a strange phenomenon will be described through
several mathematical word problems as example. Finally, results of several research studies in this
topic (which focused in different aspect such as students, teachers, math textbook) from different
countries will be presented. Through these results, roots of “suspending common sense in solving
mathematical word problem” will be identified in mathematics textbooks, mathematics teacher
education and social norm of mathematics classrooms.All undergraduate(including teacher candidates) students, graduate students , and faculty, from Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Faculty of Education are welcome!
For information, contact: Chantal Buteau: [email protected] or Joyce Mgombelo: [email protected]
