The BACT Summer Workshop supports teachers in their development of problem solving skills as well as supporting the incorporation of problem
solving into their teaching curriculum. During the earlier part of the week teachers will gain experience with a variety of problem solving
techniques such as symmetry, mathematical patterns, and parity. Subsequent sessions will focus on particular topics such as geometry, sequences,
counting, and number theory.
Note, for 2012 Workshop there will be two parallel sessions: one for elementary teachers and one for secondary teachers.
Daily Schedule
The summer workshop consists of daily sessions Monday through Friday, June 18 - June 22, 2012.
The sessions will meet at Clark Kerr Campus in Berkeley, CA, with daily meetings 9:00am -5:00pm.
Evenings will be reserved for related, informal activities including further exploration
of the day's problems and discussions of other mathematical fun and games.
We ask that all participants remain on site, even those within commuting distance, since collegial
interaction and evening activities form an important part of the workshop.
Accommodations
Accommodations will be provided at Clark Kerr conference center located on the U.C. Berkeley campus, in the beautiful
Northside Berkeley hills. This lovely residence hall features rooms with separate, locked entrances and
shared living rooms, wireless Internet, laundry facilities, and a Dining Center with vaulted ceilings
and redwood finishes.
All meals and program supplies are provided by the program.
Funding
Funding for participants of the Summer Program covers meals and lodging in
Berkeley as well as supplies throughout the week.
The core of the summer workshop will consist of the morning and afternoon sessions held from Monday
through Friday. This time will be devoted to discovery, problem solving, and interactive learning. During
the earlier part of the week teachers will gain experience with a variety of problem solving techniques such
as symmetry, mathematical patterns, and parity. Subsequent sessions will focus on particular topics such
as geometry, sequences, counting, and number theory. Traditionally relegated to the high school curriculum
or beyond, these topics actually provide a natural starting point for exploring and appreciating interesting
mathematics at the middle school level. All the sessions will be led by exceptional educators and
mathematicians from the San Francisco Bay area. We are grateful to the Firedoll, Simons and Bechtel
Foundations as well as MSRI for supporting our summer instructors.
A major theme throughout the week will be finding creative answers to the question of how to incorporate
a problem-solving approach to math education into the existing curriculum. To this end leaders will supply
participants with handouts or short modules based on the material covered during their sessions. They will
also work with teachers to share ideas for enlivening any math class and to develop lesson plans. Focused
discussions will be held regularly to determine what obstacles exist to incorporating this style of teaching
into the present curriculum, what resources would be most helpful to teachers, and other related topics.
|
