Annual Conference 2017

Session Details

Getting Started with the Math Pathways with Support from SUNY

Presenters: Mary Crawford-Mohat, Eric Magaram, and Christine Kelly
Presider: Chris L. Yuen

This session is for anyone interested in learning about the Quantway/Statway Math Pathways and how SUNY is able to support campuses that choose to explore or teach these courses.

Everyday Math… Gone Wrong!

Presenter: Rick Rupprecht
Presider: Reem Jaafar

We’ll take an entertaining look at some of the mathematical blunders that appear in the news, on television, on the internet, and in the movies. If you have good examples, please bring them to share. Better yet, get in touch with me before the talk so I can include them with my examples.(rickrupprecht@mail.sunyjcc.edu)

Interdisciplinary GAISE Experience – A Team Taught Environmental Biology & Statistics Course

Presenters: Joel LaLone, and Monrica LeClerc
Presider: Joan Erickson

The presenters will share how an interdisciplinary course in biology and statistics addresses each of the goals outline in the most recent GAISE Report. Students gain experience in all aspects of research including the formulation of hypotheses, multiple field trips to nearby streams in the North Country to collect data, analysis of samples in the lab, and statistical analysis of the multivariate data set.

Interdisciplinary GAISE Experience – A Team Taught Environmental Biology & Statistics Course

Presenter: Thy Bui
Presider: Matthew Rogala

The presenter will be demonstrating a new classroom response system “Learning Catalytics.” It is a web-based platform for managing the interactive classroom. Instructors can engage students with questions and track students’ responses to better understand students’ needs during class. Please bring a mobile device (smart phones, tablets, laptops, …) and have it already connected to the Internet.

MindTap Math

Presenter: MindTap Math Foundations
Presider: Jayashree Hurlburt

MindTap Math Foundations is a game-changing technology that provides a unique and motivating learning experience for developmental math students. This session will provide an introduction to the market-tested features within MindTap including instructional games, customized learning paths, an interactive whiteboard, Learning Bursts, and more. Participants will get to experience MindTap from both the instructor and student points of view.

Shortening the Developmental Track by Combining the Arithmetic course into PreAlgebra

Presenters: Michael Helinger and Kelly Garrand
Presider: Mike Riedinger

Realizing the discouraging length of time required for students starting in Arithmetic contributes to the very low retention rate, Clinton started 2 years ago to combine Arithmetic with the Pre-Algebra course by adding 1 hour per week of supplemental instruction for students testing into Arithmetic. Analysis of results will be presented.

Promoting a Growth Mindset in your Classroom

Presenter: Mary Crawford-Mohat
Presider: Alexander Atwood

Have you ever heard your students utter the phrase, “I’m just not a math person”? Adding the word YET can drastically alter one’s perception. Putting research into practice, this session explores how to incorporate Carol Dweck’s work on Growth Mindset into your classroom. Practical applications included.

Multivariable Calculus & Differential Equations Through Visualization Using CalcPlot3D

Presenter: Paul Seeburger
Presider: Russ Penner

A presentation of the new JavaScript version of CalcPlot3D, an interactive online app designed to enhance the teaching and learning of multivariable calculus, exploring: surfaces, contour plots, velocity and acceleration, regions, vector fields/phase portraits, etc. It makes it easy to visually explore concepts and relationships between them. See http://web.monroecc.edu/calcNSF/.

Elementary Inferential Statistics – One Semester Solution

Presenter: David Usinski
Presider: Jane-Marie Wright

Erie Community College now has two statistics courses, a STEM and non-STEM option. This presentation addresses the course outline, how the course transfers, success rates, and classroom activities.

What can periodic assessments tell us about students’ conceptual and procedural knowledge in Calculus I?

Presenter: Reem Jaafar
Presider: Trevor Bradish

In Fall 2016, the presenter conducted brief, frequent assessments in Calculus I. Those assessments aimed to identify gaps in student’s complete understanding and how it may or may not reflect in their procedural understanding. Interventions were designed to address misconceptions and follow-up assessments were administered to determine the impact of the interventions.

A Jubilee of Problems

Presenter: Dr. Ralph Selig
Presider: Larry Danforth

This presentation will allow participants to partake in a lively discussion of those trivial problems we all like to solve.

Concurrent Enrollment Course Level

Presenter: Julie Croteau and Josh Hammond
Presider:

An ad-hoc committee has been drafting a position statement regarding the level of mathematics courses appropriate for concurrent enrollment. The committee has a draft statement and will use this session to solicit input from members to finalize the draft.

Don’t Go Off Tangent: Developing a Working Definition of a Tangent Line in Beginning Calculus

Presenter: Chris L. Yuen
Presider: Patti Elko

In beginning calculus, students generally rely on intuition to develop the notion of tangent line to a curve at a point, without definition. This presentation surveys teaching practices about the tangent line. Audience will brainstorm working definitions and be ready to lead students to develop definition(s) as an in-class activity.

QL – Not for Math Only: Can students become quantitatively literate “across the curriculum”?

Presenter: Margaret H. Dean
Presider: Judy Dean

Borough of Manhattan Community College has developed an initiative to enhance quantitative literacy (QL) among their students. Faculty members from a cross-section of departments participate in designing and teaching a QL-intensive curriculum in their own disciplines. Dr. Dean will describe the program and preliminary results. Intended audience: educators interested in interdisciplinary endeavors and/or QL.

A NYSMATYC Retrospective

Presenter: Ernie Danforth
Presider: George Hurlburt

The presenter will use slides taken by Past President Sam McInroy to review the early years of NYSMATYC. He will augment this with recollections from other people involved in the early days of NYSMATYC and will encourage recollections from members of the audience.

Executive Board Meeting

Friday 5:30 – 6:00 pm, Cazenovia

Ignite NYSMATYC

Friday 8:00 – 9:00 pm

Cocktails

Friday 6:00 – 6:30 pm

Dinner

Friday 6:30 – 7:45 pm, Horizons

SATURDAY, APRIL 8TH

Estimation Run

Saturday 6:15 am

Breakfast

Saturday 7:00 – 7:50 am, Lafayette

Teaching Remedial Math: Challenge or Frustration?

Presenter: Grazyna Niezgoda
Presider: Amanda Bartels

Teaching remedial math can be challenging or frustrating. The majority of remedial math students lack math study skills and have poor self-efficacy judgment. The presenter will share ideas and strategies that are used to help students to develop and evaluate effective study techniques, increase their self-efficacy judgment and finally become more successful learners.

Mathematics in Aviation

Presenter: Chris Roethel
Presider: Howard Sporn

Chris will talk about the importance of mathematics in aviation. He will speak about the use of math in calculating weight and balance of an aircraft. He will describe its uses in determining wind vectors and also in trip planning. He will show its application in navigation including GPS. He will then conclude with how mathematics is helping shape the future of aviation.

Statistics Themed Session

Presenter: Sophia Georgiakaki, Larry Danforth, Dave Usinski, and Matthew Rogala
Presider:

Presenters: Sophia Georgiakaki, Larry Danforth, Dave Usinski, and Matthew Rogala
Presider:

Experienced statistics teachers will discuss innovative methods they successfully use to teach their classes.

8:00 – 8:25
Sophia Georgiakaki
GAISE Projects in Liberal Arts Statistics Courses Projects given to students in Liberal Arts Statistics class promote statistical literacy and critical thinking. Three projects will be presented and discussed with participants. Copies of the projects will be provided for immediate use.

8:30 – 8:55
Larry Danforth
A Liberal Arts Statistics Course
What expectations should instructors have for students taking an elementary statistics course to complete their mathematics requirement for their degree? What expectations do these students have for an elementary statistics course? The presentation will highlight some of the ways the faculty at Jefferson utilize course discussion time on topics that will help students consider the impact of statistics and statistical studies on their lives well after the completion of the course.

9:00 – 9:25
Dave Usinski
Common Core Statistics
This presentation is intended as a reference point as to whatstatistic concepts are being taught in our schools. Furthermore, the statistics standards have been revised and public comment received this past summer and fall.

9:30 – 9:55
Matthew Rogala
Going Analog: Hands-On Simulation Activities for Introductory Statistics
Whether statistics is taught using randomization or the Central Limit Theorem, many students struggle with the concepts of sampling distributions and p-values. Hands-on simulations can help make those concepts clearer. Participants will take part in activities using a few such simulations that can be used in the classroom.

Memorable (Math) Moments

Presenter: Wayne Uter
Presider: Brian Milleville

A sharing of memorable moments in teaching and tutoring math that has made the journey amusing and interesting for both the instructor and the students, but also deemed “learnable experiences.” Audience participation will be encouraged.

A Trip to Mirror Land (or A Fun Look at Non-decimal Number Systems)

Presenter: Rick Rupprecht
Presider: Lori Barrett

This talk is especially for those who are, or are considering, teaching a course for students planning to become elementary teachers. I will show you a fun approach to studying Non-decimal Number Systems. If you come to this talk, do not expect to passively sit and listen; you will have paper and pencil in hand, and take an “active” trip to Mirror Land! It will be fun and your brain will be challenged!

The Future Impact of Artificial Intelligence on College Mathematics Education

Presenter: Alexander Atwood
Presider: Crystal Heshmat

How will increasingly powerful artificial intelligence systems change the way in which mathematics is taught in colleges? Several case studies of the impact of artificial intelligence systems in various professions (in education and outside of education) will be presented, and a possible future of mathematics education will be envisioned.

Increasing Student Success through Acceleration, Engagement and Customized Remediation with ALEKS

Presenter: Kristyanna Erickson
Presider: Jennifer Eddy

Are you interested in improving student pass rates in mathematics? What about improving students’ attitudes towards math? Can you increase numbers in college level mathematics courses? Can you shorten the path to college level mathematics?

Using GEOGEBRA in Precalculus and Calculus Class

Presenter: Vera Hu-Hyneman
Presider: Rich Evans

In this presentation, the presenter will talk about how to integrate GeoGebra in the classroom. This will include concept of definition of derivatives, transformation of algebraic functions, volume revolution, as well as share the files the presenter has created. If you have a laptop, please bring it.

Creating the Right Path for Your Students Using Math Technology

Presenter: Mary Reynolds
Presider: Joseph Straight

This workshop will present new functionality, approaches, and features that will help you create, edit, and implement successful courses for STEM and NON-STEM Pathways. Along the way, we will discuss features that can encourage retention and success through personalized and Mastery-Based learning. We will also spend time going over exciting new features for interactivity in the classroom, Adaptive Practice, and Mathspace assignments that emphasize the steps and process of mathematical questions.

Mathemagic

Presenter: Candice H. Dance
Presider: Michael Helinger

Approximately 5 (self-working) tricks will be demonstrated that are used to motivate liberal arts math students. Then the participants will participate in figuring out the math that makes the tricks work correctly.

Some Nice Graph Theory, and Matrices

Presenter: Luis F. Moreno
Presider: Paul Seeburger

Graphs (the vertices and edges type, not the regular ones) are a ubiquitous mathematical tool. The presenter will give a brief introduction to them, and then talk about an application of matrices to graphs. Of interest to all present!

Break

Saturday 11:00 – 11:20 am

Please Visit Vendor Exhibits

Business Meeting

Saturday 11:20 am – 12:00 pm, Camillus

Lunch

Saturday 12:00 – 1:00 pm, Lafayette

Open Educational Resources Initiative

Presenters: David Usinski and Sophia Georgiakaki
Presider: Patty Owens

Overview of MyOpenMath courses in Intermediate and College Algebra; OpenStax with MOM in Statistics (currently) and Calculus (future implementation); SUNY Open Textbooks OER Initiative latest updates.

When Is 95% Confidence Too High?

Presenter: Rich Evans
Presider: Julie Croteau

The presenter will discuss a situation when 95% confidence intervals can be misleading. A useful tip will be given to resolve the problem. To justify this tip, various mathematical tools will be used including probability distributions of sums or differences, the Pythagorean Theorem, and limits. Come find out why the square root of two is an important part of the solution!

Quantway from the Student Perspective

Presenter:Mary Crawford-Mohat
Presider: Brenda Oursler White

“I hate math but this class is actually interesting” – Lindsey B. This session is a Q & A with students from Onondaga Community College who took or are currently taking Quantway 1. Hear their experiences from a student perspective.

My Favorite Curves

Presenter: Joseph Straight
Presider: Terri Gauthier

Heard of the Folium of Descartes? What about the Cissoid of Diocles, or the Cornu Spiral? Not only do these curves have cool names, but their study can enhance any precalculus or calculus course. Come to the talk, and learn more!

Mathematics and The Wonder Years

Presenter: Ernie Danforth
Presider: Erin Newton

The Wonder Years in this case does not refer to the early years of NYSMATYC. It refers to the TV series of the same name that ran from 1988 to 1993 on ABC. It was the story of growing up in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s as seen through the eyes of the young man, Kevin Arnold. One of the young stars actually grew up to become a mathematician and publish books that help middle school students succeed in math. The presentation will share clips from the show and share some of what the child star/mathematician/author has to say to young people.

It pays to be HIP!

Presenters: Dr. Rachel Santiago and Karen Wells
Presider: Vera Hu-Hyneman

“It pays to be HIP” is all about figuring out how we as instructors can offer more (in) formal writing opportunities in our courses, regardless of discipline. The facilitators will provide valuable takeaways and provide an opportunity for reflection and lesson development!

Break

Saturday 3:00 – 3:30 pm

Please Visit Vendor Exhibits

Teaching Quantway 1: Faculty Perspectives

Presenters: Mary Crawford-Mohat, William Hamilton, Shirley Hartnett and Carol Baum
Presider: Nancy Putnam

Join the discussion! This session is a panel discussion followed by Q & A. Three Quantway Instructors from Onondaga CC will share experiences teaching Quantway. Hear perspectives from novice to practiced teachers. Learn what it is really like to teach from Pathways materials.

Conversations with Herb Gross

Presenter: Herb Gross
Presider: Ernie Danforth

After hearing the keynote on Friday evening do you have questions that arose that you would like answered? Do you have questions on some other topic? Do you just want to hear more from Herb? If you answered yes to any of these questions, this is one more opportunity to hear from NYSMATYC’s first president in a very informal setting.

New Digital Games for Algebra and Pre-Calculus

Presenters: Kathleen Offenholley and Sarah McAllister
Presider: Dr. Rachel Santiago

Participants will play three digital mathematics games that were created with an NSF-ATE grant. Emphasis will be placed on how to help students learn from the games, in addition to increasing engagement. Faculty who teach algebra or pre-calculus will find this to be a terrific addition to their teaching.

Puzzles, Puzzles, Puzzles

Presenters: Jayashree Hurlburt and Larry Danforth
Presider:

A recent NYSMATYC conference staple for many, Puzzles, Puzzles, Puzzles is back for another year. Teams of four compete in this year’s puzzle contest. Create your team ahead of time or join others at the session to keep the tradition going for another year.

A Team-Teaching Approach to Student Success

Presenters: Jennifer Eddy and Brenda White
Presider: Tim Putnam

The presenters will share with other math instructors their experiences with team teaching. Jennifer and Brenda began using a team-teaching approach when they started teaching the Quantway curriculum (developed by the Carnegie Foundation) as a means of supporting each other as they embarked on teaching a non-traditional course for the first time.

Executive Board Meeting

Saturday 5:30 – 6:00 pm, Cazenovia

Cocktails

Saturday 6:00 – 6:30 pm

Dinner

Saturday 6:30 – 8:30 pm, Horizons

SUNDAY, APRIL 9TH

Breakfast

Sunday 8:00 – 9:00 am, Lafayette

Crafting a Mathematics Module

Presenter: Satyanand Singh
Presider: Nancy Putnam

In this presentation we will illustrate the creation of a precalculus and calculus 1 module. Our model module engages and promotes student learning. The module’s creation intersects with technology, experimentation and mathematical gems as we elevate, entice and challenge our students in STEM disciplines. This model of learning is one component implemented by Peer Led Teams of students at New York City College of Technology and their creation is funded by the Department of Education MSEIP Grant #P120A150063.

Gender and the Pursuit of Mathematics

Presenter: Kevin Maritato
Presider: Kathleen Offenholley

While the achievement gap between genders is closing in math classes, and men and women receive approximately equal numbers of mathematics bachelor’s degrees, the gender-based participation gap at higher rungs of the academic ladder remains wide. We will explore possible explanations, and remedies, for this gap.

Grading in College vs. Grading on Regents Exams: A Comparison

Presenter: Jason Mahar
Presider: Richard Moscatelli

In this interactive session participants will grade sample answers to questions from the Algebra 2 (Common Core) Regents exams and compare their results against how the answers would be scored for the Regents Exam as per the Rubrics. Participants should bring a graphing calculator, if possible.

Abbott-and-Costello Numbers

Presenter: Howard Sporn
Presider: Josh Hammond

This presentation will analyze a mathematical routine from the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, and will determine all possible numbers that can be used in the joke. It will generate an integer sequence involving least common multiples. This offbeat use of mathematics can provide entertainment for students.

Presenting SATURN, an Undergraduate Research Journal

Presenter: Davorin Dujmovic
Presider: Larry Danforth

The speaker shall present an online journal for undergraduate research SATURN with a couple of ideas how to use it for publishing mathematics research. Those ideas include the usage of elementary statistics for research involving local issues such as polling elections and analysis of the results. The engagement was class based and used for the evaluation of grades. This dispels the notion that undergraduates in community colleges are not capable of research in mathematics.

Using Online Math Tutorials and Games to Help Remediate Students’ Basic Math Skills: A Review and Discussion on Computer-Based Instructional Sites

Presenter: Joan Erickson
Presider: Satyanand Singh

From Khan Academy to YouTube math tutorials, remedial students turn to online resources for supplemental instructions. From the teacher’s perspective, what features in an online tutorial/game site are important when recommending them to remedial students? Here we will deliberate the pros and cons of using online math tutorials. Audience: Introductory algebra to PreCalc educators.

Math for Elementary Teachers, a Discussion

Presenter: Tim Putnam
Presider: Sophia Georgiakaki

Intended for instructors of the Math for Elementary Ed courses; what are we teaching? How are we teaching it? The presenter will share his thoughts, approaches, and methods, as well as his perception of student weaknesses in these courses.

Designing Formative Assessments for Math and Statistics

Presenter: Matthew Rogala
Presider: Kevin Maritato

Formative assessment presents a unique opportunity for both students and instructors to gain a deep understanding of not only what students are learning but also how they are learning it. We will look at some strategies for designing these assessments and create some samples together as a group.

Videos Built with Questions and Flipped Classrooms

Presenters: Judy Dean and Margaret Dean
Presider: George Hurlburt

Hands-on workshop for educators interested in flipped, online, and other nontraditional teaching styles: techniques to embed questions with required immediate response in pre-existing videos demonstrated. Participants create their own “Video Built with Questions,” engage in flipped classroom interactive activities and other techniques to increase student engagement. Bring laptop or tablet.