MATH 5410 Analysis for Teachers
In mathematics the concept of a real number comprises a rigorous treatment of the intuitive notion of `quantity'. The intuitive idea of a `relation' between quantities is encapsulated in rigorous mathematical terms by the
concept of a function of a real variable. The study of real numbers and functions of a real variable, together with higher concepts built upon them---such as measure and integration, metric spaces, families of functions, and so forth---is collectively referred to as analysis. Complex numbers and functions of a complex variable are closely related to real numbers and functions of a real variable, and study of the former is also referred to as analysis, or, more precisely , complex analysis.
MATH 5410 aims to convey a flavor of analysis as seen from a more sophisticated mathematical perspective than that of the Ontario high school curriculum, in the hopes that teachers will gain a new, enriched understanding that allows them to view the high school curriculum as part of a bigger picture.
Another objective of MATH 5410, is to convey a sense of the place of mathematics within the wider world. After all, why should math be taught as a basic subject from primary through secondary school? It turns out that the information age which is now upon us is largely based on the fact that a mathematically rigorous treatment of `quantity' is applicable to just
about anything: sounds, images, language, music, motion. The particular branch of mathematics that treats the `quantification' of sounds, pictures and communication is known as information theory, and it is the basis for digital communication as manifest in the world wide web, with its myriad applications such as youtube and iTunes, as well as cellular telephones and other wireless (and wired) media. But in order to have anything beyond a superficial understanding of information theory, one has to have a mastery of basic analysis. Any technical discussion of mp4 or coding theory, for
example, makes use of concepts from analysis. It is thus hoped that teachers who take MATH 5410 will be better equipped to convey to their students the place of mathematics in the broader world.
The format of the course will be weekly lectures and worksheets, with evaluation based on regular assignments, two in-class
tests, and a presentation.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
WolframAlpha solves math problems
An article titled A Calculating Web Site Could Ignite a New Campus 'Math War' was posted to the math department mailing list and it got a bit of response. The author seems to suggest that WolframAlpha is going to change the way that we teach math because it can solve calculus problems and other types of math problems.
From the article:
“I think this is going to reignite a math war,” said Maria H. Andersen, a mathematics instructor at Muskegon Community College, referring to past debates over the role of graphing calculators in math education.
...
"I still think that anyone who is not a little scared by the changes that WolframAlpha brings hasn’t thought about it enough yet,"
I would strongly disagree with this statement even though I think that WolframAlpha is an amazing tool. If you have not seen WolframAlpha you should check it out. It is not a search engine but acts similar to one. It can solve equations and analyze data and has data-mined massive amounts of information. Try "integral sin x dx" and you will see what this web site can do for calculus.
Does this significantly change the way we teach? My answer is "no more than other tools that are out there." I think that we have not correctly adapted to the use of the internet in learning since I perceive that students are leaving high school and do not know how to write and research properly (it could be my "old fogy-ism" kicking in).
I do not think that WolframAlpha is going to change the way that students arrive at a computational answer any more than a CAS (Computer Algebra System) does and it will have less impact than graphing calculators. Perhaps the authors worry that now we have a CAS (WolframAlpha is based on Mathematica) which is freely available. We have to be aware that students have access to this tool, but we had to adapt to the way Google changed the way students do mathematics and we will have to adapt to the use of smart phones as they become ubiquitous. This is nothing new and it is a good thing that this tool increases access.
From the article:
“I think this is going to reignite a math war,” said Maria H. Andersen, a mathematics instructor at Muskegon Community College, referring to past debates over the role of graphing calculators in math education.
...
"I still think that anyone who is not a little scared by the changes that WolframAlpha brings hasn’t thought about it enough yet,"
I would strongly disagree with this statement even though I think that WolframAlpha is an amazing tool. If you have not seen WolframAlpha you should check it out. It is not a search engine but acts similar to one. It can solve equations and analyze data and has data-mined massive amounts of information. Try "integral sin x dx" and you will see what this web site can do for calculus.
Does this significantly change the way we teach? My answer is "no more than other tools that are out there." I think that we have not correctly adapted to the use of the internet in learning since I perceive that students are leaving high school and do not know how to write and research properly (it could be my "old fogy-ism" kicking in).
I do not think that WolframAlpha is going to change the way that students arrive at a computational answer any more than a CAS (Computer Algebra System) does and it will have less impact than graphing calculators. Perhaps the authors worry that now we have a CAS (WolframAlpha is based on Mathematica) which is freely available. We have to be aware that students have access to this tool, but we had to adapt to the way Google changed the way students do mathematics and we will have to adapt to the use of smart phones as they become ubiquitous. This is nothing new and it is a good thing that this tool increases access.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
E-textbooks- all the rage
The budget crunch has caused some rough times for cities and municipalities in the U.S. (I don't know what it is like in Canada because Toronto, my own municipality, hasn't been able to balance its budget for years now) and this has caused some of them to teach students on the cheap. Arnold Schwarzenegger has canceled the contract with textbook companies and switched to lower cost electronic versions of textbooks. Surprisingly I haven't seen teachers and school districts in the state of California screaming. Instead the news seems to imply that schools elsewhere may use California as a model and use the same technique to lower their school budgets. We may be seeing electronic textbooks in our classrooms in a few short years if this experiment is successful.
Advantages that I can see:
(1) lower cost
(2) able to update textbooks quickly and inexpensively
(3) convenience and smaller size
Disadvantages
(1) lower income students may have less access (its not clear how they plan to get around that one)
(2) electronic formats are WAY less convenient than their printed counterparts (what about notes in the margin?)
(3) inconvenience and larger size (a laptop or desktop is significantly larger than a textbook, but an iphone or a kindle are both smaller...which is it going to be?)
(4) there is a learning curve involved in using this technology
The NY Times also highlighted a school district in Connecticut. Connecticut District Tosses Algebra Textbooks and Goes Online. They switched from textbooks to e-books for a reason other than budgetary.
Advantages that I can see:
(1) lower cost
(2) able to update textbooks quickly and inexpensively
(3) convenience and smaller size
Disadvantages
(1) lower income students may have less access (its not clear how they plan to get around that one)
(2) electronic formats are WAY less convenient than their printed counterparts (what about notes in the margin?)
(3) inconvenience and larger size (a laptop or desktop is significantly larger than a textbook, but an iphone or a kindle are both smaller...which is it going to be?)
(4) there is a learning curve involved in using this technology
The NY Times also highlighted a school district in Connecticut. Connecticut District Tosses Algebra Textbooks and Goes Online. They switched from textbooks to e-books for a reason other than budgetary.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Mathematics v. Mathematics Education
I was at a day panel that was organized by Walter Whiteley in relation to the CMESG meeting that is being held at York University this weekend when I wrote this. The first talk was about the competing goals of mathematics education and mathematicians.
The speaker was Peter Liljedahl, a professor of Mathematics education at SFU who teaches mathematics to future teachers. He emphasized that you cannot truly separate math and math ed and that there are common goals but he also talked about the differences between the goals of math and math education.
Some interesting ideas that came up in this talk:
1. The first is that sometimes people who are interested in learning math education are interested in learning how to teach mathematics and not about learning the mathematics content. This can be a conflicting goal with mathematicians who tend to believe that teaching mathematics well requires that the teacher understand the subject with a real depth.
2. The other idea that I thought was interesting was he addressed how teaching courses for math teachers (for example in this program) is different than other mathematics classes. The undergraduate classes that he gives in a 'for Teachers' program do not go into depth. The courses I have taught in this MA program always keep in mind two ideas (1) the students taking the course do not have the same background as each other or even a core basis that I can assume everyone knows and (2) the content that we do teach is not required for other courses. In other graduate and undergraduate courses the purpose is to teach a subject with a depth that can only be reached by assuming the students have understood and remember the material that came before.
3. He also touched on some of the skills that we need to provide students with for them to succeed in mathematics. For him it was less about what content we teach students, but what skills we provide them with. Some examples of skills that he mentioned are: how to read a math textbook, how to recognize when a teacher is skipping steps (and why), how to approach a problem that cannot be solved in 5 minutes, etc.
From my iPhone so this may be edited later.
The speaker was Peter Liljedahl, a professor of Mathematics education at SFU who teaches mathematics to future teachers. He emphasized that you cannot truly separate math and math ed and that there are common goals but he also talked about the differences between the goals of math and math education.
Some interesting ideas that came up in this talk:
1. The first is that sometimes people who are interested in learning math education are interested in learning how to teach mathematics and not about learning the mathematics content. This can be a conflicting goal with mathematicians who tend to believe that teaching mathematics well requires that the teacher understand the subject with a real depth.
2. The other idea that I thought was interesting was he addressed how teaching courses for math teachers (for example in this program) is different than other mathematics classes. The undergraduate classes that he gives in a 'for Teachers' program do not go into depth. The courses I have taught in this MA program always keep in mind two ideas (1) the students taking the course do not have the same background as each other or even a core basis that I can assume everyone knows and (2) the content that we do teach is not required for other courses. In other graduate and undergraduate courses the purpose is to teach a subject with a depth that can only be reached by assuming the students have understood and remember the material that came before.
3. He also touched on some of the skills that we need to provide students with for them to succeed in mathematics. For him it was less about what content we teach students, but what skills we provide them with. Some examples of skills that he mentioned are: how to read a math textbook, how to recognize when a teacher is skipping steps (and why), how to approach a problem that cannot be solved in 5 minutes, etc.
From my iPhone so this may be edited later.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Girls v. Boys now a tie in Math
A report on the state of U.S. education in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences says that a performance gap between girls and boys has narrowed significantly in recent years. The researchers also found a correlation between cultural gender equality and performance by girls in mathematics. There are still some achievement gaps but this study indicates that past achievement disparity between gender is likely attributable to factors other than the popular belief that 'boys have a math gene and girls don't.'
Here's some of the buzz:
Math: It's not a gender thing
Women Bridging Gap in Science Opportunities
Culture, Not Biology, Underpins Math Gender Gap
Girls Vs. Boys At Math
Sharon Begley: The Math Gender Gap Explained
Subject: The (Math) Gap - a critique
Here's some of the buzz:
Math: It's not a gender thing
Women Bridging Gap in Science Opportunities
Culture, Not Biology, Underpins Math Gender Gap
Girls Vs. Boys At Math
Sharon Begley: The Math Gender Gap Explained
Subject: The (Math) Gap - a critique
Women in Mathematics II
Back in March I posted an article about some research on opportunities in mathematics for women. Yesterday the New York Times published a summary about a report by the National Research Council on the state of opportunities for women in science and engineering. In summary (quoting from the article):
In recent years “men and women faculty in science, engineering and mathematics have enjoyed comparable opportunities,” the panel said in its report, released on Tuesday. It found that women who apply for university jobs and, once they have them, for promotion and tenure, are at least as likely to succeed as men.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Mathematical Moments from the AMS
I have noticed posted in the York University math department near the main office (and more recently elsewhere) a number of very good single page poster/summaries of examples of where mathematics has managed to solve some very practical problems. I took a look online and these posters are freely available from the American Mathematical Society.
I am writing this blog entry about them to suggest that you take a look and consider hanging them as math eye candy to in your classrooms and departments. The summaries are written for a general audience and are very good explanations of how mathematics is used in solving practical and interesting problems. Sometimes the posters are accompanied by additional teaching material such as podcasts and papers.
One example given was about a mathematician who won a Grammy for recovering recordings of Woody Guthrey using signal processing techniques. Another was about how it is possible to detect if a digital photo has been altered. Other examples in the area of digital technology include data compression, speech recognition, GPS, and digital movie animation. There are other examples from science, sports, art and langugage.
If you are looking for something to spark students interest in mathematics or even idea for classroom material this is a great resource. I recommend that you find a color printer if you do since they are not nearly as flashy in black and white. If you want to explore these topics further the online resources also seem very good.
I am writing this blog entry about them to suggest that you take a look and consider hanging them as math eye candy to in your classrooms and departments. The summaries are written for a general audience and are very good explanations of how mathematics is used in solving practical and interesting problems. Sometimes the posters are accompanied by additional teaching material such as podcasts and papers.
One example given was about a mathematician who won a Grammy for recovering recordings of Woody Guthrey using signal processing techniques. Another was about how it is possible to detect if a digital photo has been altered. Other examples in the area of digital technology include data compression, speech recognition, GPS, and digital movie animation. There are other examples from science, sports, art and langugage.
If you are looking for something to spark students interest in mathematics or even idea for classroom material this is a great resource. I recommend that you find a color printer if you do since they are not nearly as flashy in black and white. If you want to explore these topics further the online resources also seem very good.
Some recent announcements to the mailing list
Posted May 14
Subject: Extensions of Program Time Limits for Degree Completion and the CUPE Back-to-Work Protocol
---------------------------------------------------------
Please find the following communication from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, regarding Extensions of Program Time Limits for Degree Completion and the CUPE Back-to-Work Protocol.
The document is posted on the FGS website at the following link: http://www.yorku.ca/grads/cupe3903_back_to_work_protocol2009.
Posted May 27
Reminder:
Graduate students are required to maintain continuous registration. This means they must register in each term (Summer, Fall and Winter) until they complete their degree as either a full-time or part-time student. Summer 2009 registration commences on April 27, 2009 and the deadline for registering is June 15, 2009. Students who register after the deadline will be charged a late fee of $200.
Students should visit the FGS web site: www.yorku.ca/grads/registration/index.htm to register and view the summer 2009 course timetable.
Please note the following: unless a change of status has been approved by the Graduate Program Director and the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, students must remain in the category of registration to which they are admitted.
If you have any further queries, contact FGS Student Affairs Office at 416 736 5521.
Posted May 28
RE: FGS Summer 2009 Convocation
Important, please note (June 2009 Convocation)
The online RSVP to a ceremony for the June 2009 convocation in not yet active, the online rsvp system (which includes robe ordering) will be activated approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the ceremony. Students who wish to to attend the ceremony will be required to rsvp their attendance and order guest tickets.
Convocation Date:
Summer 2009 - June 24 - 30th, 2009
For more information on Convocation, please visit the convocation website: http://www.yorku.ca/mygraduation/
Subject: Extensions of Program Time Limits for Degree Completion and the CUPE Back-to-Work Protocol
---------------------------------------------------------
Please find the following communication from the Faculty of Graduate Studies, regarding Extensions of Program Time Limits for Degree Completion and the CUPE Back-to-Work Protocol.
The document is posted on the FGS website at the following link: http://www.yorku.ca/grads/cupe3903_back_to_work_protocol2009.
Posted May 27
Reminder:
Graduate students are required to maintain continuous registration. This means they must register in each term (Summer, Fall and Winter) until they complete their degree as either a full-time or part-time student. Summer 2009 registration commences on April 27, 2009 and the deadline for registering is June 15, 2009. Students who register after the deadline will be charged a late fee of $200.
Students should visit the FGS web site: www.yorku.ca/grads/registration/index.htm to register and view the summer 2009 course timetable.
Please note the following: unless a change of status has been approved by the Graduate Program Director and the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, students must remain in the category of registration to which they are admitted.
If you have any further queries, contact FGS Student Affairs Office at 416 736 5521.
Posted May 28
RE: FGS Summer 2009 Convocation
Important, please note (June 2009 Convocation)
The online RSVP to a ceremony for the June 2009 convocation in not yet active, the online rsvp system (which includes robe ordering) will be activated approximately 4-6 weeks prior to the ceremony. Students who wish to to attend the ceremony will be required to rsvp their attendance and order guest tickets.
Convocation Date:
Summer 2009 - June 24 - 30th, 2009
For more information on Convocation, please visit the convocation website: http://www.yorku.ca/mygraduation/
Monday, May 18, 2009
Calculus is not the solution to all our problems?
I missed an article in January's AMS Notices titled "Is the Sky Still Falling?" The author takes a close look at the number of incoming mathematics and engineering students to universities. A followup letter was published in the April 2009 issue of the AMS Notices titled "Why the Sky is Still Falling" that was written by our very own Walter Whiteley along with Peter Taylor (Queen's University) and Ed Barbeau (University of Toronto).
Let me give a list of pointers to the buzz on the blogs:
Math Forum: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Ars Mathematica
The Math Underground
Nabble
Matthew Leingang
Rational Mathematics Education
A followup article on MAA
My two cents: I will agree that calculus isn't for everyone and I would agree that there should be at least a couple of math paths for university bound students.
However, if one advances far enough along in mathematics, calculus becomes a fundamental tool that cannot be ignored. As a university math teacher I assume calculus as a tool which is as basic as logarithms and exponentiation (e.g. basic concepts of calculus come up regularly in just about all the courses I have been teaching: cryptography, gambling, computer graphics, combinatorics and number theory...subjects where one would not expect to need calculus at first glance).
I would not rush to force high school students through calculus in order to encourage them to do well at university. Too many learned little or nothing from an inadequate calculus education and need to retake it when they get to university anyway.
When I was in high school I found calculus to be absolutely fascinating and loved learning it. I don't think that it can be completely dismissed as a university preparation course because for some people it works well. I remember in 11th grade my "Functions" teacher answered a question that I had asked by writing down the formula for the area of an ellipse by integrating the equation for the curve a year before I would learn what differentiation and integration were about. For some reason that memory became a vivid example of the exceptional education I was exposed to (thanks Mrs. Keim!).
Moving away from calculus being a capstone course for college preparation is going to require much better preparation of our teachers. They will need exposure to a broad range of mathematics if they are going to be able to convey to students the applications and importance of mathematics (e.g. see the topic list for the advanced mathematics course discussed in one of the blogs).
Let me give a list of pointers to the buzz on the blogs:
Math Forum: 1 2 3 4 5 6
Ars Mathematica
The Math Underground
Nabble
Matthew Leingang
Rational Mathematics Education
A followup article on MAA
My two cents: I will agree that calculus isn't for everyone and I would agree that there should be at least a couple of math paths for university bound students.
However, if one advances far enough along in mathematics, calculus becomes a fundamental tool that cannot be ignored. As a university math teacher I assume calculus as a tool which is as basic as logarithms and exponentiation (e.g. basic concepts of calculus come up regularly in just about all the courses I have been teaching: cryptography, gambling, computer graphics, combinatorics and number theory...subjects where one would not expect to need calculus at first glance).
I would not rush to force high school students through calculus in order to encourage them to do well at university. Too many learned little or nothing from an inadequate calculus education and need to retake it when they get to university anyway.
When I was in high school I found calculus to be absolutely fascinating and loved learning it. I don't think that it can be completely dismissed as a university preparation course because for some people it works well. I remember in 11th grade my "Functions" teacher answered a question that I had asked by writing down the formula for the area of an ellipse by integrating the equation for the curve a year before I would learn what differentiation and integration were about. For some reason that memory became a vivid example of the exceptional education I was exposed to (thanks Mrs. Keim!).
Moving away from calculus being a capstone course for college preparation is going to require much better preparation of our teachers. They will need exposure to a broad range of mathematics if they are going to be able to convey to students the applications and importance of mathematics (e.g. see the topic list for the advanced mathematics course discussed in one of the blogs).
Friday, May 8, 2009
Access to courses mounted by education
Certain of the courses that are in the M.A. for Teachers program are offered by the Eduction department (those which are not exclusively mathematics courses). The three on the list include: MATH 5840 3.0: Mathematics Learning Environments, MATH 5900 3.0: Thinking about Teaching Mathematics, and MATH 5910 3.0: Quantitative Research Methods.
We are finding that students in the M.A. in Mathematics for Teachers program do not have priority or sometimes access to enroll in these courses. This happened this past Fall/Winter where we had limited spaces in Margaret Sinclair's classes and now it is happening this summer.
I just checked the enrollment for the course EDUC 5210 3.00/MATH 5910 3.0 and there are currently 19 enrolled. None of those students seem to be from our program. When I discussed upcoming courses with the graduate program director in education earlier this year she failed to mention the upcoming MATH 5910 3.0 course and I wonder if she intentionally left it off the list.
At least one of our students said he tried to enroll and somehow he was blocked from enrolling (although Primrose checked and could not find a reason for this block).
It is likely that for the Fall courses that the graduate program director for mathematics and I will secure from the education department some limited space in the courses that the education department is planning to offer. To determine priority in those limited spaces we will ask students to write a rationale for wanting to take the course and give priority to the students who have taken the most number of credits.
I have listed in another blog entry the expected course offerings for the Fall term.
Update: I sent an email on April 28 to the grad program director for education asking if there would be enrollment for Math students and she responded: "Yes, there should be space. For the CAS filters I have allowed some space. Not sure of RO has saved the spaces. There is still space for 3 atudents." I don't know what "CAS filters" and "RO" are but it seems like we should be able to get some students in this class.
We are finding that students in the M.A. in Mathematics for Teachers program do not have priority or sometimes access to enroll in these courses. This happened this past Fall/Winter where we had limited spaces in Margaret Sinclair's classes and now it is happening this summer.
I just checked the enrollment for the course EDUC 5210 3.00/MATH 5910 3.0 and there are currently 19 enrolled. None of those students seem to be from our program. When I discussed upcoming courses with the graduate program director in education earlier this year she failed to mention the upcoming MATH 5910 3.0 course and I wonder if she intentionally left it off the list.
At least one of our students said he tried to enroll and somehow he was blocked from enrolling (although Primrose checked and could not find a reason for this block).
It is likely that for the Fall courses that the graduate program director for mathematics and I will secure from the education department some limited space in the courses that the education department is planning to offer. To determine priority in those limited spaces we will ask students to write a rationale for wanting to take the course and give priority to the students who have taken the most number of credits.
I have listed in another blog entry the expected course offerings for the Fall term.
Update: I sent an email on April 28 to the grad program director for education asking if there would be enrollment for Math students and she responded: "Yes, there should be space. For the CAS filters I have allowed some space. Not sure of RO has saved the spaces. There is still space for 3 atudents." I don't know what "CAS filters" and "RO" are but it seems like we should be able to get some students in this class.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
All the math news that fit to digitize
There is a really good meta-math blog that I have been using as the source for some of the articles that I have posted here.
I want to acknowledge it because it has links to all types of math articles, from those that appear in major news sources (NYT, Scientific American, Google News) to blogs on a variety of math topics such as puzzles, math education, general interest and related branches of science.
http://math.alltop.com/
I want to acknowledge it because it has links to all types of math articles, from those that appear in major news sources (NYT, Scientific American, Google News) to blogs on a variety of math topics such as puzzles, math education, general interest and related branches of science.
http://math.alltop.com/
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The origin of math phobias
I had a discussion with someone this past weekend. She said that she has this dream about math. She is in a exam for which she has not studied and is not prepared.
I know that she is not alone in associating math with exams and anxiety and not doing well. Discussions like this are rather uncomfortable for me because I often feel as though I am math's only advocate in a room full of animosity towards a maligned subject and the direction of a conversation often takes a tack where I say something equivalent to "its good to know more math" and then we have awkward silence and we change the topic.
I decided to pursue the conversation anyway and asked an obvious question "why is math different than other subjects in causing anxiety? Why do students fear this subject more than others?" She said something that I think may get to the heart of the matter. With math, students are split into different streams and more or less subtly labeling them as "smart" and "not smart." In grade school, there isn't "English for the smart kids" and "regular English"....there is essentially just "English" and everybody takes it.
I will pose this question: is it a good idea to "stream" math students when it causes a lifetime of anxiety? Can we teach the students who are faster and study more without subtly labeling other people as dumb? Thoughts?
I know that she is not alone in associating math with exams and anxiety and not doing well. Discussions like this are rather uncomfortable for me because I often feel as though I am math's only advocate in a room full of animosity towards a maligned subject and the direction of a conversation often takes a tack where I say something equivalent to "its good to know more math" and then we have awkward silence and we change the topic.
I decided to pursue the conversation anyway and asked an obvious question "why is math different than other subjects in causing anxiety? Why do students fear this subject more than others?" She said something that I think may get to the heart of the matter. With math, students are split into different streams and more or less subtly labeling them as "smart" and "not smart." In grade school, there isn't "English for the smart kids" and "regular English"....there is essentially just "English" and everybody takes it.
I will pose this question: is it a good idea to "stream" math students when it causes a lifetime of anxiety? Can we teach the students who are faster and study more without subtly labeling other people as dumb? Thoughts?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Advising appointments with Augustine Wong
The following message was sent to the mailing list.
Evening appointments for advising:
Wednesday, May 6, 7 - 9 p.m.
Wednesday, May 13, 7 - 9 p.m.
Advising should take approximately 10 mins.
Please e-mail Prof. Wong (august@mathstat.yorku.ca) and let him know what time-slot is suitable for you.
ADVISING APPOINTMENTS - SUMMER 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
7:00 7:10 7:20 7:30 7:40 7:50 8:00 8:10 8:20 8:30 8:40 8:50
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
7:00 7:10 7:20 7:30 7:40 7:50 8:00 8:10 8:20 8:30 8:40 8:50
Thanks
Primrose Miranda
Graduate Program in Mathematics & Statistics
Mike's note: I recommend anyone should set up an appointment to speak with Augustine or myself. I will be less formal and not set times, email me and give me a chance to get your file (remember I am not in the same building as Primrose and Augustine so give me advance warning). Since most of you are coming in on Monday and Thursday for classes rather than Wednesday I would recommend arranging to do the advising appointment by phone rather than making a trip here on another evening.
Evening appointments for advising:
Wednesday, May 6, 7 - 9 p.m.
Wednesday, May 13, 7 - 9 p.m.
Advising should take approximately 10 mins.
Please e-mail Prof. Wong (august@mathstat.yorku.ca) and let him know what time-slot is suitable for you.
ADVISING APPOINTMENTS - SUMMER 2009
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
7:00 7:10 7:20 7:30 7:40 7:50 8:00 8:10 8:20 8:30 8:40 8:50
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
7:00 7:10 7:20 7:30 7:40 7:50 8:00 8:10 8:20 8:30 8:40 8:50
Thanks
Primrose Miranda
Graduate Program in Mathematics & Statistics
Mike's note: I recommend anyone should set up an appointment to speak with Augustine or myself. I will be less formal and not set times, email me and give me a chance to get your file (remember I am not in the same building as Primrose and Augustine so give me advance warning). Since most of you are coming in on Monday and Thursday for classes rather than Wednesday I would recommend arranging to do the advising appointment by phone rather than making a trip here on another evening.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Summer 2009 registration begins Monday, April 27, 2009!
Wednesday April 22, 2009 <>
Dear Graduate Students,
Dear Graduate Students,
I hope this note finds you well as you enter into summer 2009 term on June 8, 2009.
As a graduate student, you are required to maintain continuous registration in your program. This means you must register in each term (Summer, Fall and Winter) until you complete your degree as either a full-time or part-time student.
The deadline to register is June 15, 2009. If you register after this date, you will be charged a late fee of $200.
To register and view the summer 2009 course timetable, visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) web site: www.yorku.ca/grads/
Please note that unless your Graduate Program Director and Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies have approved a change of status, leave of absence academic petition, you must remain in the category of registration to which you were admitted. If you are having difficulty registering please do not hesitate to contact FGS.
The Faculty of Graduate Studies wishes you all the best in your academic progress. If you have any question, please contact your graduate program or call or visit the Faculty of Graduate Studies at 283 York Lanes or 416 736-5521.
Sincerely,
Sharon Pereira
Student Affairs Officer
Faculty of Graduate Studies
Summer 2009 Registration
Dear Graduate Program Assistants,
Graduate students are required to maintain continuous registration. This means they must register in each term (Summer, Fall and Winter) until they complete their degree as either a full-time or part-time student. Summer 2009 registration commences on April 27, 2009 and the deadline for registering is June 15, 2009. Students who register after the deadline will be charged a late fee of $200.
Students should visit the FGS web site: www.yorku.ca/grads/registration/index.htm to register and view the summer 2009 course timetable.
Please note the following: unless a change of status has been approved by the Graduate Program Director and the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, students must remain in the category of registration to which they are admitted.
If you have any further queries, contact FGS Student Affairs Office at 416 736 5521.
Thank you,
Karen Reid
Student Affairs, Assistant
York University
Faculty of Graduate Studies, 283 York Lanes
416.736.2100 Ext. 55521
kreid@yorku.ca
www.yorku.ca/grads
Graduate students are required to maintain continuous registration. This means they must register in each term (Summer, Fall and Winter) until they complete their degree as either a full-time or part-time student. Summer 2009 registration commences on April 27, 2009 and the deadline for registering is June 15, 2009. Students who register after the deadline will be charged a late fee of $200.
Students should visit the FGS web site: www.yorku.ca/grads/
Please note the following: unless a change of status has been approved by the Graduate Program Director and the Dean, Faculty of Graduate Studies, students must remain in the category of registration to which they are admitted.
If you have any further queries, contact FGS Student Affairs Office at 416 736 5521.
Thank you,
Karen Reid
Student Affairs, Assistant
York University
Faculty of Graduate Studies, 283 York Lanes
416.736.2100 Ext. 55521
kreid@yorku.ca
www.yorku.ca/grads
Monday, April 20, 2009
We pretend to teach 'em, they pretend to learn
An article in the Globe and Mail from April 18, 2009 identifies serious problems with university bound high school students.
The article clearly says that students are not motivated, are not stretched academically, get As and Bs just for showing up, are immature and disorganized, lack math and writing skills, can't think critically, and believe that research is synonymous with Wikipedia.
Count me a member of the "Old Farts Club" that is mentioned in the article. Now, what can we do about it?
This article is confirmed by the Toronto Star on April 6, 2009. What is this, take pot shots at students month? Its like shooting fish in a barrel.
The article clearly says that students are not motivated, are not stretched academically, get As and Bs just for showing up, are immature and disorganized, lack math and writing skills, can't think critically, and believe that research is synonymous with Wikipedia.
Count me a member of the "Old Farts Club" that is mentioned in the article. Now, what can we do about it?
This article is confirmed by the Toronto Star on April 6, 2009. What is this, take pot shots at students month? Its like shooting fish in a barrel.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
A novel approach to grading
This professor at University of Ottawa is being punished for his assigning all A+ grades in a class. Oh how I wish he were in the norm. I am not as eloquent as he is and not able to defend such a position but I would support a move to a non-grading or a pass-fail system.
Towards the end of the interview the interviewer says in summary:
"We are too focused on grades and not enough on learning."
Ah-ha! He gets it!
I should add a link to the petition in support of Professor Denis Rancourt:
http://rancourt.
Friday, April 17, 2009
Deadline for applying to graduate at the end of winter term
Students who will be completing degree requirements by the end of the winter term should apply on-line to graduate. The deadline is May 1. In addition, these students have to complete a convocation form. Please let me know if you will be completing your degree requirements by the end of this term so that I can print off a convocation form and send it to you for completion and signature. Some of you may have done this already.
Please also note the deadline for submission of final copies of theses/dissertations to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Thanks
Primrose Miranda
Graduate Program in Mathematics & Statistics
Please also note the deadline for submission of final copies of theses/dissertations to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.
Thanks
Primrose Miranda
Graduate Program in Mathematics & Statistics
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Digging For The 'Prime' Jewels Of Numbers
We usually discuss the Great Internet Mersenne Prime Search (GIMPS) in the Fundamentals class. This week it made it into the news because a journalist at NPR did a story about the project. Surprisingly, the story comes not when another large prime has been found, but when the journalist is encouraging others to join the search so that he can win a bet. This story was on 'NPR's most emailed stories.'
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Upcoming summer courses
Summer course offerings for the M.A. in Mathematics for Teachers program have been 'officially' listed.
Math 5350 (June 8 - July 16) An introduction to Mathematical Modeling - Discrete Time & Probability
J. Heffernan
MR 6:00-9:00 Ross N836
Math 5360 3.0 (July 20 - Aug 27) An introduction to Mathematical Modeling - Continuous Time & Probability
J. Heffernen
MR 6:00-9:00 Ross N836
Math 5910 3.0* (EDUC 5210) Quantitative Research Methods in Education
P.D. Millett
MTRF 9:30-2:30
W 9:30-3:30
Math 5350 3.0 - An introduction to Mathematical Modeling – Discrete Time and Probability
This course provides an introduction to discrete time and probabilistic mathematical models. The course focuses on the mathematical methods underlying scientific inquiry and discovery. Through hands-on exploration and reflection, students will examine topics such as historical connections between mathematics and science, empirical modeling, model validation, proportionality, and simulation. The course starts with an overview of the modeling process and a review of relevant technology - Texas Instrument TI-92, the Internet and the World Wide Web, Java applets and computer algebra systems. Strategies to initiate modeling in the secondary classroom and classroom assessment of modeling activities are introduced and discussed. Topics include difference equations, Markov chains, and leslie matrices, applied to problems in biology, the environment, and finance i.e. modeling infectious disease spread, species extinction, power delivery. Particular attention is given to topics in the intermediate and senior Ontario curriculum.
Math 5360 3.0 - An introduction to Mathematical Modeling – Continuous Time and Probability
This course provides an introduction to continuous-time and probabilistic mathematical models. The course focuses on the mathematical methods underlying scientific inquiry and discovery. Through hands-on exploration and reflection, students will examine topics such as historical connections between mathematics and science, empirical modeling, model validation, proportionality, and simulation. The course starts with an overview of the modeling process and a review of relevant technology - Texas Instrument TI-92, the Internet and the World Wide Web, Java applets and computer algebra systems. Strategies to initiate modeling in the secondary classroom and classroom assessment of modeling activities are introduced and discussed. Topics include differential equations, Markov processes, and leslie matrices, applied to problems in biology, the environment, and finance i.e. modeling infectious disease spread, predator prey, heat flow. Particular attention is given to topics in the intermediate and senior Ontario curriculum.
Instructor: Jane Heffernan (jmheffer at yorku dot ca)
Math 5350 and Math 5360 are new and I am really excited that we are offering these courses because they promise some interesting content that you will not find in too many other programs (undergraduate or graduate). The other great feature that these courses introduce into the program is the flexibility of the 3.0 credit option. Most of our previous classes have all been 6.0 credits and I plan to try to offer a few more like this in the future.
Math 5350 (June 8 - July 16) An introduction to Mathematical Modeling - Discrete Time & Probability
J. Heffernan
MR 6:00-9:00 Ross N836
Math 5360 3.0 (July 20 - Aug 27) An introduction to Mathematical Modeling - Continuous Time & Probability
J. Heffernen
MR 6:00-9:00 Ross N836
Math 5910 3.0* (EDUC 5210) Quantitative Research Methods in Education
P.D. Millett
MTRF 9:30-2:30
W 9:30-3:30
Math 5350 3.0 - An introduction to Mathematical Modeling – Discrete Time and Probability
This course provides an introduction to discrete time and probabilistic mathematical models. The course focuses on the mathematical methods underlying scientific inquiry and discovery. Through hands-on exploration and reflection, students will examine topics such as historical connections between mathematics and science, empirical modeling, model validation, proportionality, and simulation. The course starts with an overview of the modeling process and a review of relevant technology - Texas Instrument TI-92, the Internet and the World Wide Web, Java applets and computer algebra systems. Strategies to initiate modeling in the secondary classroom and classroom assessment of modeling activities are introduced and discussed. Topics include difference equations, Markov chains, and leslie matrices, applied to problems in biology, the environment, and finance i.e. modeling infectious disease spread, species extinction, power delivery. Particular attention is given to topics in the intermediate and senior Ontario curriculum.
Math 5360 3.0 - An introduction to Mathematical Modeling – Continuous Time and Probability
This course provides an introduction to continuous-time and probabilistic mathematical models. The course focuses on the mathematical methods underlying scientific inquiry and discovery. Through hands-on exploration and reflection, students will examine topics such as historical connections between mathematics and science, empirical modeling, model validation, proportionality, and simulation. The course starts with an overview of the modeling process and a review of relevant technology - Texas Instrument TI-92, the Internet and the World Wide Web, Java applets and computer algebra systems. Strategies to initiate modeling in the secondary classroom and classroom assessment of modeling activities are introduced and discussed. Topics include differential equations, Markov processes, and leslie matrices, applied to problems in biology, the environment, and finance i.e. modeling infectious disease spread, predator prey, heat flow. Particular attention is given to topics in the intermediate and senior Ontario curriculum.
Instructor: Jane Heffernan (jmheffer at yorku dot ca)
Math 5350 and Math 5360 are new and I am really excited that we are offering these courses because they promise some interesting content that you will not find in too many other programs (undergraduate or graduate). The other great feature that these courses introduce into the program is the flexibility of the 3.0 credit option. Most of our previous classes have all been 6.0 credits and I plan to try to offer a few more like this in the future.
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