TGC Monthly - Feburary

TEXAS

GRADUATE

CENTER Monthly

February 2015 TGC now offering Student University Tours Harvard Professor Visits RGV To Discuss Quality Math Instruction Donna School Board Recognizes math Teachers

February 2015 Annenburg hall, harvard university

TEXAS

GRADUATE

CENTER Monthly

President Dr. Roland Arriola Executive Director Dr. Mary Alice Reyes

About Us:

The Texas Graduate Center (TGC), a component of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation, has been established to support programs in higher education that will guide new and emerging leaders in education to implement transformational change that will impact schools and communities. TGC will offer distance learning graduate programs from outstanding universities in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The TGC will make available the latest telepresence technology and virtual classrooms with direct connection to world-class undergraduate and graduate programs from across the country. TGC will also serve as a college and career readiness facilitator offering assistance in selecting, preparing and enrolling in nationally recognized graduate programs.

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Associate Director Adriana V. Lopez Designer/ PHOTOGRAPHER David Alvarado Academic Advisor Dr. Edwin LeMaster TGC OFFICES 1098 W. Expressway 83 Mercedes, Texas 78570

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In this issue...

Harvard University Extension School

The Texas Graduate Center has partnered with the Harvard University Extension School to implement the Math for Teaching Graduate Program. Harvard Extension School is one of the twelve degreegranting schools of Harvard University, offering professional certificates and liberal arts-based undergraduate and graduate degree programs aimed at nontraditional students, as well as openenrollment continuing education courses.

04 TGC now offering Student University Tours

Texas Graduate Center (TGC) staff met with district representatives this month to discuss a new initiative at the TGC.

08 Harvard Professor Visits RGV To Discuss

Quality Math Instruction

Harvard professor Brendan Kelly recently led two workshops as part of the Texas Graduate Center’s Leadership Series in partnership with Region One GEAR UP..

14 Donna School Board Recognizes Math Teachers Thania Chapa and Patricia Vivanco were officially accepted into the Texas Graduate Center in November 2014 and began their Harvard course work in January 2015.

Dr. Kelly helps facilitate a professional learning community specifically for middle school math teachers.

He graduated from the University of Utah with a PhD in mathematics.

During his time in Utah, he developed innovative curriculum to support students that were transitioning from high school to college.

His passion is to improve mathematics education.

February 2015

MATHTEACH COLLABORATIVE

STUDENT UNIVERSITY TOURS Texas Graduate Center (TGC) staff met with district representatives this month to discuss a new initiative at the TGC.

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or the first time this summer, the TGC is offering student university tours to MATHTEAH Collaborative partnering school districts. The tour will include visits to Harvard University, MIT, Boston University and Brown University. Ten districts were represented at the meeting. TGC plans to take 46 students and 13 district sponsors on the ​t​our. ​ Students, sponsors and TGC staff are scheduled to depart for Boston on June 10, 2015. The following school

districts have been invited to participate: Donna ISD, Edinburg CISD, Hidalgo ISD, La Joya ISD, Lyford CISD, McAllen ISD, Mercedes ISD, Mission CISD, PSJA ISD, San Benito CISD, Weslaco ISD.

Texas Graduate Center

Y T I S R E V I N U T N E D STU RS hteach at m U r ou s!

TcO r o e t n e rt lusiv e pa ex tiv a r o ab l l o c

Students will visit the following schools: Harvard University Massachusets Institute of Technology

Brown University Boston University

G.E.M.

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GIRLS ENGAGED IN MATHEMATICS

Building CONFIDENCE and reducing MATH ANXIETY The notion that only boys can become scientists and engineers has persisted over time. Studies have shown that negative stereotypes about girls’ abilities in mathematics and science have impacted their performance in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and math) areas.

to schedule a gem camp at your school, contact: Executive Director Dr. Mary Alice Reyes 956.903.4231 mareyes@tvcof.org

Girls Engaged in Mathematics is a public-private initiative of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation

Harvard Professor Visits RGV to Discuss Quality Math Instruction

February 2015

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MATHTEACH COLLABORATIVE

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Leadership Series

Harvard Professor Brendan Kelly with members of Cohorts I, II and III

February 2015

DAY 1 Leadership Series: District Math Administrators and Teachers attended Kelly’s workshop at Region One

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arvard professor Brendan Kelly recently led two workshops as part of the Texas Graduate Center’s Leadership Series in partnership with Region One GEAR UP. On day one, Dr. Kelly presented on Quality Math Instruction at Region One Education Service Center in Edinburg, TX. In attendance were local district administrators and math teachers from across the Rio Grande Valley, including Texas Graduate Center (TGC) cohort members. Dr. Kelly stressed the importance of “low-floor/high-ceiling” questions and activities that encourage students to think of creative ways to solve mathematical problems. He discussed the importance of integrating perplexity

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into math instruction as a way of highlighting the creativity in mathematics which is often lost in math classes. “I think the whole idea of embedding perplexity in our lessons as a means of quality instruction is what we really need to focus on as mathematics educators,” said Karina Araiza, PSJA math teacher and Cohort I member.

“The trend now is engaging students through relevance, but they should also be dying to solve the riddle provided by the mathematics coach, and continue persevering until they figure out the puzzle, that is the whole idea of perplexity,” Araiza said.

Daniel Lara, an Edinburg math teacher and Cohort III member was also in at-

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February 2015

DAY 2 Teachers’ Circle: TGC Cohort Members met at Weslaco East High School to participate in a Teacher’s Circle Model

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tendance, “I really enjoyed the workshop at Region One. The activity that he had us doing (with the cube) forced me to really think about how to come up with a solution to the problem at hand,” Lara said, “It made me think in new ways.”

Dr. Kelly’s second workshop was held at Weslaco East High School for TGC master’s students currently pursuing their Math for Teaching graduate degree from Harvard Extension School. Dr. Kelly discussed and modeled Teachers’ Circles for the group. Math Teachers’ Circles are professional development communities of mathematics teachers and professors who meet regularly to work on rich mathematics problems. Teacher’ Circles encourage teachers as mathematicians, connect mathematics professors with K-12 education, and build a K-20 community of mathematics professionals committed to fostering a love and understanding of mathematics among all students.

“I think that math teacher circles is a revolutionary idea in order to promote quality mathematics instruction, the beauty in doing mathematics is what drew most of us math teachers into the profession,” said Araiza. “Sadly, after a few years into the profession, one starts to loose the spark, by being constantly exposed into the explorative process and research of mathematical concepts with other individuals who enjoy the same hobby, one maintains a fresh perspective on the subject and is able to communicate the concepts better.”

Dr. Kelly is a Preceptor of Mathematics at Harvard University. He will be teaching MATH S-318 Groups and Symmetry this summer at Harvard’s Extension School. At Harvard, Dr. Kelly works closely with the teaching mission of the Harvard’s mathematics department, developing curriculum and mentoring new instructors. He is working with HarvardX developing a MOOC to increase access for freshmen to take calculus their first semester of college. Dr. Kelly also helps facilitate a professional learning community specifically for middle school math teachers.

I think that math teacher circles is a revolutionary idea in order to promote quality mathematics instruction

February 2015

Donna School Board Recognizes Math Teachers

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onna ISD recognized two of its teachers this month who were accepted into the Texas Graduate Center’s Math for Teaching Harvard Program. Thania Chapa and Patricia Vivanco are the newest members of Cohort III. They were officially accepted into the Texas Graduate Center in November 2014 and began their Harvard course work in January 2015. Ms. Chapa teaches at Sauceda Middle School, Ms. Vivanco is a teacher at Donna High School. They are currently taking their first Harvard graduate course, Math and the Greeks.

In June, their cohort will join Cohort I and II for their annual Harvard summer residency in Cambridge Massachusetts.

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Teaching Geometry

Differently When: Saturday, April 18, 2015 Where: Region One ESC Time: 8:30 am - 1:00 pm

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Daniel Plas

PhD, Baylor College of Medicine, 2005 Major: Neuroscience BS, The University of Texas-Austin, 1986 Major: Physics BA, Harvard University, 1980 Major: Economics

Texas Graduate Center and Region One ESC GEAR UP: Ready, Set, College! Partnership

Invite you to join us as we explore how geometry can be taught and learned differently. Sessions are presented by Rio Grande Valley teachers in the Mathematics for Teaching Masters program at Harvard University.

February 2015

Thank you to our MATHTEACH Collaborative Partners:

The Texas Graduate Center is a public-private initiative of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation.

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