TEXAS
GRADUATE
CENTER Monthly
Dr. James Tanton inspires GEAR UP mathematics teachers PAGE 34
November December 2014 MATHTEACH Collaborative hosts Dr. James Tanton
Hanging with Harvard 2 TGC Welcomes Cohort III
November - December 2014 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 Raul Garcia Jr. 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 Year in Review
A look back at the events of 2014 at the Texas Graduate Center.
07 TGC Executive Director presents at conference
Texas Graduate Center Executive Director Dr. Mary Alice Reyes spoke to teachers at the 49th annual Mathematics regional confrence.
08 MATHTEACH Collaborative hosts Dr.Tanton Teachers from across the Rio Grande Valley met at Region One to learn math concepts from renowned mathematician.
10 Hanging with Harvard 2
Members of Cohort I and II shared their experiences living on and off campus as well as what a typical day at Harvard was like.
12 TGC Welcomes Cohort III
“Getting to know each other is an important part of the process as the cohort will be spending a lot of time together over the next three years as they make their way through the program.”
Dr. Tanton earned his PhD in mathematics from Princeton University. He taught at the New College, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and Merrimack College. In addition to being a college professor, Dr. Tanton taught high school at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts from 2002 to 2011.
November - December 2014
Texas Graduate Center Year in Review
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t’s been a great year here at the Texas Graduate Center (TGC)! We started out the year welcoming Cohort II to the TGC, doubling the number of teachers in our Harvard Math for Teaching program. Now, Cohort II teachers have completed their first year of the program and Cohort I enters their final year. As part of the MATHTEACH Collaborative Leadership and Teacher Training Series the TGC welcomed distinguished professors Dr. Katherine Merseth and Dr. James Tanton to Region One. Dr. Merseth presented on “Confronting Mediocre Teaching from the Perspective of Superintendents and Building Administrators.” Dr. Tanton addressed math teachers in his presentation titled “Exploding Dots! School Arithmetic and Algebra Made Ridiculously Easy!” This year also saw the launch of a new TGC initiative—Girls Engaged in Mathematics (GEM)! The camp focuses on strengthening girls’
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ability in math and encouraging them in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. GEM Camp premiered in La Joya ISD over a three-week period in the summer. We close out our year welcoming nine new teachers into Cohort III. They are set to begin their program in January which means we’ll be entering 2015 with 23 Rio Grande Valley math teachers enrolled in Harvard’s Math for Teaching Graduate Program!
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G.E.M.
November - December 2014
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 6 | Texas Graduate Center
Girls Engaged in Mathematics is a public-private initiative of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation in partnership with La Joya ISD
TGC Executive Director presents at 49th Annual Mathematics Conference
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he Texas Graduate Center’s Executive Director, Dr. Mary Alice Reyes, was invited to present at the 49th Annual RGVCTM Mathematics Conference at the University of Texas-Pan American. Her presentation, “I am a Girl and I Love Math!” focused on the TGC’s Girls Engaged in Mathematics (GEM) Camp initiative and the importance of promoting girls in the areas of STEM (science, technology, engineering, math). She discussed alarming statistics related to girls in STEM and encouraged teachers and administrators in attendance to take action. Dr. Reyes shared research on the positive long-term impact of programs such as GEM: · Young women had lasting and detailed memories of these programs · Memories remained constant regardless of the length of time that had passed since they had participated. · Women reported feeling more empowered to take on technical challenges · Regarding STEM, women noted significant moments in their STEM program experience that had a profound impact on their perceptions of STEM and/or women in STEM. Joining Dr. Reyes in her presentation were TGC Associate Director Adriana Lopez as well as GEM Teacher Irene Vega and GEM Mentor Jocelyn Olmedo. GEM was successfully launched last summer in La Joya ISD and the TGC is hoping to rollout the camp at districts throughout the Rio Grande Valley. Our goal is to get more girls to say, “I’m a girl, and I love math!”
November - December 2014
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MATHTEACH COLLABORATIVE Hosts Dr. James Tanton
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r. James Tanton wowed an audience of local math teachers during his recent workshop at Region One in Edinburg, TX. Mathematics teachers from across the Rio Grande Valley were in attendance to participate in Dr. Tantons’ workshop, “Exploding Dots! School Arithmetic and Algebra made Ridiculously Easy!” By: Adriana V. Lopez Dr. Tanton was in town as part of the Texas Graduate Center’s MATHTEACH Collaborative, a partnership with local school districts who’ve sponsored math teachers into Harvard’s Math for Teaching graduate program. Queen Martin, a Harvard graduate student and TGC Scholar said it was the best math training she’d been to all year, “It is the best math training I’ve ever had so far. He showed us math from a totally different perspective and was able to build it from the ground up.” Dr. Tanton’s workshop promises to make Arithmetic and Algebra “ridiculously easy” and Martin believes it does just that! “It was so easy that even intermediate grade levels can handle it and even more amazing that it can solve calculus problems...just by exploding the dots,” said Martin. Dr.Tanton earned his PhD in mathematics from Princeton University. He taught at the New College, St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and Merrimack College. In
Dr. James Tanton looks on while Corazon Bautista, a Harvard graduate student, works through a problem with her colleagues.
addition to being a college professor, Dr. Tanton taught high school at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, Massachusetts from 2002 to 2011. He is now a visiting scholar at the Mathematical Association of America in Washington, DC.
Tanton’s professional focus is on reforming the secondary mathematics curriculum to bring a sense of joy and discovery to the topic. To learn more about Dr. Tanton and his work visit Jamestanton.com and Gdaymath.com.
November - December 2014
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HANGING WITH
HARVARD
By: Adriana V. Lopez
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he Texas Graduate Center, in partnership with Region One GEARUP, recently held their “Hanging with Harvard II” conference. The conference featured TGC’s Harvard graduate students who are currently pursuing their masters in Mathematics for Teaching. Students from across the Rio Grande Valley came to Region One to hear the graduate students present on three main topics: • Living at Harvard: What experiences can student expect while living in Boston? • Classes at Harvard: What support is available to ensure academic success for students? • High School Preparation: What research can students do now to help get admitted to Harvard? The Harvard graduate students shared their experiences living on and off campus as well as well what a typical day at Harvard was like. Ricardo Delgado, a San Benito math
“I was only thinking of UT before, and now I’m considering Harvard.” - Julio Pecina San Benito ISD teacher in his final year of the Harvard program, felt this resonated the most. “The students really liked hearing our experiences, especially the more relatable factors like our day to day routines,” he said. The goal of the conference was to let students know that Harvard is a possibility and should be considered as a potential university when they begin applying for college. Dorothy Villanueva, a Rio Grande Valley native currently enrolled at Harvard, was the keynote speaker. She
addressed the students via Skype and encouraged each student to consider Harvard as a possibility in their future. Overall, it was successful conference. “We really planted the seed as far as the whole idea of Harvard being a possibility,” said Delgado. Julio Pecina, a student at San Benito ISD said attending the conference was making him reconsider his choice of university, “I was only thinking of UT before, and now I’m considering Harvard.”
November - December 2014
TGC WELCOMES COHORT III AT NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION
Dr. Andy Engleward,Director of Mathematics for Teaching Graduate Program, Harvard Extension School addresses Cohort III during New Student Orientation.
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Front Row (L-R): Yaneira Gonzalez, Mercedes ISD; Patricia Vivanco, Donna ISD; Gina Miquiabas, PSJA ISD; Nancy Farrell, Weslaco ISD. Back Row (L-R): Jorge Suarez, Weslaco ISD; Nathanael Watt, Mission CISD; Daniel Lara, Edinburg CISD; Thania Chapa, Donna ISD; Jorge Ibanez, Edinburg CISD.
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By: Adriana V. Lopez exas Graduate Center (TGC) staff members Dr. Mary Alice Reyes, Dr. Edwin Le Master and Adriana Lopez, along with Harvard alum, Robert Sada, held interviews in November for the formation of Cohort III of the Harvard Math for Teaching Graduate Program. Selection was announced on November 14th. Six districts are represented in the new cohort: Donna ISD, Edinburg CISD, Mercedes ISD, PSJA ISD, Mission CISD and Weslaco ISD. All nine members of Cohort III met at the TGC for New Student Orientation on December 11th. The orientation included a Program Overview and a welcome from Dr. Andrew Engelward, Director for the Math for Teaching
Homer Colunga, Karina Araiza and Jose Villagomez, members from the Texas Graduate Center’s Cohort I and II participated in a discussion panel about thier experinces in the Math for Teaching Graduate program.
November - December 2014
Each Cohort III member interviewed a fellow Cohort member and then introduced their colleague to the group. Here, Nancy Farrell, Nathanael Watt and Patricia Vivanco share a laugh during the presentation.
Graduate Program at Harvard. Dr. Engelward discussed the goals of the program as well as the courses the students will be taking throughout their program. Members from Cohorts I and II were also in attendance. Homer Colunga and Jose Villagomez, both Cohort II members, joined Karina Araiza from Cohort I, in a panel discussion on The Harvard Experience. The panel shared their summer residency experiences and advised Cohort III on what they can expect throughout the program. This was the first time all cohort members were in the same room together. Getting to know each other is an important part of the process as the cohort will be spending a lot of time together over the next three years as they make their way through the program. Cohort III officially begin their program in January 2015.
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Cohort III members Thania Chapa, Jorge Ibanez and Yaneira Gonzalez participate in the “Getting to Know You� activity during New Student Orientation.
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MATHTEACH Collaborative Presents:
TEXAS GRADUATE CENTER
Teaching For Understanding and the Mathematical Discourse SAVE THE DATE!
Jan 16, 2015 • Region One ESC, 8:30 - 3:30 PM La Lomita Room • Workshop # 45026
HARVARD EXTENSION SCHOOL
DR. SRDJAN DIVAC HARVARD MATH PROFESSOR
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rdjan Divac studied computer science and applied mathematics, then pure mathematics at Harvard University, Tufts University and Boston University. He has been teaching math at various levels for the last 25 years at Harvard, Tufts, Boston University and Boston University Academy, and has collaborated on a number of textbooks and educational projects. Srdjan is a many-time recipient of the Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching. He was also nominated for the Levenson award, the highest teaching honor at Harvard.
Texas Graduate Center is a public-private initiative of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation
November - December 2014
Thank you to our MATHTEACH Collaborative Partners:
The Texas Graduate Center is a public-private initiative of the Texas Valley Communities Foundation. 16 | Texas Graduate Center