Math Educator Appreciation Day Conference 2007

The 3rd Annual Mathematics Educator Appreciation Day Conference (MEAD) was held on Saturday, January 20, 2007. More than 300 Tucson area teachers attended varied conference sessions at Tucson High School and were treated to a delicious lunch at the Marriott Hotel. The diverse conference sessions included topics like Origami in Geometry Class, Algebraic Aerobics to Move Your Students, Building Middle School Concepts and Skills through Manipulatives and Games. Dr. Ed Berger from Williams College, a Holt textbook author and a consultant for the TV show NUMB3RS, delivered a session titled Crafting Creative Thinkers. There were 32 presentations in all. Most were given by local area teachers and professors. Gail Burrill, past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, recipient of a Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics, co-author of the Connected Mathematics Program, and current faculty member at Michigan State University, was the key note luncheon speaker. Her remarks inspired teachers to stretch students’ mathematical understandings and to relate rigorous mathematics to contexts that interest students. Bob Brummet, a second-year Marana High School Teacher commented, “There’s a support structure at the university that cares about what we do. They provide us with new opportunities to refine our craft and there’s a camaraderie that we get from being all together.” Well said, Bob!

Provost George Davis, Fred Stevenson, and Bill McCallum	Gail Burril, past president of NCTM was the keynote speaker	Participants enjoyed a session on mathematics in art	An Origame session applied geometric transformations

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