2001 Middlesex Community College Lowell, Massachusetts

NEMATYC'2001 was held at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, Massachusetts, on Friday and Saturday, April 20 and 21, 2001. This was the 27th Annual Meeting. Vice president was Maureen Woolhouse of Middlesex Community College, and the Conference Chairpersons were Carol Hay and Maureen Woolhouse of Middlesex. Besides a great program other events enjoyed by the participants included the following. Friday Evening A tour of the Boott Mill National Park A trolley ride to the hotel, for dinner, then a shuttle bus to the Historic Nesmith House for dessert. The after dinner speaker was Audrey Ambrosino of Historical Lowell, at the Nesmith House. Saturday After-Lunch Speaker Dr. Robert Daveney, Professor of Mathematics, Boston University, talked about and visually demonstrated Chaos Games and Fractal Images Carol Hay and Maureen Woolhouse Middlesex Community College NEMATYC 2001 CoChairs

NEMATYC Treasurer's Report 4/21/2001 Bank Account Balance, March 15, 2000 $4476.02 INCOME: Interest 142.21 Membership 65.00 AMATYC Support 200.00 NEMATYC 2000 Profit 2883.43 $2430.62 EXPENSES: Newsletter expenses 498.32 Fall Executive Board Meeting 327.92 Taxes on Interest 37.48 AMATYC Hospitality Sponsor 200.00 AMATYC support for NEMATYC president 250.00 $1313.72 Bank Account Balance, March 15, 2000 $6452.94 Respectfully submitted, Lois A. Martin Treasurer

Program

1. Workshop: Internet Resources for Mathematics Instruction
   Stanton Lockwood, New Hampshire Technical Institute, Concord
   Workshop participants will be shown selected Web sites that provide resources for solving and investigating a variety of mathematics topics such as: function graphing, unit of measurement conversion, trigonometric function definitions, statistical table usage, and differentiation and integration applications.
2. Math Processes for Engineering
   Joan S. Gardner and Larry C. Lovett, Franklin Institute of Boston
   In a two-year school, technology students must be solidly versed in select math topics if they are to succeed in their applied courses. Is it possible to simultaneously address the math needs of students from nine different majors on up to 16 different topics, in a degree credit course? We're doing it with a math lab approach within the confines of a 12-week, 3-credit course!!
3. Portfolios and Projects for Developmental Math Students
   Beth Fraser and Marie Caruso, Middlesex Community College
   In this session we will look at examples of student journals, posters and portfolios as an additional form of assessment. If you have any examples of similar types of materials to share, please bring them along.
4. Math by Students Who Think They Can't Do Math
   Carol Henry, Middlesex Community College
   Come and see the unique independent study projects that our traditional "non-math type" students have done. We will have many of these projects on-hand and discuss the background and student motivation leading to their creation.
5. Practical Application Problems Integrated into Introductory Algebra
   Paul Laverty, Mount Wachusett Community College
   In an effort to enliven and enhance my Introductory Algebra classes at Mount Wachusett Community College, I have supplemented the "cookbook" application problems with a variety of "practical" problems emphasizing everyday situations and connections to other courses. At the same time, I have attempted to infuse some global awareness into my courses. Handouts will be provided.
6. Make Fractals Part of Your Curriculum
   Andrew Freda, The Rivers School, Weston, MA
   This workshop will demonstrate ways to integrate fractals into the standard 9-12 curriculum (Geometry, Algebra I and II, Precalculus, and Calculus) so that key ideas - similarity, dimension, graphing, imaginary numbers, complex plane, iteration, continuity - are remembered.
7. Sharing Ways to Improve the Life of the Migrant Worker
   Judy King, New Hampshire Technical Institute, Concord
   This session is a round-table discussion on and for adjunct math faculty. Discussion will include things the adjunct faculty member can do, things the math department can do and things specific persons beyond the department can do to improve and facilitate the lot of the adjunct faculty member and make their experience more rewarding.

PUBLISHERS EXHIBITS

WELCOME

• Barry Werner, Dean, Mathematics, Science and Technology, Middlesex Community College
• Charmian Sperling, Provost, Middlesex Community College

1. The Teaching of An Online Statistics Course
   Joyce E. Oster, Johnson and Wales University
   The presenter will share her experiences on setting up an online statistics course. Topics of discussion will include proposal, administrative input, recruitment of students, course introduction, interactivity between instructor and students, virtual-classroom management, course management software, and time commitments/constraints. This is the first distance learning course to be offered by Johnson and Wales University. The presenter is teaching from the New England area to students at the No. Miami FL campus.
2. Web Based Test Creation, Tutorials and Class Management (Commercial Presenter)
   Kevin O'Brien, Addison Wesley Publishing
   During this presentation, the Addison Wesley Technology Specialist would present two web-based resources being offered with Addison Wesley math texts. These web resources would be of interest to instructors looking to offer easily accessed practice problems and tutorials to enhance a traditional course as well as those teaching a complete online course. Both of these resources correlate directly with the scope and sequence of math texts, which Addison Wesley publishes. These resources will be presented in a computer lab, which will allow participants to access these sites for a hands-on experience.
3. Fibonacci Vectors
   David Mello, Johnson and Wales University
   By viewing elements of the Fibonacci sequence as vectors in r², we are led to some new and interesting properties of the Fibonacci numbers.
4. Warm and Fuzzy Math - Using Tales to Teach Algebra Concepts
   Susan McCourt Faulkenberry, Bristol Community College
   For generations, storytellers have used their art tot teach life's lessons. Can we use tales to teach mathematics? Students in developmental courses often need a left-brained approach to learning right-brained concepts. Students in classes often ask for a story to illustrate a concept. During this workshop, I will share tales that have helped me teach signed numbers, the distributive, associative, and commutative properties, canceling common factors, finding the least common divisor, solving linear equations, and combining like terms. I'd like to hear from participants of the concepts that their students have difficulty understanding and/or remembering. We'll brainstorm for these, too.
5. MassMath Forum: An Internet Information Exchange for Massachusetts Community College Math Faculty
   Judy Maggiore and Des Tynan, Holyoke Community College
   The Holyoke Community College Math Department is sponsoring a web site for all Massachusetts Community College faculty. The web site will allow Massachusetts faculty to communicate with one another about topics affecting the teaching of mathematics statewide. We will have a roundtable discussion to introduce people to. MassMath Forum and how to get on board.
6. Wake Up and Enliven Math Classes from Arithmetic through Precalculus
   Stephen Zona, Quinsigamond Community College
   Are your students falling asleep on you during your three-hour night class or during that tough 2:00 PM Friday class? Get your students actively involved in class with manipulatives. Most activities presented in this workshop will demonstrate how to review/reinforce students previously learned skills in arithmetic, algebra and precalculus, and encourage a wider application of skills. Participants who last the full100 minutes will be give a printout of these activities to use in the classroom. You won't fall asleep in this workshop!
7. Applied Laboratories for Precalculus
   Robert Cournoyer and Charlene Solomon, Wentworth Institute of Technology
   The Mathematics for technology project faculty at Wentworth have created a series of Mathematics laboratory Investigations based on real engineering and design problems. This workshop will focus on two labs suitable for Precalculus courses. "Getting a Charge Out of Math" introduces exponential functions in conjunction with and electrical circuit, while "Noise Pollution" involves modeling sound intensity with logarithmic functions.
8. Mathematics for Automotive Technology Students, A New Approach
   John Jacobs, Massachusetts Bay Community College
   The Algebra-I course was pared to eliminate much un-needed algebra. Instead, are two interwoven sets of projects. A series of data manipulation projects and physics experiments using the CBL and TI-83 graphing calculators. The approach could be adapted to any student body with similar technical mathematics needs.
9. Using The Web for Math Projects &endash; Dream or Reality? (Commercial Presenter)
   Peter Demers, KidsEnergy.net, Inc.
   Project Power is a web-based system that supports the development, management, and assessment of all kinds of activity-based learning. It provides an easy-to &endash;use system that dynamically links students with the instructor around a specific learning activity. The system provides a modifiable structure that simplifies and automates by using a comprehensive set of tools and databases linked to learning goals.
10. Discovery Materials for Basic Math
    Jim Sullivan, Massachusetts Bay Community College
    This session will present examples of new arithmetic and prealgebra curriculum materials that have been developed to actively engage students studying in the learning process. Discussion will focus on how a collaborative learning environment can assist in the implementation of such materials. Handouts will be provided to all participants.
11. An Odyssey in Number Theory to Forge Connections
    Dr. Margaret J. Kenney, Boston College, Mathematics Institute
    Number Theory is a branch of mathematics that has much to offer students of all levels and abilities as we endeavor to implement change in content and instructional practice. This presentation weaves together the strands of number, algebra, geometry, and math history and offers a series of problems and investigations to explore.
12. Math Labs, Tutorial Centers, and Help Desks
    Maureen Ruth, Massachusetts Bay Community College
    A round table discussion on how colleges handle Math Labs and Tutorial Centers. Attendees are invited to share their experiences and learn what other colleges are doing. How do colleges structure the centers? What resources are available? What has been found to work and what fails to meet expectations?
13. Revitalizing Classroom Teaching and Learning with Faculty Externships
    Maureen Kelley and Catherine Pirri, Northern Essex Community College
    There is a need to incorporate problem-solving and real world applications into mathematics at the two-year college. Two faculty will describe their externship in industry and share with you the materials they developed as a result of this experience. Participants will be given the opportunity to work with these untested materials and provide feedback during the session.
14. Engaging Software Approach to Entry Level Mathematics (Commercial Presenter)
    Susan Giangrande, Academic Systems
    Blend your traditional methods of instruction with a faculty-guided, student-centered, and interactive software approach. Faculty will have a chance in this session to preview the engaging Academic Systems technology that is assisting faculty nationwide to move students from entry level math to mathematics confidence and success in college credit courses.
15. Comparing the Community College's Acuplacer Computer Placement Test (CPT) to the MCAS Test
    Ted Panitz, Cape Cod Community College
    During this session participants will review sample MCAS and Acuplacer CPT questions basis for each with an eye toward identifying the underlying basis for each test. The two tests will be compared. A discussion will follow as to whether the information obtained from the CPT is appropriate to place community college students into developmental and college level math courses. The CPT is currently the Massachusetts State mandated assessment instrument for new students at Community and State colleges.
16. Adventures with Computer Labs for Calculus
    Bernice Bowdoin, Susan Hoy and Cecilia Medeiros, Bristol Community College
    Since 1994 there has been a computer/calculator lab component to Calculus I, II, and III at Bristol Community College. A panel of Calculus teachers from BCC will present their experiences with these labs including a discussion of software and Internet resources. They will share their favorite labs and student responses to these.
17. When Students Ask, "When Am I Ever Going to Use This?"
    Carol Henry, Middlesex Community College
    Adding a math component to a FUNdamentals course can help students see where the math they are learning is actually useful in their lives. However, the benefit to our students is often outweighed by the complexity and time commitment that goes into creating and assessing these projects. In this session we will share strategies for projects, projects that students have completed in my developmental classes (Fundamentals of Mathematics, Algebra I and II), resources, and methods of assessment. Please feel free to bring some of your project ideas to share with the group.
18. Applied Laboratories for Algebra
    Robert Cournoyer and Charlene Solomon, Wentworth Institute of Technology
    The Mathematics for Technology project faculty at Wentworth have created a series of Mathematics Laboratory Investigations based on real engineering and design problems. In this workshop participants will model student behavior while working on labs suitable for Intermediate Algebra. "Milling Machine" is a graphing calculator exercise on linear functions and circles, while "Buckling of Slender Columns" is a data collection activity exploring inverse variation. Bring a graphing calculator.
19. Inverse Probability; Simplification of The Bayes' Rule
    Dr. Eiki Satake and Dr. Philip Amato, Emerson College
    The purposes of the use of inverse probability are to (1) examine a consequence of an event based on several circumstantial evidences, (2) derive the maximum likelihood of occurrence of an event by means of Bayes' Rule, and (3) calculate the credibility of statistical hypotheses. The presentation will involve some mathematical derivations through a couple of examples in genetics. No advanced knowledge of statistics is required.
20. Regression Using The TI-83 Calculator
    Dora Ottariano and Maureen Woolhouse, Middlesex Community College
    Currently emphasis is being placed on the role of modeling in algebra and trigonometry. To this end, this workshop will focus on regression Analysis with the aid of the TI-83 Graphing Calculator. Applications from areas such as science and business will be used to show Linear Models, Quadratic Models, Exponential Models and Trigonometric Models.
21. Problem-Based Learning in A Mathematics Class
    Carol Hay and Carol Henry, Middlesex Community College
    Problem-Based Learning is a dynamic discovery approach to learning mathematics. This method of instruction can easily be applied to all levels of math from Arithmetic to Calculus. In this session, participants will have the opportunity to experience first-hand a Problem-Based Learning Project. Underlying principles and techniques for developing such projects will also be discussed. Join us to see how you can use this method of instruction in your classroom.
22. Reviewing for An Exam Using The "Game Show" Method
    Richard Wilson, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
    The 'game show" method will be presented as a way of reviewing for an exam, followed by a demonstration in which all attendees take part. My Algebra and Trigonometry course will be used as an example. (There will be some use of the graphing calculator in this demonstration.)

Annual Meeting and Elections 

Exhibitors

Many thanks to Prentice Hall for sponsoring the Saturday morning Continental Breakfast and to Academic Systems for sponsoring part of the luncheon!
Special thanks to Houghton Mifflin, McGraw-Hill, Addison Wesley, and Brooks Cole for donating door prizes.

Registration List