Author Archives: Priscilla Bremser

Mathematics for All?

Posted on April 16, 2018 by Priscilla Bremser

Every few years, I teach a first-year seminar called “Mathematics for All.” The course description begins: What kinds of mathematical knowledge are necessary for full participation in contemporary democratic society? How well, and how fairly, do our schools educate students … Continue reading →

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Pursuing Our Mission to Support All Students at All Ages

Posted on October 30, 2017 by Priscilla Bremser

By Priscilla Bremser, Contributing Editor, Middlebury College The more I teach and learn mathematics, the more I regard the subject as a powerful resource that is unfairly distributed. Clearly, I’m not alone. Search for “underrepresented” on the American Mathematical Society … Continue reading →

Posted in Early Childhood, Education Policy, K-12 Education | Tagged diversity, equity, teaching | Comments Off

Help Wanted: Mathematics Tutor

Posted on July 10, 2017 by Priscilla Bremser

By Priscilla Bremser, Contributing Editor, Middlebury College “Can you recommend a good math tutor?” I hear this question from friends with children in local schools, academic support staff at my institution, and my own students. Once or twice I’ve even … Continue reading →

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The National Science Foundation Has Resources to Help You Improve the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Priscilla Bremser

By Ron Buckmire, TJ Murphy, John Haddock, Sandra Richardson, and Brent Driscoll This article is intended to serve as a rough “proof” of the statement, “There exist many resources and opportunities supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to improve … Continue reading →

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Imagining Equity

Posted on June 13, 2016 by Priscilla Bremser

By Priscilla Bremser, Contributing Editor, Middlebury College In my Mathematics for Teachers course, students take a fresh look at foundational concepts, such as fractions and place value, from an advanced perspective. For some of them, our work together exposes weaknesses … Continue reading →

Posted in Education Policy, K-12 Education | 5 Comments

A Skeptic’s Guide to Service Learning in Mathematics

Posted on March 21, 2016 by Priscilla Bremser

By Priscilla Bremser, Contributing Editor Many college and university students do volunteer work in local communities, and can learn valuable lessons in the process. The term “service learning” refers more specifically to service activities that are integral parts of academic … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom Practices | Tagged community, education, service learning, teachers | 5 Comments

What’s in Your Syllabus?

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Priscilla Bremser

by Priscilla Bremser, Contributing Editor I had what seemed the perfect first full-time teaching position, in that much of the planning for Calculus had already been done when I arrived. The department chair handed me the textbook and the syllabus, … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom Practices, Communication | Tagged learning goals, syllabus | 1 Comment

Active Learning in Mathematics, Part VI: Mathematicians’ Training as Teachers

Posted on November 1, 2015 by Priscilla Bremser

By Benjamin Braun, Editor-in-Chief, University of Kentucky; Priscilla Bremser, Contributing Editor, Middlebury College; Art Duval, Contributing Editor, University of Texas at El Paso; Elise Lockwood, Contributing Editor, Oregon State University; and Diana White, Contributing Editor, University of Colorado Denver. Editor’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Active Learning in Mathematics Series 2015, Classroom Practices, Student Experiences | Tagged active learning, Active Learning Series 2015, early-career, graduate students, teacher training | 1 Comment

Why High-Impact Educational Practices (Despite Being So Labor–Intensive) Keep Me Coming For More

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Priscilla Bremser

By Maria Mercedes Franco, Coordinator for Undergraduate Research & Associate Professor, Mathematics & Computer Science, Queensborough Community College-The City University of New York (CUNY) By the time I was finishing graduate school, I had done much soul-searching and had come … Continue reading →

Posted in Classroom Practices | 6 Comments

We Started a Directed Reading Program (And So Can You!)

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Priscilla Bremser

By Steve Balady, graduate student, University of Maryland – College Park What’s the Directed Reading Program? “The Directed Reading Program (DRP) pairs undergraduates with mathematics graduate student mentors for semester-long independent study projects.” This mission statement isn’t mine — it … Continue reading →

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