Author Archives: Steven Klee

Starting Earlier on Lifelong Learning

By: Matt Stamps, Yale-NUS College When Yale-NUS College reviewed the curriculum for its Mathematical, Computational, and Statistical (MCS) Sciences major in the autumn of 2018, I spent several weeks reading about mathematics programs at similar institutions.  A common learning objective … Continue reading

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Who are our students?

By: Edwin O’Shea, James Madison University In Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead, Reverend Ames testifies that each person in his flock has “a kind of incandescence in them… quick, and avid, and resourceful. To see this aspect of life is a privilege … Continue reading

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Action is the antidote to despair

By: Steven Klee, Seattle University After my day-to-day interactions with students, one of my favorite things about teaching is talking with other teachers.  There is no shortage of amazing teachers who are working hard to make their classes better and … Continue reading

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Understanding in Calculus: Beyond the “Sliding Tangent Line”

By: Natalie Hobson, Sonoma State University If you give calculus students graphs, they are going to draw tangent lines. As instructors we often encourage students to rely on tangent lines so heavily that discussions about rates of change become lessons … Continue reading

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Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Teaching, and Purpose

By Victor Piercey, Ferris State University As a graduate student working in algebraic geometry, I was often star struck at the impressive speakers who attended the local seminars I frequented.  While many of these memories are faded and vague, one … Continue reading

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Reflections on Teaching for Mathematical Creativity

By Gail Tang (University of La Verne), Emily Cilli-Turner (University of La Verne), Milos Savic (University of Oklahoma), Houssein El Turkey (University of New Haven), Mohamed Omar (Harvey Mudd College), Gulden Karakok (University of Northern Colorado, Greeley), and Paul Regier … Continue reading

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Illuminating skills learned from teaching

By: Mary Beisiegel, Oregon State University This past spring, I received an email from a graduate student who was concerned about applying for jobs in industry. The student wrote: “I’m having a difficult time trying to market my teaching experience. … Continue reading

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Thinking Outside the Textbook

By Steven Klee, Contributing Editor, Seattle University When two grandmasters face off in a chess tournament, they are faced with a complicated bit of game theory.  If you were in one of their positions, you would prepare for the match … Continue reading

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What Do Hobbits Know About Mathematics?

Sam: If I take one more step, I’ll be the farthest away from home I’ve ever been. Frodo: Come on, Sam. Remember what Bilbo used to say: ‘It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the … Continue reading

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The Joy of Mathematical Discovery

By Steven Klee, Seattle University It persistently rises to the surface of your memory – that afternoon when you fell in love with a person or a place or a mood … when you discovered some great truth about the … Continue reading

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