Author Archives: Ben Braun

Active Learning in Mathematics, Part IV: Personal Reflections

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 note: This is … Continue reading

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Active Learning in Mathematics, Part III: Teaching Techniques and Environments

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

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Active Learning in Mathematics, Part I: The Challenge of Defining Active Learning

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

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The Secret Question (Are We Actually Good at Math?)

By Benjamin Braun, Editor-in-Chief, University of Kentucky “How many of you feel, deep down in your most private thoughts, that you aren’t actually any good at math? That by some miracle, you’ve managed to fake your way to this point, … Continue reading

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Start Small, Think Big: Making a Difference Through K-12 Mathematics Outreach

By Kathleen Fowler, Professor of Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Clarkson University Since starting my career as a faculty member in 2003, I jumped right in to K-12 Outreach and have never looked back. I was motivated by … Continue reading

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Number Theory and Cryptography: A Distance Learning Course for High School Students

By Matt Baker, Professor of Mathematics, Georgia Institute of Technology Last year, I began offering an online Number Theory and Cryptography course for gifted high school students through Georgia Tech.  Fourteen high school seniors from metro Atlanta took the course in Fall … Continue reading

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The First Year of “On Teaching and Learning Mathematics”

By Benjamin Braun, Editor-in-Chief, University of Kentucky It has been one year since On Teaching and Learning Mathematics launched, so it seems an appropriate time for reflection.  As I re-read the 36 articles we have published over the past twelve … Continue reading

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Famous Unsolved Math Problems as Homework

By Benjamin Braun, Editor-in-Chief, University of Kentucky One of my favorite assignments for students in undergraduate mathematics courses is to have them work on unsolved math problems.  An unsolved math problem, also known to mathematicians as an “open” problem, is … Continue reading

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The Power of Undergraduate Researchers

By Audrey St. John, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Mount Holyoke College When I first started teaching, I was mystified (and, frankly, at times panicked) at the thought of having undergraduates work with me on research. I realized this … Continue reading

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Community, Professional Advice, and Exposure to New Ideas at the Carleton Summer Mathematics Program

By: Sarah Blackwell, mathematics major, Saint Louis University; Rose Kaplan-Kelly, mathematics major, Bryn Mawr College; and Lilly Webster, mathematics major, Grinnell College Editor’s note: The editorial board believes that in our discussion of teaching and learning, it is important to include the authentic … Continue reading

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