Fall 2009
This week we will have a presentation from Paul Wenger on the Merit Program for Emerging Scholars here at the U of I.
From the Speaker:
World problems and the need for human expertise to solve those problems demand more creativity. Opportunities abound for the individual who can integrate creative thinking skills with critical thinking skills. The creative imperative and the creative opportunity urge us to improve creativity education for students. We can help students become more creative, and as a result we can enhance their personal satisfaction and their abilities to solve the pressing problems of our times.
U of I students Steve Granda & Ariel Moctezuma will share information with the group on their project "The Power of Control: Energy-Efficient Buildings".
Professor Morten Lundsgaard will demonstrate a hands-on activity that simulates a way that astronomers look for exoplanets.
Brother Thomas Dupre' is our special guest speaker this week. He wrote his dissertation in 1986 on "The 'New Mathematics' Controversy". The dissertation was directed by Ken Travers. Peter Braunfeld was the chairperson of his committee. Though Max Beberman had passed away by that time, Dupre's dissertation was based on interviews with many of the people who had been active in the University of Illinois Committee on School Mathematics.
Brother Dupre' is Associate Professor in Mathematics/Computer Science at Lewis University.
Jana and George will share the discussions theyre having with the Math 199 students surrounding "The box problem".
The conversations have led them to wonder about which math concepts all students need to know, and, assuming such a concept, how a teacher could get all students to learn it.
Kathleen Harness will give an overview of the Etoys programming language and the EtoysIllinois.org website.
Rita Davis will share her experiences teaching Math/Robotics sessions at the Uni Summer Camp. This camp serves 4th - 6th graders from our local community and actively recruits children underrepresented at Uni and in STEM fields.
