From jaimecs at mat.uc.pt Thu Sep 29 08:21:13 2011 From: jaimecs at mat.uc.pt (J Carvalho e Silva) Date: Thu, 29 Sep 2011 07:21:13 +0100 Subject: [ICMI-News] ICMI News 19: August 2011 Message-ID: ICMI News 19: August 2011 A Bimonthly Email Newsletter from the ICMI-International Commission on Mathematical Instruction Editor: Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Dep. Matematica, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal CONTENTS 1. Editorial: Extending the reach and influence of mathematics education research 2. ICME-12: Two appetizers Mathematics in the National Curriculum TEDS-M: The Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics 3. ICME-12: the online submission system is open 4. ICME-12 is progressing 5. CDC updates for the ICMI Community 6. News from India 7. Publications of Interest to the ICMI Community: Last copies of the ICMI centenary volume 8. Calendar of Events of Interest to the ICMI Community 9. Subscribing to ICMI News ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Editorial: Extending the reach and influence of mathematics education research Mathematics education research has been entering a new era in its reach and influence. This may be observed in the way the results of some international studies on student mathematics (and science) performance are carefully coordinated for release on a single day, making media headlines across countries. It may also be seen in how the findings of these studies come to be featured in the speeches of presidents, politicians, heads of institutions and how they enter into policy documents. One might speculate on the reasons for these trends, which range from the recognition of the importance of mathematics learning in twenty first century societies to an emergence of mathematics education research and discourse that speaks to policy and system level interventions. The ICMI Studies are a major international research programme that has a well established history, having released 18 volumes in the past 26 years. No doubt, the world of today is very different from that when the first ICMI Study was released on the Influence of Computers and Informatics on Mathematics and its Teaching in 1985 edited by Geoffrey Howson and Jean-Pierre Kahane. The global interconnected-present brings new imperatives for important and critical findings from ICMI studies to influence not only further mathematics education research and teacher education, but also systematically impact policy makers and educational practice in systemic ways. The question is how to continue to strengthen the unique traditions of ICMI Studies, which, in addressing a prominent issue, theme or topic of particular significance in contemporary mathematical education brings together international teams of leading scholars and practitioners in that domain, to increase its relevance, influence and reach. Given the growing maturity and diversity of the field of mathematics education, one consideration may be to give much more attention in ICMI Studies to providing a substantial critical review, a meta-analysis or synthesis with respect to the particular topic, theme or issue, which may variously focus on research, findings and results, methodologies, theories, policies, practices, and so on. A second consideration for future ICMI Study volumes is to give much more thought and planning to launching, publicising and marketing the research to improve and extend its impact beyond the mathematics education research community to policy decision-makers, practitioners as well as to advancing the public image and understanding of the particular theme in mathematics education. To this end each ICMI Study volumes need to have either as separate documents or as a section in the volume: a succinct executive summary which distils and presents information for practitioners, a policy guide spelling out implications for policy and government decision-makers, and also a separately prepared press release. These need to be presented in an explicit, clear, jargon free text that is easily comprehended by different target audiences. Going forward ICMI is deliberating, in working with editors and authors as well as other ICMI networks, on how to better coordinate worldwide release of ICMI studies, (possibly with the assistance of media and marketing expertise), and arrange for these to be produced in several languages to enhance their take up. Many other strategies are also needed to foster stronger dialogue among mathematics education researchers, practitioners and policy decision makers if the reality of the majority of learners of mathematics is to be changed for the better. The broad mathematics education community must engage these challenges and find creative solutions if it is to reclaim a public space not always dominated by mathematics education disciplinary experts to ensure that changes in mathematics classrooms the world over are informed and lead by quality research knowledge. Otherwise, it risks speaking only to itself as a community. Renuka Vithal, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Member-at-large, ICMI-EC, vithalr at ukzn.ac.za ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. ICME-12: Two appetizers The 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education will be held in Seoul, Korea, on July 8-15, 2012. This Congress is the main event organized by ICMI and it is expected that more than 3000 professionals will attend. In order to open the appetite for this Congress and encourage people to participate and register early, we will begin publishing some appetizers for the plenary lectures and plenary panels. I thank all the people involved for the effort made to anticipate what they might say at the Congress. APPETIZER # 1 Mathematics in the National Curriculum by Don-Hee Lee (Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of Education, Seoul National University) In the middle of constructing the 2009 Amendment of National Curriculum for primary and secondary education (K-12 grades) in the Republic of Korea, different subject-matters were competing for advantage over others, especially in allocation of official teaching hours per week, and qualification as compulsory subject for the college entrance. A system of subject-matters includes : A major group of Korean Language and Literature, Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Sciences; A minor group of Art, Music, Sports, Home Economics, Trade; and an elective group of Second Foreign Languages, cultural studies, and extra-activities. They put themselves into competition with others for their survival in each amendment act, sometimes desperately. For Math education, there are at least two favorable respects in the competitive situation: (1) Mathematics has been recognized long since to be one of the oldest and indispensable subjects, both in the East (one of "six arts" in the ancient China) as well as the West (two of "seven liberal arts" from the ancient Greece). (2) Mathematics stands itself as an independent science, which also generates innumerable utilities for various departments of human intelligence, because the human mind works at least partly with the system of mathematical laws. Nevertheless, Mathematics does not demonstrate by itself a justification to the question "Why Do WE Teach Math Everyone?" We have to show a rationale persuasive enough even to quite a few young people who are used to sleep away every Math class-room, if we claim its indispensability for education. Perhaps, it seems that they may think they are bound to live their own lives without Math anyhow. APPETIZER # 2 TEDS-M: The Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics by Konrad Krainer (Doctorate and habilitation in the field of didactics of mathematics, Full professor at the Institute of Instructional and School Development of the Alpen-Adria-Universit?t Klagenfurt, Austria, Head of the institute (since 2004), Member of the Senate, and scientific leader of the Austrian-wide project IMST (Innovations Make Schools Top).) Focusing on mathematics learning at school level, mathematics teachers have the strongest influence on student learning because they are directly working with students. Teachers are regarded as key persons of educational change. For example, a meta-analysis on student learning (Hattie, 2003) found that teachers' impact on students' learning is high: Identified factors that contribute to major sources of variation in student performance include the students (50%) and teachers (30%) as the most important factors, whereas home, schools, principals, peer effects (altogether 20%) play a less important role. Thus intensive research in mathematics teacher education is needed. There is increasing literature about relevant results, however, large-scale findings relative to the conditions, processes, and effects of mathematics teacher education are rare (Adler et al., 2005). Since Mathematical Content Knowledge (MCK) and Mathematical Pedagogical Content Knowledge (MPCK) play a fundamental role for teachers' effectiveness, and many teachers teach as they have been taught, the education of prospective teachers is a crucial phase in teachers' professional development. The Teacher Education and Development Study in Mathematics (TEDS-M) is the first cross-national data-based study about (primary and secondary) pre-service mathematics teacher education with large-scale samples (see e.g. http://teds.educ.msu.edu/; Tatto & Senk, 2011). 23.000 prospective mathematics teachers from 17 countries participated in TEDS-M 2008. Among others, the study shows Taiwan, Russia and Thailand as overachieving and the USA, Norway and Chile as underachieving countries (comparing MCK&MPCK in relation to HDI, see e.g. http://www.oefg.at/text/veranstaltungen/professionalisierung/Beitrag_Bloemeke.pdf). At the 12th International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME 12, July 8-15, 2012) in Seoul (Korea), a Plenary Panel will be organized to present and discuss important issues, results and questions of TEDS-M (see e.g, http://www.icme12.org/sub/sub02_02.asp). The panel members are Feng-Jui Hsieh (Taiwan), Konrad Krainer (Austria, Chair), Ray Peck (Australia) and Maria Teresa Tatto (USA). Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Secretary-General of ICMI, jaimecs at mat.uc.pt ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3. ICME-12: the online submission system is open The on-line submission system of Topic Study Groups (TSG), Workshop and Sharing Groups (WSG) and Poster sessions for ICME-12 has been opened. Please visit the Congress website (http://icme12.org) and at the first page, click the button located in the left-up corner or go to menu or go to each TSG website after clicking the red button . If you visit for the first time you have to sign up first; then please log in with the ID and Password you put in the sign-up process. In the case of TSGs, there is no template for a proposal but the LOC will upload the template for the final draft of which deadline is the April 10, 2012 on the Congress website. However, in the cases of WSG and Poster proposals, you have to use the application form. You can find the forms if you go to menu. If you have any questions about the on-line submission system, please contact Hee-chan Lew. Hee-chan Lew, Vice Chair of the LOC and Chair of the Congress Subcommittee, hclew at knue.ac.kr ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4. ICME-12 is progressing After all the 37 Topic Study Groups published their Call for Papers stating what is expected from the presentations in each of the groups, the proposals for papers can be uploaded at the ICME-12 webpage, as stated above. All the Call for Papers can be found on the ICME-12 webpage http://www.icme12.org/ and on the ICMI website on a special area on the front page of the ICMI website. Deadline Summary November 1, 2011: On-line submission of proposal January 15, 2012: Notification of acceptance April 10, 2012: On-line submission of final draft In a special number of ICMI News we included a summary of the main focus of the work of each group, as mentioned in the published call for papers and contributions. Please read it here: http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news/ I hope to see you all in Seoul from 8 to 15 of July 2012. Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Secretary-General of ICMI, jaimecs at mat.uc.pt ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 5. CDC updates for the ICMI Community CDC launches the IMU Mathematics Library Assistance Scheme for Developing Countries The Commission for Developing Countries, part of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) has launched a new support scheme where the shipment of textbooks to universities in less economically developed countries is supported. CDC offers limited financial support for shipment costs for individual scientists or institutions wishing to donate books in the mathematical sciences to libraries in developing countries. Libraries in universities/research institutions in developing countries can apply for to receive donated books. For more information please go here: http://imuweb.mathunion.org/cdc/further-cdc-activities/library-assistance-scheme/ The Simons Foundation announces the Africa Mathematics Project. The program is designed to enhance the mathematical capacity and productivity of recipient research groups. The project will focus on mathematicians and their graduate students at institutions of higher learning in sub-Saharan Africa. The Foundation will make competitive awards that, taken together, will total approximately 400,000 USD per year for each of the next 10 years. More information: https://simonsfoundation.org/mps-africa-mathematics-project Lena Koch, IMU Secretariat, icmi.cdc.administrator at mathunion.org ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 6. News from India a) S. Kumaresan was honoured for his 60th birthday with the meeting "Mathematics Education - Trends and Challenges" organized August 19-21, 2011, at the University of Hyderabad by T. Amaranath, Univ. of Hyderabad and Varadharajan Muruganandam, NISER, Bhubaneswar. S. Kumaresan was Member-at-large of the ICMI-EC from 2007 to 2009 and is the founder and director of the MTTS-Mathematics Training and Talent Search Programme, funded by the National Board for Higher Mathematics of India, being held since 1993 at different places: http://www.mtts.org.in/ The goal of this programme is to train the students at the university level so that they can work independently, achieve a certain level of confidence in the learning/understanding of mathematics and to give them a taste of how mathematics is discovered. Mathematics is taught in an interactive way rather than the usual passive presentation. To promote active learning, the teachers usually ask questions and try to develop the theory based on the answers and typical examples. At every level the participants are encouraged to explore, guess and formulate definitions and results. Participants in the meeting included M.S. Raghunathan, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, R. Tandon, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, S.G. Dani, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai and Chairman National Board for Higer Mathematics, Department of Atomic Energy, R. Balasubramanian, Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Chennai, and M.S. Narasimhan, Honorary Fellow, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research. Following the meeting the participants decided to prepare a white paper on the theme and meet again in the future to discuss the same theme. Also, S. Kumaresan initiated a blog on the theme: http://mtts-mathed.blogspot.com/ b) The NATIONAL SEMINAR ON THE HISTORY AND CULTURAL ASPECTS OF MATHEMATICS EDUCATION will be organized by Sir C.V. Raman, Chair for Science and Math Education, Indira Gandhi National Open University, Maidan Garhi, New Delhi at the Convention Centre of the same university, 2-3, December, 2011. The goal is to look at the important historical movements, innovations and efforts to improve the teaching and learning of mathematics in school and at the tertiary level throughout India over the last two centuries. Further, it aims to focus on the social, cultural and economic influences on mathematics learning and learners in India. Those interested should contact pksinclair at ignou.ac.in c) The iMEN - India Math Education Network was formed and has already a webpage http://india-men.ning.com/ It has now more than 800 members. The goal is to connect all those interested in improving math education, especially in India. All are welcome to join and contribute. d) The national presentation for India for ICME-12 is being prepared. To provide an input for the national presentation of India and to bring together on a single platform the important and significant innovations and efforts to improve mathematics education in school and in higher education in India, a Southern Regional Conference on Mathematics education is being organized from 11 - 13, November 2011 at Cochin. It is the NATIONAL INITIATIVE ON MATHEMATICS EDUCATION (NIME-2011). It is organized by the Kerala Mathematics Teachers Association (KMTA), Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Kochi Kendra) and the Association of Mathematics Teachers of India (AMTI). This conference aims to build awareness of such efforts in the community of mathematics educators in the Southern Region - Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Kerala. The proceedings of the conference will also be an input for a report on the status of mathematics education in India, which is being compiled under the auspices of the Indian National Science Academy. Those who are interested to participate may contact Mr.K.Suresh, Vice Principal, Bhavan's News Print Vidyalaya, Kottayam-686616 or send email to kuttath.suresh at yahoo.com e) TIME 2011 is the Fourth National Conference "Technology and Innovation in Math Education", that will take place 26-29 December, 2011 in Indore Public School, Indore. This is an event for math teachers and math lovers of all levels and will focus on two themes: Role of technology in teaching of mathematics and Innovative practices in teaching mathematics. More information on the page: http://www.math.iitb.ac.in/TIME2011/ Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Secretary-General of ICMI, jaimecs at mat.uc.pt ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 7. Publications of Interest to the ICMI Community: Last copies of the ICMI centenary volume The last copies of the ICMI centenary volume "The First Century of the International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1908-2008). Reflecting and Shaping the World of Mathematics Education" are still available. The volume includes texts written by Hyman Bass; Jeremy Kilpatrick; Jean Luc Dorier; Mogens Niss; Toshi Ikeda; Jo Boaler; Joao da Ponte; Gert Schubring; Ferdinando Arzarello; Gelsa Knijnik; Mamokgethi Setati; Mich?le Artigue; Bernard R. Hodgson; Alan Bishop; Ubiratan D'Ambrosio; Jill Adler; Bill Barton; Deborah Ball; Marcelo Borba; Gilah Leder and many others. Please hurry to buy your personal copy or for your library. Please note that this volume will not be edited again on paper. The price is 40 euros for the ICMI community and 60 euros for libraries. Details of the procedure to buy the book are available here: http://www.treccani.it/catalogo/catalogo_prodotti/Le_collane/biblioteca_enciclopedica.html http://www.unige.ch/math/EnsMath/Rome2008/ Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Secretary-General of ICMI, jaimecs at mat.uc.pt ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 8. Calendar of Events of Interest to the ICMI Community MathTED 2011 - the 2011 Biennial Conference of the Philippine Council of Mathematics Teacher Educators, COLUMBAN COLLEGE, Olongapo City, Philippines, October 21-22, 2011 http://mathtedphil.org/conferences.php ICREM5 - The 5th International Conference on Research and Education in Mathematics Institut Teknologi Bandung, Indonesia, October 22-24 2011 http://www.math.itb.ac.id/~icrem5 CARN Conference 2011 (Collaborative Action Research Network) Bringing a different world into existence Action research as a trigger for innovations Vienna, Austria, November 4-6, 2011 http://ius.uni-klu.ac.at/misc/carn/ Volcanic DELTA 2011, Eighth Southern Hemisphere Conference on the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics, Rotorua, NZ, November 27 - December 2, 2011 http://www.delta2011.co.nz/delta2011/ Fourth National Conference "Technology and Innovation in Math Education" TIME 2011, Indore Public School, Indore, India, 26-29 December, 2011 http://www.math.iitb.ac.in/TIME2011/ Creating Balance in an Unjust World Conference on Math Education and Social Justice Mission High School in San Francisco, CA, USA, January 13-15, 2012. http://creatingbalanceconference.org/ EMF 2012 - Espace Math?matique Francophone, Gen?ve, 3-7 F?vrier 2012 http://www.emf2012.unige.ch/ Seventh International Conference on Science, Mathematics & Technology Education: Transformations through Science, Mathematics and Technology Education - Towards an Innovative and Sustainable Society, Muscat, Oman, February 12-15, 2012 d.fisher at smec.curtin.edu.au International colloquium in honour of Michele Artigue -- (Professor at the Universit? Paris Diderot, ex-president of ICMI): The didactics of mathematics: approaches and issues. Paris, May 31 st, June 1st and 2nd 2012. http://www.lar.univ-paris-diderot.fr/colloque/artigue ICME-12 - Twelfth International Congress on Mathematical Education Seoul, Korea, July 8-15, 2012 http://www.icme12.org/ HPM 2012 History and Pedagogy of Mathematics The HPM Satellite Meeting of ICME-12 Daejeon (Korea), July 16-20, 2012 http://www.hpm2012.org PME Annual Conference Taipei, Taiwan, July 18-22, 2012 http://www.tame.tw/pme36/ EARCOME6 - The Sixth East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics Education, Thailand, March, 2013 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 9. SUBSCRIBING TO ICMI News There are two ways of subscribing to ICMI News: 1. Click on http://www.mathunion.org/index.php?id=674 with a Web browser and go to the "Subscribe" button to subscribe to ICMI News online. 2. Send an e-mail to icmi-news-request at mathunion.org with the Subject-line: Subject: subscribe In both cases you will get an e-mail to confirm your subscription so that misuse will be minimized. ICMI will not use the list of ICMI News addresses for any purpose other than sending ICMI News, and will not make it available to others. Previous issues can be seen at: http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news ===================================================================== -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: