Creating Interactive Teaching Materials for Early Undergraduate Mathematicians

Books and models

Supervisor:  Emily Montelius

Timeline:  Students will work 5 hrs/week during the Fall 2024 semester.  This position can be paid, for class credit, or both.

Students:  A team of 3-5 students will be selected to participate.

Description:

Together we will create interactive talks and worksheets aimed to promote and develop mathematical thinking. These projects will use an inquiry-based approach including characteristics such as being student-led, using open-ended questions, having solutions that reward creative thinking, including making mistakes as a fundamental step in the process, and heavily using collaboration. We also hope to include tactiles, that is, physical demonstrating objects for students to use in each project. The finalized projects will have no prerequisites and be aimed for a high school senior or college freshman who may be interested in mathematics. Topics can include various entries into upper-level math, recreational math research, and more! Together these projects could stand alone as 50-minute seminars for math clubs to use, or these projects could be presented together as a seminar series or mathematics course. 

Application:  Due Friday August 30th for Fall 2024.  

We are seeking applicants with various interests in fun mathematical topics as well as applicants who are interested in mathematical pedagogy, ideally both! Please submit:

  • a personal statement about how your skills and interests fit the project, including any ideas you may have for a project

  • a brief easily readable CV showing:
    • math/stats classes taken (with grades)
    • pedagogy classes taken (with grades)

    • teaching/group work leading experience

    • document creation/latex experience

    • teamwork/leadership/outreach experience

    • and any other relevant information you wish to add

  • a statement of your scheduling availability during Fall 2024 (basic weekly schedule if known; credit hour load and other job hour load)

    • make sure to include specifics on your availability at the following times which I am most likely to pick from for our meeting time

      • Monday 3:30-5

      • Wednesday 3:30-5

      • Thursday 9-5

    • verify that you are able to work 5 hours/week on this project with some flexibility of arranging more hours when you are less busy, and less hours on your busier weeks (for example finals and midterms for your other classes) 

    • specify if you prefer to work your hours together with others in structured required working times, or if you prefer to reconvene each week to show what you have completed on your own time. (Our project will be a mix of both)

  • please attach your transcript

Please email these materials to emily.montelius@colorado.edu with subject line "Experimental Math Lab Application".

 

Back to the Experimental Mathematics Lab.