SchoolOfMathFuture

= School of the Mathematical Future =

School of the Mathematical Future is organized by Natural Math family learning network, Math Future interest group, and supported by Learn Central and P2PU (Peer to Peer University). We are building an open learning environment for mathematics educators working in diverse communities and networks. Our classes are open and free.

To propose a course, create a description and add the link to the list below. Contact Maria Droujkova, the founder, if you have any questions droujkova@gmail.com

Planning

 * **Moebius Noodles Improv**
 * **Music+Mathematics**
 * **Fractions models seminar**
 * **Greg Tang Math**
 * **Modern Mathematics for Elementary Students**

April-June 2011

 * **[|Moebius Noodles]**: rich mathematics for babies, young children and their parents. This is a course for people interested in rich, fun math activities they can do with their young kids (birth to six). Every day for six weeks, we will get a five-minute prompt for an activity, with everybody sharing their stories. The course will use blogs, email group, weekly online chat and Facebook for communication. Facilitators: Yelena McManaman and Maria Droujkova
 * **[|Multiplication models seminar]**. The goal of this research and development group is to aggregate and curate interactive models for multiplicative reasoning. We will create an annotated collection of our past projects and identify needs for development. Facilitators: Steve Thomas and Maria Droujkova
 * **[|Mathematics on computers.]** This is the course for people interested in the development of Planet Math platform as a communication and collaboration tool. Facilitator: Joe Corneli

January-March 2011

 * [|Math-rich baby and toddler environment]
 * [|Introduction to Math Art]
 * [|Psychology of Math Learning]
 * [|Create+Share Math Interactives]
 * [|Mathematics for Game Designers]
 * [|Short Calculus]
 * [|Mathematics Curriculum Development]
 * CPD through Twitter for Mathematics educators

The problem in mathematics education
Where can a parent learn to run successful family math clubs? How can an open source learning software developer build a community of teacher and student users? Where can an enrichment center organizer find research and development support? How can a program creator evaluate and assess its pedagogical impact?

Such questions come up at each Math Future Interest Group event hosted by mathematics education project and community leaders. Together, these questions amount to a problem: where can we find current, flexible and open professional development systems in mathematics education?

Each successful project, large or small, already has a support system in place, or it would not be successful. For example, Scratch has an excellent applet sharing site, The Art of Problem Solving evolved a responsive and caring forum for Olympiad-type problems and questions, Living Math provides extensive peer support for family educators, and GeoGebra nurtures a network of strong local research institutes. But the know-how of building such systems is often undocumented and unknown beyond individual communities, and not at all accessible to beginners in the field. There is hunger amidst plenty.

Working toward solutions
School of the Mathematical Future is a peer support system for professional development, career growth and research in the areas of mathematics education currently in demand or promising for the near future. These areas include math communities, humanistic mathematics, computational and social software development, family learning networks, and psychology of mathematics education. Participants organize general courses and special interest seminars that focus on particular projects or communities.

Each course consists of relevant and authentic tasks in existing mathematics education communities of practice. Participants expand their personal learning and professional networks, gain experience, and develop portfolios of work - while helping real people within real communities with their current mathematics education needs.

History and roadmap

 * Spring 2011 - first semester at School of the Mathematical Future**
 * Run six or more courses ** done **
 * Include a hundred or more participants ** done **
 * Build an interactive visualized database of mathematics educator communities, projects and their needs ** in progress **
 * Continue open meetings with mathematics education community and project leaders ** in progress **
 * Math 2.0 online conference ** planning **


 * Beyond**
 * Professional accreditation within peer communities
 * Peer packaging and publishing service


 * 2008-2010**
 * More than seventy open meetings with mathematics education community and project leaders
 * A pilot open course, Family Multiplication Study, with more than thirty active participants
 * Several dozen presentations on Math 2.0 communities and events at professional conferences