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<div><br></div>
<div>ICMI News 20: October 2011</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>A Bimonthly Email Newsletter from the ICMI-International
Commission on Mathematical Instruction</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Editor: Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Dep. Matematica, Universidade de
Coimbra, Portugal<br>
<br>
CONTENTS<br>
</div>
<div>1. Editorial: Mathematics Education in Mainland China</div>
<div>2. ICME-12: The 3rd announcement is out</div>
<div>3. ICME-12: registration is open</div>
<div>4. ICME-12: Deadline to submit papers for TSGs was extended</div>
<div>5. ICME-12: Two more appetizers</div>
<div> <b> Mathematics education and language
diversity: background, findings and future research
directions</b></div>
<div> <b> From Psychological Imprisonment to
Intellectual Freedom - The Different Roles that School Mathematics Can
Take in Student's Lives</b></div>
<div>6. ICME-12: DGs</div>
<div>7. ICME-12: 7 Reasons to visit Seoul and Korea</div>
<div>8. ICMI Awards Committee calls for nominations</div>
<div>9. Report on the first implementation of CANP "Capacity and
Networking Programme in the Mathematical Sciences": School
EDiMaths</div>
<div>10. Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013</div>
<div>11. ICSU Science Education Review</div>
<div>12. News from IMU</div>
<div>13. André Delessert, former Secretary-General of ICMI passed
away</div>
<div>14. Publications of Interest to the ICMI Community:<b> The very
last copies of the ICMI centenary volume</b></div>
<div>15. Calendar of Events of Interest to the ICMI Community</div>
<div>16. Subscribing to ICMI News</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
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></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>1. Editorial: Mathematics Education in Mainland China</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>One of the important roles that ICMI plays is to help researchers
from different parts of the world better understand each other and the
different conditions under which we all work. It is important, for
example, that those of us who have access to good libraries, research
funding, or a significant group of colleagues are reminded that many
others work without easy access to resources, with little ability to
undertake or communicate their research, or on their own.<br>
However differences are not simply matters of having, or not having
physical, financial, or human resources. The structure, content, and
philosophy of mathematics education varies considerably around the
world. Coming to terms with these differences is possibly a more
difficult task, and one requiring more tolerance. Hence ICMI has an
important role to play. In this newsletter, in lieu of an Editorial,
we present a short (edited) piece on Mathematics Education in the
Peoples Republic of China.<br>
Bill Barton<br>
</div>
<div>Mathematics Education in Mainland China<br>
<br>
A key characteristic of mathematics education in Mainland China
schools over the last twenty years has been change both in content and
in teaching approach in order to mirror contemporary world
development. More emphasis is given to the needs of future citizens,
and the role of mathematics teachers is changing from that of a
transmitter of knowledge to that of a student guide. The purpose of
the mathematics curriculum reform is<br>
- To break the centrally-controlled education
system;<br>
- To update content with more relations to real
life and applications;</div>
<div> - To promote flexible and student-centered
instruction methods, such as group work and classroom
discussion;</div>
<div>- To focus on students' abilities training instead of rote
learning.<br>
Mathematics curriculum reform has brought about many changes in the
mathematics classroom. Students are now in a more significant position
with more attention to student participation, and the traditional
expository method is being replaced by a more heuristic method.<br>
A consensus has been reached on mathematics education reform:<br>
- Mathematics is not only a tool for solving real life problems but
also significantly develops students' ability to reason;<br>
- The mathematics curriculum should cater for students with different
interests and abilities, all individuals shall develop their abilities
and interests as well as their self-confidence;<br>
- Teachers need to pay more attention to the cognitive style of
students in their classroom, and to understand mathematics well;</div>
<div>- The humanistic context for teachers' professional development
will be the key to mathematics education reform?this refers to
personal respect, the promotion of human life, and the value
independent consciousness.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>A brief history of the mathematics curriculum reform in mainland
China:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>1996-1998 Gestation stage of an ideal</div>
<div>1999-2001 Curriculum documents developed, and experimental
preparation phase</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Compulsory Education Stage (grade 1 to 9):<br>
</div>
<div> Number of the
experimental districts Percentage</div>
<div
>2001 <span
></span>
42 <span
></span
> <span
></span> 0.5%-1%</div>
<div
>2002 <span
></span>
570 <span
></span
> <span
></span> 18%-20%</div>
<div
>2003 <span
></span>
1642 <span
></span
> <span
></span> 40%-50%</div>
<div
>2004 <span
></span>
2576 <span
></span
> <span
></span> 70%-90%</div>
<div>2005 New curriculum adopted
nationally 100%<br>
</div>
<div>High School Stage (grade 10 to 12):<br>
<br>
<span
></span>
Experimental provinces:</div>
<div
>2004 <span
></span> Hainan, Guangdong, Shandong and Ningxia</div>
<div
>2005 <span
></span> + Jiangsu</div>
<div
>2006 <span
></span> + Fujian, Zhejiang, Anhui, Tianjin and
Liaoning</div>
<div
>2007 <span
></span> + Beijing, Hilongjiang, Jilin, Shaanxi and
Hunan</div>
<div
>2008 <span
></span> + Shanxi, Jiangxi, Henan, Xingjiang and
Shanghai</div>
<div
>2010 <span
></span> New curriculum adopted nationally</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Li Jianhua<br>
October, 2011</div>
<div>(Condensed by Bill Barton)</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
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></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>2. ICME-12: The 3rd announcement is out</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The 3rd Announcement for ICME-12 has been published.</div>
<div>Please click the button <3rd Announcement> at the first
page of the congress website</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>http://www.icme12.org/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Or please visit <ICME-12 /Announcements> at the first page
of the congress website.</div>
<div>This 3rd Announcement is the summary of what IPC and LOC have
done so far, containing helpful</div>
<div>information for all who are planning to participate in
ICME-12.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Hee-chan Lew, Vice Chair of the LOC and Chair of the Congress
Subcommittee, hclew@knue.ac.kr</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>3. ICME-12: registration is open</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The registration system for ICME-12 is open.</div>
<div>Please visit <Registration and Accommodation> at the first
page of the Congress website</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>http://www.icme12.org/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>and read the direction for the registration carefully.</div>
<div>Then, please go to <My Page> and login with your ID and
Password you used in the sign-up process.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Hee-chan Lew, Vice Chair of the LOC and Chair of the Congress
Subcommittee, hclew@knue.ac.kr</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>4. ICME-12: Deadline to submit papers for TSGs was
extended</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>IPC of ICME-12 has determined to prolong the deadline for the
proposal submission of Topic Study Group(TSG) until November 30, 2011
in order to give ICME-12 potential participants more chance to submit
TSG proposals. Originally the deadline was November 1, 2011. Date of
proposal acceptance notification is same as January 15, 2012. If you
have any question, please feel free to contact the IPC
chair(sungjcho@snu.ac.kr).</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Hee-chan Lew, Vice Chair of the LOC and Chair of the Congress
Subcommittee, hclew@knue.ac.kr</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>5. ICME-12: Two more appetizers</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>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.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>APPETIZER # 3</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>Mathematics education and language diversity: background,
findings and future research directions</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>by Mamokgethi Setati (Full professor and executive Dean of the
College of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of
South Africa, Honorary Professor of Mathematics Education at Wits
University. PhD in Mathematics Education, University of the
Witwatersrand (2002))</div>
<div> </div>
<div>There is a growing body of research on mathematics education and
language diversity. The unit of study in early research in this area
of study was the bi/multilingual learner. This location of the problem
in the learner was based on an underlying assumption of inferiority -
that there is something wrong with the bi/multilingual learner.
Studies in the eighties moved from focusing on the bi/multilingual
learner to the bi/multilingual classroom. In recent years, research on
mathematics education and language diversity has come to recognize the
socio-political role of language even as it is used in mathematics
teaching and learning. The fact that decisions about which language to
use; how to use it; and for what purposes are not just pedagogic. This
presentation will focus on the development of research on mathematics
education and language diversity, highlighting significant advances,
findings, gaps and future research directions.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>APPETIZER # 4</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>From Psychological Imprisonment to Intellectual Freedom - The
Different Roles that School Mathematics Can Take in Student's
Lives</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>by Jo Boaler (Professor at the School of Education, Stanford
University, USA, PhD (Mathematics Education) King's College, London
University, (1996) MA (Mathematics Education) King's College, London
University (1991), BSc (Psychology) Liverpool University (1985))</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Some years ago I studied two schools in England that taught
mathematics very differently. In one of the schools the students
learned by watching a teacher demonstrate mathematical methods that
they copied and practiced. In the other school the students worked on
applied projects. In both schools students learned the same
mathematical content but in very different ways. When I first reported
on the study I knew that the students had developed different<i> ways
of knowing mathematics</i>, different ways of interacting with
mathematics, and had achieved at different levels at the end of
school. In a follow-up study, that will be the basis of this
presentation, I found the students from the two schools some eight
years later when they were adults of 23-24 years of age. In this
presentation I will report on the ways the differing mathematics
approaches had impacted the young people as adults, with some profound
differences emerging in the ways that they interacted with knowledge,
and the intellectual authority and responsibility they took into their
lives. These two studies give opportunity to examine the
different ways that people may hold, use and relate to mathematics
knowledge, in school and beyond.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Secretary-General of ICMI,
jaimecs@mat.uc.pt</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>6.<b> ICME-12: DGs</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Contrary to past ICME practice, Discussion Groups for ICME-12
were created in response to a proposal submitted by a group of up to
five persons representing diverse regions of the world. As their name
suggests, Discussion Groups (DGs) are designed to gather Congress
participants who are interested in discussing, in a genuinely
interactive way, certain challenging, controversial or emerging issues
and dilemmas of interest to an international or regional audience.
Each DG was allocated two time slots of 90 minutes each during the
Congress. Before the congress, the discussion group organizing team
will post their page at the ICME-12 web site (http://icme12.org)
including contributions that define, limit, and/or present basic
premises, theoretical considerations, research findings, viewpoints
and facts that should be accounted for a fruitful discussion to be
attained. Prior to the congress, participants can send individual
contributions to the organizers for consideration as additional
background information and may raise questions or participate in an
exchange of ideas through the web site. The list of the DGs that have
been considered and their co-chairs is:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 1: Current Problems and Challenges in Non-university Tertiary
Mathematics Education (NTME)</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: James Roznowsk(USA) jroznowski@harpercollege.edu
Low-Ee Huei Wuan(Singapore) lowhw@sp.edu.sg</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 2: Creativity in Mathematics Education</div>
<div>Chair: Hartwig Meissner(Germany) meissne@uni-muenster.de</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 3: Issues Surrounding Teaching Linear Algebra</div>
<div>Co-chairs: Avi Berman(Israel) berman@technion.ac.il Sang-Gu
Lee(Korea) sglee@skku.edu</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 4: The Evolvement of Mathematics Teachers'
Community-of-Practice</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Nitsa Movshovitz-Hadar(Israel) nitsa@technion.ac.il
Atara Shriki(Israel) Shriki@technion.ac.il</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 5: Uses of History of Mathematics in School (pupils aged 6 -
13)</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Bjørn Smestad(Norway) bjorn.sme stad@lui.hio.no
Funda Gonulates(USA/Turkey) fgonulates@gmail.com</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 6: Postmodern Mathematics</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Paul Ernest(UK) p.ernest@ex.ac.uk Regina
Möller(Germany) regina.moeller@uni-erfurt.de</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 7: Improving Teacher Professional Development Through Lesson
Study</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Toshiakira Fujii(Japan) tfujii@u-gakugei.ac.jp Akihiko
Takahashi(USA) atakahas@depaul.edu</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 8: Theory and Perspective of Mathematics Learning and Teaching
from the Asian Regions</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Chun Chor Litwin Cheng(Hong Kong) cccheng@ied.edu.hk
Hong Zhang(China) Zhanghongredg6@163.com</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 9: Using Technology to Integrate Geometry and Algebra in the
Study of Functions</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Scott Steketee(USA) stek@kcptech.com Cheah Ui
Hock(Malaysia) uhcheah@recsam.edu.my</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 10: New Challenges in Developing Dynamic Software for Teaching
and Learning Mathematics</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Zsolt Lavicza(UK) zl221@cam.ac.uk Markus
Hohenwarter(Austria) markus.hohenwarter@jku.at</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 11: Mathematics Teacher Retention</div>
<div>Co-chiars: Axelle Faughn(USA/NC) afaughn@email.wcu.edu Barbara
Pence(USA/CA) Barbara.Pence@sjsu.edu</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 12: Mathematics Teacher Educators' Knowledge for
Teaching</div>
<div>Co-chairs: Kim Beswick(Australia) kim.beswick@utas.edu.au Olive
Chapman(Canada) chapman@ucalgary.ca</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 13: The Role of Mathematics Education in Helping to Produce a
Data Literate Society</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: William Finzer(USA) bfinzer@kcptech.com Cliff
Konold(USA) konold@srri.umass.edu</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG 14: Mathematical Modeling in Connecting Concepts to Real World
Application</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Zhonghe Wu(USA) zwu@nu.edu Lijun Ye(China)
yeatsylj@126.com</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG15: Mathematics and Culture in Micronesia: An exploration of
the mathematical aspects of indigenous practices</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: A. J. (Sandy) Dawson(USA) dawsona@hawaii.edu Donald
Rubinstein(Guam) rubinste@uguam.uog.edu</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG16: Can art save mathematics?</div>
<div>Co-Chairs: Dirk Huylebrouck(Belgium) Huylebrouck@gmail.com Slavik
Jablan(Serbia) sjablan@gmail.com</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>DG17: Teaching of Problem Solving in School Mathematics
Classrooms</div>
<div>Co-chair: Yew Hoong Leong(Singapore) yewhoong.leong@nie.edu.sg
Rungfa Janjaruporn(Thailand) rungfajan@yahoo.com</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>7. ICME-12: 7 Reasons to visit Seoul and Korea</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Seoul, the capital of Korea, receives ICME-12 in its Convention &
Exhibition Center-COEX. ICME-12 will certainly be a huge scientific
and social success but the city and the country are also worth
visiting. Let's see the main reasons to visit Seoul and Korea.<br>
<br>
1. Korean boyangsik food</div>
<div>Korean people often say that "good food has magical powers."
To keep in shape, no medicine beats a fine-cooked meal. This belief is
well reflected in Korea's boyangsik food, which literally means food
that invigorates the body. The most popular boyangsik foods in Korea
are those that come in a meat-based broth like samgyetang,
seolleongtang, and gomtang. In terms of Oriental medicine, boyangsik
food replenishes the body, helps circulate energy, and balances the
ying and the yang. Traditionally, boyangsik was consumed to maintain
body balance (especially during the changing seasons), or to replenish
the body in times of weakness. Nowadays, it is consumed throughout the
year regardless of the season. Try some of the popular Korean
boyangsik foods for its great taste and healthy benefits. And you
should not forget Soju<b>,</b> a distilled beverage native to
Korea.</div>
<div><br>
2. Myeong-dong is all about shopping!</div>
<div>From the towering super stores of Migliore, Lotte Department
Store, Avatar and High Harriet to the cozy, mom-and-pop shops lining
the sidestep, Myeong-dong has something for everyone. Whether the
search is for accessories, athletic wear, shoes, boots or a number of
other mid-to-high priced items, you'll find it all here. With the
main streets boasting larger, well-known stores, many of the better
bargains are to be found at some of the discount stores that require a
little walking to get to. All this selection of styles and sizes,
coupled with the freedom of strolling in the open-air make Myeong-dong
a shopping destination not to be missed and an adventure sure to be
remembered.</div>
<div><br>
2. Seoul: Towering High into a Bright Future<br>
Korean capital city, Seoul, is located in the Midwest of the Korean
peninsula. It has been an area of strategic importance since
prehistoric times, particularly in the realms of politics, economics,
society and culture. During the Era of the Three States (4th to
mid-7th centuries), the area was frequently used as a battleground
among the ancient ruling kingdoms of Goguryeo, Baekje and Silla. It
was designated as Korea's capital city during the Joseon Dynasty
(1392-1910). In 1945, the city was named Seoul, which means
'towering high.' It is home to more than 10 million
inhabitants.</div>
<div><br>
4. UNESCO World Cultural Heritage</div>
<div>In the heart of Seoul stands a royal palace designated as UNESCO
World Cultural Heritage,<b> Changdeokgung Palace</b>. The Joseon
Dynasty built "Five Grand Palaces" in Seoul: Changdeokgung,
Changgyeonggung, Deoksugung, Gyeongbokgung and Gyeonghuigung, all of
which are located in the district of Jongno-gu and Jung-gu. Asia's
largest underground street shopping mall lies near the 15th century
royal tombs.<b> Namdaemun</b>, officially the<b> Sungnyemun</b>, is a
historic pagoda-style gateway located in the center of Seoul. The
gate, which was begun in the 14th century, is now listed first among
the National Treasures of South Korea. The historic 24-hour Namdaemun
market is next to the gate where it has been operating for
centuries.</div>
<div><br>
5. Jeju: Volcanic Island Designated as a World Natural Heritage<br>
The southernmost territory of Korea, the Jeju Special Self-Governing
Province is a volcanic island created by eruptions millions of years
ago. It is Korea's largest island and an international destination
with fascinating natural landscapes and academic value. In October
2010, nine geological sites in Jeju Island received recognition as
UNESCO Global Geoparks from the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network (GGN).
The Jeju sites became the first in Korea to earn this recognition, and
with it, Jeju becomes the only place in the world with three UNESCO
certifications, following its Biosphere Reserve and UNESCO World
Heritage Site designations in 2002 and 2007, respectively. The nine
Jeju sites designated as Global Geoparks include Hallasan Mountain,
Seongsan Ilchulbong Peak, and Manjanggul Cave.<br>
<br>
6. Gyeongju : Treasure Trove of UNESCO World Cultural Heritage<br>
Gyeongju, located in southeast Korea, was the capital of the Silla
Kingdom for 992 years (BC 57-935), the longest surviving kingdom in
the history of Korea. Not only is it astounding that it was ruled by
56 kings spanning a period of almost a thousand years. Gyeongju still
shines today, more than a millennium after the kingdom's demise.
Buddhism was introduced in Silla in the 6th century and played a
significant role in strengthening royal authority and unifying the
people, becoming the foundation of the area's art, tradition, and
culture. Consequently, Gyeongju is the home of the greatest Buddhist
art treasures in Korea, and is the nation's most popular field trip
destination. Bulguksa Temple and Seokguram Grotto are Gyeonju's most
celebrated relics and are said to capture the essence of the Korean
Buddhist culture. Gyeongju is a virtual cornucopia of history,
meriting praise and preservation worldwide.<br>
<br>
7. The World's Oldest and Most Complete Buddhist Scriptures: UNESCO
Memory of the World Register<br>
The Tripitaka Koreana (Goryeo Dynasty Tripitaka) are the world's
only extant collection of wooden printing blocks for the Buddhist
scriptures that are written in classical Chinese. Stored in the
buildings of Janggyeong Panjeon Hall in Haeinsa Temple in
Gyeongsangnam-do province, the Tripitaka Koreana was completed by
scribes between 1236 and 1251. It is recognized as the most
comprehensive example of the woodblock printing technique in all known
Buddhist scriptures of that time. The Goryeo Dynasty Tripitaka is a
priceless example of the early woodblock printing technique. Lacquered
using sap from the lacquer tree, the woodblocks have excellent
durability and can still print crisp copies 760 years after their
creation. The total 87,000 woodblocks that make up the Goryeo Dynasty
Tripitaka record nearly the entire collection of Buddhist scriptures
that exist in Asia. Based on the value of their content and the
excellent state in which they have been preserved, they were listed on
the UNESCO Memory of the World Register in June 2007.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>8.<b> ICMI Awards Committee calls for nominations</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The Executive Committee of the International Commission on
Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) a number of years ago created two
awards, each in the form of a diploma and a medal, to recognise
outstanding accomplishments in mathematics education research:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>* the Hans Freudenthal Award, for a major programme of research
on mathematics education,</div>
<div>* the Felix Klein Award, for lifelong achievement in
mathematics education research.</div>
<div><br>
An ICMI Awards Committee has been appointed for selecting the
awardees. The President of ICMI has appointed Professor Carolyn Kieran
to chair this committee, the other members of which are anonymous
until their terms have come to an end.<br>
The first recipients of these two awards, Professor Guy Brousseau
(France) for the<u> Felix Klein Award</u> and Professor Celia Hoyles
(UK) for the<u> Hans Freudenthal Award</u>, formally received these at
the opening ceremonies of ICME-10 in Copenhagen, in July 2004<b>.</b>
The two 2005 awards went to Professors Ubiratan D'Ambrosio (Brazil)
(the Klein Award) and Paul Cobb (USA) (the Freudenthal Award), and for
2007, Professors Jeremy Kilpatrick (USA) and Anna Sfard
(Israel/UK/USA) received the Klein and the Freudenthal Awards,
respectively; these awards were formally presented to the recipients
at the opening ceremony of ICME-11 in Monterrey, México, in July
2008. The two 2009 awards went to Professors Gilah Leder (Australia)
(the Klein Award) and Yves Chevallard (France) (the Freudenthal
Award). The awards for 2009 and for the current 2011 cycle will be
formally presented to the recipients at the opening ceremony of
ICME-12 in Seoul, Korea, in July 2012.<br>
The<u> ICMI Awards Committee</u> is at this time entering the 2011
cycle of selecting awardees. We acknowledge that the 2011 process is a
little behind schedule, and apologise for the delay, but we expect to
announce the 2011 awards in February, 2012. As was the case with the
previous cycles, the ICMI Awards Committee welcomes suggestions coming
from the mathematics education community, hence this call for
nominations.<br>
A nomination of a candidate for the<u> Felix Klein Award</u> or the<u>
Hans Freudenthal Award</u> has to be accompanied by a summary
presenting the vita and the achievements of the person nominated, as
well as the reasons for the nomination. Moreover, nominations also
have to include the names and coordinates of two or three persons from
whom the committee may seek further information.</div>
<div>All proposals must be sent by e-mail
(<u>kieran.carolyn@uqam.ca</u> or<u> carkie2@yahoo.ca</u>) to the
Chair of the Committee no later than December 1, 2011.<br>
<br>
Prof. Carolyn Kieran, Chair of the ICMI Awards Committee</div>
<div>Département de mathématiques, Université du Québec à
Montréal, C.P. 8888, succursale Centre-Ville, Montréal, QC, H3C
3P8, CANADA</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>9.<b> Report on the first implementation of CANP "Capacity
and Networking Programme in the Mathematical Sciences": School
EDiMaths</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The school EDiMaths, which is the first implementation of project
CANP "Capacity and Networking Programme in the Mathematical
Sciences", a joint program of the International Commission on
Mathematical Instruction (ICMI) and the International Mathematical
Union (IMU) set up with the support of UNESCO and CIMPA, was held in
the FAST (Faculty of Science and Technology), University of Bamako
from 18 to 30 September 2011. It referred as planned capacity building
of teaching mathematics and mathematics teacher educators in the
sub-region of Francophone West Africa, paying particular attention to
the specific regional context, the strengthening of connections and
collaborations between different communities involved in the training
of teachers: mathematics, didactics, teacher trainers from secondary
schools, inspectors ... and the creation of a regional network of
trainers whose activities are intended to continue beyond the EDiMaths
only school.</div>
<div>The school concerned as planned five countries in the sub-region:
Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Niger, for which national
contacts were identified. Benin has also sent a representative.
Participation requests had been received from citizens of other
Francophone countries (Cameroon, Congo Brazzaville, Democratic
Republic of Congo, Madagascar), but uncertainties about the school
budget failed to respond positively to such requests.</div>
<div>The initial project included the funding of about forty
participants: 20 from the host country and 5 for each of the other
four countries. The selection of participants in each country was made
in consultation between the national contacts, the inspectorate and
teacher training institutions. This selection has not caused problems,
school EDiMaths having, upon its announcement, aroused great interest
and national contacts have played their role perfectly. Furthermore,
according to our demands, a special effort was made to include the
various communities involved in the formation. To the participants in
the sub-region are to add the six lecturers French scientific
committee members, the local members that have occurred as trainers,
the national contacts who also acted as trainers, two invited african
faculty members who developed the work on gender, and nine members of
the local organizing committee. Finally the effective EDiMaths was
composed of 61 persons.</div>
<div>The school was primarily the training of mathematics teachers of
the second degree but, as had been hoped, many participants and
trainers were also involved in the training of teachers of elementary
school. Regarding the participants must be noted, however the large
imbalance in the genre, no country in the sub-region having more than
two participants and two of them, with the host country, had
none.</div>
<div>The school program was developed by the Scientific Committee in
consultation with the local organizing committee. In accordance with
the philosophy of the program CANP, the Scientific Committee with
eight members plus a representative of the ICMI consisted of a
balanced academic mathematicians and educationalists, teachers and
researchers of the North (in this case France) and the sub-region. The
scientific program was organized around seven major themes:
fundamental mathematics, contemporary mathematics, situations for
class research, technology and mathematics education, cross-cutting
themes relevant to regional priorities, building a professional
community, promotion of mathematics.</div>
<div>ICMI has proposed to open a Moodle platform accessible to all
participants of the school. Initially, in it will be available all
documents that have been made to this school and additional resources
posted by the trainers. It will also host the current version of the
reports prepared for school. It will then serve as a forum between the
participants of the school who are committed to continue to feed it by
pooling their resources for teacher training. In addition a web page
will be open for EDiMaths on the ICMI website where organizers of the
school will be able to migrate documents which appear to deserve wider
distribution.</div>
<div>The evaluation of EDiMaths was conducted using a questionnaire
sent to participants and a debriefing session coordinated by Michèle
Artigue. All but three participants meet that EDiMaths has reflected
the philosophy of the program CANP and show their commitment to this
philosophy. The reasons given to justify this position are primarily
the composition of participants in school, the choice of themes and
their management through the school and decisions taken to build a
regional network. The few negative responses came from participants
who feel that the school has not paid sufficient attention to regional
specificities.</div>
<div>Achieving EDiMaths was made possible by the support of UNESCO,
the International Mathematical Union, the ICMI, the International
Centre for Pure and Applied Mathematics (CIMPA), the SCAC of the
Embassy of France in Mali, Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble and
substantial support from the Ministry of Education, Literacy and
National Languages of Mali. In addition, the FAST University of Bamako
has made freely available to EDiMaths, an amphitheater for the opening
ceremony, a large room and a computer room for training and provided
wireless internet access for participants. The trainers have also
benefited from the reception in his office of the Department of
Mathematics and a small adjoining office.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Michèle Artigue, Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 et
ICMI</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>10. Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>a) MATHEMATICS OF PLANET EARTH COMPETITION FOR AN OPEN SOURCE
EXHIBITION OF VIRTUAL MODULES</div>
<div>http://www.mpe2013.org/competition<br>
</div>
<div>This competition is part of the world initiative
"Mathematics of Planet Earth 2013" (MPE2013). The exhibition
will have a virtual part as well as instructions to realize material
parts. Examples of modules or themes to be covered are available on
the website</div>
<div><br>
To stimulate imagination on the many domains where mathematics plays a
crucial role in planetary issues the following four themes are
proposed, but these themes are not exhaustive:<br>
- A PLANET TO DISCOVER: oceans; meteorology and climate; mantle
processes, natural resources, celestial mechanics<br>
- A PLANET SUPPORTING LIFE: ecology, biodiversity, evolution<br>
- A PLANET ORGANIZED BY HUMANS: political, economic, social and
financial systems; organization of transport and communications
networks; management of resources; energy</div>
<div>- A PLANET AT RISK: climate change, sustainable development,
epidemics; invasive species, natural disasters<br>
<br>
The typical modules submitted to this competition can be of four forms
and should have some scientific explanations for the public:<br>
- A module explaining how to realize a physical module in a museum<br>
- An interactive exhibit to be watched either on the web or in a
museum<br>
- A film<br>
- Image(s)<br>
<br>
COMPETITION PERIOD, JURY, PRIZES<br>
The competition will be open from January 2012 to May 15, 2012.<br>
The prize winners will be selected by an international jury nominated
by MPE2013. The prize winners will be announced in August 2012. The
judges decision will be final.</div>
<div>The first, second and third prize winners will receive respective
prizes of US$ 5000, US$ 3000 and US$ 2000. The winning modules will
occupy a prominent place on the website of the exhibition. Moreover it
is planned to show the modules of the overall winners in exhibitions
and museums.<br>
</div>
<div>b) SUBSCRIBING TO MPE2013 Newsletter</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Click on
http://mpe2013.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=f59ce33759e67baa06b0<span
></span>45721&id=89298e6cba&e=d7647eeaac and go to the
"Newsletter" button to subscribe to MPE2013 online.</div>
<div><br></div>
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></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>11. ICSU Science Education Review</div>
<div><br>
The International Council for Science ICSU is the umbrella body
for<br>
Science internationally. As well as National Members it has<br>
Institutional Members, and ICMI is associated with ICSU as a
Commision<br>
of the International Mathematical Union IMU, one of ICSU's
institutional<br>
members. As part of ICSU's development of its new Strategic Plan<br>
2012-2017, ICSU wished to "... define [its] future role in
relation to<br>
science education". It established a 12 person panel which
produced the<br>
recently released "Report of the Ad-Hoc Review Panel on
Science</div>
<div>Education". ICMI/IMU made a substantial submission to the
review in 2010</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>http://www.mathunion.org/icmi/other-activities/reports/</div>
<div> </div>
<div>and also commented on a draft of the report in January
2011.</div>
<div>The review is confined to education in the Natural</div>
<div>Sciences, but mentions the work of ICMI. The Report was endorsed
by the<br>
ICSU Committee CSPR, and will be discussed at the ICSU General
Assembly<br>
in September 2011 in Rome. The ICSU Executive has decided not to
propose<br>
a new initiative dedicated to science education at the General
Assembly.<br>
Instead it was agreed that science education should be integrated
across</div>
<div>all relevant ICSU science activities.A copy is available
at:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>http://www.icsu.org/what-we-do/committees/science-education-review</div
>
<div><br>
Recommendations relevant to Mathematics Education include (i) a web
site<br>
pointing to portals where science education resources may be found,
and<br>
(ii) encouragement of the three ICSU Regional Offices to
contribute<br>
actively to "mapping the status of science education, whether
formal or<br>
informal, in the regions in which they are located; ... to network
with<br>
any organizations in their respective regions involved in science<br>
education and science literacy that are aligned with ICSU's own
science<br>
education strategy, and work together to foster South-South
cooperation<br>
in science education".</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Cheryl Praeger", IMU-ICMI liaison,
cheryl.praeger@uwa.edu.au</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>12. News from IMU</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>a) CIMPA/ CARMIN: CALL FOR A PROGRAM OF SHORT MATHEMATICAL
VISITS<br>
<br>
CARMIN and CIMPA issued a call for a program to support short visits
of young mathematicians from developing countries to CARMIN
institutions in France, which may include visits to CIMPA supporting
states.<br>
<br>
This program is designed for mathematicians residing in a developing
country and having received their PhD within the last four years when
applying or expecting to obtain it in the next two years.</div>
<div><br>
Those coming from newly industrialized countries as of 2011will be
considered for partial support.</div>
<div><br>
Application deadline: end of November 2011</div>
<div>http://www.mathunion.org/cdc/grants/non-imu-grants/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>b) IMU's Commission for Developing Countries (CDC) invites
applications for its individual and conference support programs.</div>
<div>For more information please go to:<br>
http://www.mathunion.org/cdc/grants/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>c) Sir JOHN BALL ELECTED ON THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF ICSU
(International Council for Science). The General Assembly elected the
officers for the next three year period and John Ball, former
president of IMU, was elected on the Executive<br>
Board of ICSU for a three year period starting January 2012. IMU is a
member of ICSU.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>13. André Delessert, former Secretary-General of ICMI passed
away</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>André Delessert, Secretary of ICMI from 1964 to 1972 passed
away</div>
<div>one year ago October 19, 2010.</div>
<div>Born in Lausanne July 2, 1923, he made all his studies to get the
Bachelor</div>
<div>of Science degree from the University of Lausanne in 1945. It was
here</div>
<div>that he continued his career focused primarily on the teaching
of</div>
<div>mathematics and their pedagogy, with the exception of two
years</div>
<div>(1946-1948) during which a French government scholarship
enabled</div>
<div>him to study at the Institut Henri Poincare and Ecole Normale
Superieure.<br>
Upon his return to Lausanne for several years he devoted himself to
teaching</div>
<div>secondary and upper secondary education, while preparing a thesis
that</div>
<div>he presented in 1962, thesis entitled "A construction of
elementary geometry</div>
<div>based on the concept of reflection". This work was conducted
in parallel with the</div>
<div>writing of a manual of geometry, simply titled "Plane
Geometry", manual</div>
<div>which allowed several generations of students to discover the
rigorous</div>
<div>geometric reasoning, illuminated by the intrusion of a
picturesque character,</div>
<div>Zosyme, that naively questioned the master at the end of the
chapters.</div>
<div>Contained in this manual are also many exercises that awakened
the geometric</div>
<div>intuition of the student.<br>
In 1964 he was appointed professor at the University of Lausanne,
where he</div>
<div>continued his educational activity in particular by teaching
general mathematics</div>
<div>to the science students. His organizational skills made him
little by little</div>
<div>take responsibility within the University: President of the
Section<br>
mathematics and dean of the Faculty of Science and finally Rector<br>
University from 1983 to 1987, years preceding his retirement. At the
same</div>
<div>time and even beyond his retirement he has continued to provide
support</div>
<div>to the young colleagues of compulsory secondary education by
conducting</div>
<div>training seminars of continuous preparation, encouraging the
development of</div>
<div>a bulletin of the teachers of mathematics.</div>
<div>The interests in the life of André Delessert were not reduced
to mathematics</div>
<div>and its pedagogy; let's note the artistic side: the practice of
sculpture and a</div>
<div>wife artistic painter.</div>
<div><br>
Daniel AMIGUET, Renens, Switzerland, daniel.amiguet @ tvtmail.ch</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>14. Publications of Interest to the ICMI Community:<b> The very
last copies of the ICMI centenary volume</b></div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The very few last printed copies of the ICMI centenary volume are
still available for a short time and will not be printed again.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>The volume with the title "The First Century of the
International Commission on Mathematical Instruction (1908-2008).
Reflecting and Shaping the World of Mathematics Education"
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;
Michèle Artigue; Bernard R. Hodgson; Alan Bishop; Ubiratan
D'Ambrosio; Jill Adler; Bill Barton; Deborah Ball; Marcelo Borba;
Gilah Leder and many others.</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Please hurry to buy your personal copy or recommend immediately
to the library of your department.</div>
<div>The price is 40 euros for the ICMI community and 60 euros for
libraries.</div>
<div>Details of the procedure to buy the book are available
here:</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>http://www.treccani.it/catalogo/catalogo_prodotti/Le_collane/bibliot<span
></span>eca_enciclopedica.html</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>http://www.unige.ch/math/EnsMath/Rome2008/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Jaime Carvalho e Silva, Secretary-General of ICMI,
jaimecs@mat.uc.pt</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
>--------------------------------------------------------------------<span
></span>----</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>15. Calendar of Events of Interest to the ICMI Community</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Volcanic DELTA 2011,</div>
<div>Eighth Southern Hemisphere Conference on the Teaching and
Learning of Undergraduate Mathematics and Statistics,</div>
<div>Rotorua, NZ, November 27 - December 2, 2011</div>
<div>http://www.delta2011.co.nz/delta2011/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><u>Fourth National Conference "Technology and Innovation in
Math Education"</u></div>
<div>TIME 2011, Indore Public School, Indore, India, 26-29 December,
2011</div>
<div>http://www.math.iitb.ac.in/TIME2011/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Creating Balance in an Unjust World Conference on Math Education
and Social Justice</div>
<div>Mission High School in San Francisco, CA, USA, January 13-15,
2012.</div>
<div>http://creatingbalanceconference.org/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>EMF 2012 - Espace Mathématique Francophone,</div>
<div>Genève, 3-7 Février 2012</div>
<div>http://www.emf2012.unige.ch/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Seventh International Conference on Science, Mathematics &
Technology Education:</div>
<div>Transformations through Science, Mathematics and Technology
Education</div>
<div>- Towards an Innovative and Sustainable Society, Muscat, Oman,
February 12-15, 2012</div>
<div>d.fisher@smec.curtin.edu.au</div>
<div><br></div>
<div><b>International colloquium in honour of Michele Artigue</b>
-</div>
<div>- (Professor at the Université Paris Diderot,
ex-president of ICMI):</div>
<div>The didactics of mathematics: approaches and issues.</div>
<div>Paris, May 31st, June 1st and 2nd 2012.</div>
<div>http://www.lar.univ-paris-diderot.fr/colloque/artigue</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>MERGA 35</div>
<div>National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological
University, Singapore, July 2-6, 2012</div>
<div>http://www.merga.net.au/conferences</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>WFNMC Mini Conference 2012</div>
<div>COEX, Seoul, July 7, 2012</div>
<div>http://www.amt.edu.au/wfnmc/icme2012miniconference.html</div>
<div><br>
ICME-12 - Twelfth International Congress on Mathematical
Education</div>
<div>COEX, Seoul, Korea, July 8-15, 2012</div>
<div>http://www.icme12.org/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>MCG7</div>
<div>KSA, Busan, Korea, July 15-18, 2012</div>
<div>http://www.mcg7.org/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>HPM 2012 History and Pedagogy of Mathematics<br>
The HPM Satellite Meeting of ICME-12</div>
<div>Daejeon (Korea), July 16-20, 2012</div>
<div>http://www.hpm2012.org</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>PME Annual Conference</div>
<div>Taipei, Taiwan, July 18-22, 2012</div>
<div>http://www.tame.tw/pme36/</div>
<div><br></div>
<div>Statistics Education Section of Eleventh Iranian Statistical
Conference</div>
<div>Iran University of Science and Technology, August 28-30,
2012</div>
<div>info:<u> isc11@iust.ac.ir</u><br>
</div>
<div>EARCOME6 - The Sixth East Asia Regional Conference on Mathematics
Education,</div>
<div>Thailand, March, 2013</div>
<div><br></div>
<div
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></span>----</div>
<div><br>
16. SUBSCRIBING TO ICMI News</div>
<div><br>
There are two ways of subscribing to ICMI News:<br>
<br>
1. Click on http://www.mathunion.org/index.php?id=674 with a Web
browser<br>
and go to the "Subscribe" button to subscribe to ICMI News
online.</div>
<div><br>
2. Send an e-mail to icmi-news-request@mathunion.org with the
Subject-line:<br>
Subject: subscribe<br>
<br>
In both cases you will get an e-mail to confirm your subscription
so<br>
that misuse will be minimized. ICMI will not use the list of ICMI
News<br>
addresses for any purpose other than sending ICMI News, and will
not</div>
<div>make it available to others.<br>
<br>
Previous issues can be seen at:<br>
http://www.mathunion.org/pipermail/icmi-news<br>
<br>
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