[ICMI-News] ICMI News 19: August 2011
J Carvalho e Silva
jaimecs at mat.uc.pt
Thu Sep 29 08:21:13 CEST 2011
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-Universität
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 <My Page> button located in the left-up
corner or go to <Proposal & Paper submissions>
menu or go to each TSG website after clicking the
red button <Topic Study Groups>.
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 <Proposal & Paper submissions> 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;
Michèle 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 Mathématique Francophone,
Genève, 3-7 Février 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 Université 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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