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The symposia feature:

• Keynote talks by national leaders in education, mathematics, and science, and breakout sessions with the speakers

• Breakout sessions highlighting exemplary practices, innovative projects, and research by Chicago area faculty

• Discussion groups on issues of teaching and learning mathematics and science, and the mathematics and science preparation of teachers

• Networking within and across disciplines.

Friday, February 4, 2005

DePaul University, Loop Campus

• Jane Butler Kahle
  Condit Professor of Science Education, Miami University

Jane Butler Kahle is the Condit Professor of Science Education in the Department of Teacher Education at Miami University, as well as an affiliate professor in the Departments of Botany and Educational Leadership and in the Women’s Studies Program.  Prof. Kahle was Director of the Division for Elementary, Secondary, and Informal Education at the National Science Foundation from 1999-2002.  Formerly, Prof. Kahle was associate dean of the Graduate School and professor in the Departments of Biological Sciences and Education at Purdue University.  She has been a Fellow at the National Institute for Science Education at the University of Wisconsin–Madison; at the Science and Mathematics Education Centre, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia; and at the University of Oslo, Norway.

Prof. Kahle’s research focuses on gender equity and on assessing the progress of systemic reform in science and mathematics education.  She has published over 150 articles and has contributed chapters to 34 monographs and books.  She has directed 53 externally‑funded projects, supported by the Carnegie Foundation, the Lilly Endowment, the Norman Foundation, the Squibb Foundation, the Carnegie Corporation, the National Institute of Education, the Women’s Educational Equity Act, the National Science Foundation, the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Board of Regents, among others.

Prof. Kahle received the Distinguished Scholar Award from Miami University in 2004, the Willystine‑Goodsell Award in recognition of scholarship, activism, and community building on behalf of women from the American Educational Research Association in April, 2002, and the Distinguished Contributions to Science Education Through Research Award from the National Association of Research in Science Teaching in April, 2000.  Prof. Kahle has been president of the National Association of Biology Teachers, the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, and the Hoosier Association of Science Teachers. She has served as chairperson of the Committee on Science Education (K–12), National Research Council; of the Board of Directors, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study; of Section Q (Science Education), American Association for the Advancement of Science; of the Board of Directors, Gender and Science and Technology Association; and of the Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation.

 

• Edward F. Redish
  Professor of Physics, University of Maryland

Edward F. Redish is a Professor of Physics at the University of Maryland in College Park. He received his undergraduate degree Magna Cum Laude from Princeton University and his Ph.D. in theoretical nuclear physics from M.I.T. in 1968.  He has been at the University of Maryland ever since, and served as Chairman of the Department of Physics and Astronomy there from 1982-1985.  His research in nuclear theory emphasized the theory of reactions and the quantum few-body problem.  As a nuclear theorist he served on the national Nuclear Science Advisory Committee and served as Chair of the Program Committee for the Indiana University Cyclotron.

Since 1982 he has been actively involved in the subject of physics education using the computer. He was founder and co-principal investigator of the Maryland University Project in Physics Education and Technology (M.U.P.P.E.T.) and Comprehensive Unified Physics Learning Environment (CUPLE).  His current research effort is devoted entirely to physics education.

Prof. Redish has received awards for his work in education from the Washington Academy of Science, the Maryland Association for Higher Education, Dickinson College, Vanderbilt University, and the Robert A. Millikan Medal from the AAPT.  He was US Representative to the International Commission on Physics Education from 1994-2002.  He was the editor of the Physics Education Research Supplement / Sectionto the American Journal of Physics from its inception in 1999 to 2004.  He is a member of the Activity-Based Physics development team, responsible for the creation of The Physics Suite for John Wiley and Sons, Inc which includes the physics text, Understanding Physics, by Cummings, Laws, Redish, and Cooney, a revision of the popular text by Halliday, Resnick, and Walker that takes into account what has been learned from physics education research.

Currently Prof.Redish is doing research on student epistemologies and expectations and student difficulties with the use of mathematics in physics.  He is co-PI of the project studying the algebra-based introductory physics class entitled: Learning to Learn Science: Meta-learning in introductory physics for bioscience majors with David Hammer.

Friday, March 11, 2005
Northwestern University

• Sybilla Beckmann
  Associate Professor of Mathematics, University of Georgia

Sybilla Beckmann is the author of Mathematics for Elementary Teachers, published by Addison-Wesley.  Beckmann has a traditional research mathematician's background: she has a PhD in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and was a Gibbs Instructor at Yale University before she became a professor at the University of Georgia.  But when her children started to go to school, she became very interested in teacher education.  She developed three mathematics content courses for prospective elementary school teachers at the University of Georgia and wrote her book for use in such courses.

Prof. Beckmann has presented a number of papers on teacher education at national and international meetings, at universities and colleges, and at workshops on preparing mathematicians to educate teachers.  She has been a project staff member on a number of grants designed to improve teacher education and the mathematical knowledge of teachers.  She has also directed a number of workshops for the professional development of teachers, including year-long and multi-year projects at local elementary schools.  One of these projects blended art and math and was a collaboration with the school's art teacher.  One of her current projects is teaching one average 6th grade mathematics class every day at a local public school.

• Jay Labov
  Senior Advisor for Education and Communication National Research Council, Center for Education

Jay Labov is Senior Advisor for Education and Communication in the National Research Council’s Center for Education.  He also has been the study director for the NRC reports, Evaluating and Improving Undergraduate Teaching in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (2003); Learning and Understanding: Improving Advanced Study of Mathematics and Science in U.S. High Schools (2002); Educating Teachers of Science, Mathematics, and Technology: New Practices for the New Millennium (2000); Transforming Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology (1999); Serving the Needs of Pre-College Science and Mathematics Education: Impact of a Digital National Library on Teacher Education and Practice (1999); and Developing a Digital National Library for Undergraduate Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education (1998).  He has served as the Director of the Center’s Committee on Undergraduate Science Education, and the Deputy Director for the Center for Education.  Dr. Labov oversees the National Academy of Science’s efforts to improve the teaching of evolution in the public schools.  Prior to assuming his position at the NRC Dr. Labov was a member of the biology faculty for 18 years at Colby College (ME), where he taught courses in Introductory Biology, Topics in Neurobiology, Animal Behavior, Mammalian and Human Physiology, and Tropical Ecology.

Monday, May 2, 2005
University of Illinois at Chicago

• Cathryn A. Manduca

  Director, Science Education Resource Center, Carleton College

Dr. Cathryn A. Manduca is director of the Science Education Resource Center at Carleton College.  This center is engaged in several projects that support effective science education nation-wide with a special focus on undergraduate earth-science education.  Projects include development of a web-site supporting faculty teaching entry level geoscience, professional development workshops and on-line resources for geoscience faculty, and a set of websites demonstrating how the Digital Library for Earth System Science can support faculty in addressing issues in teaching (e.g., Teaching Quantitative Skills).  Dr. Manduca served as coordinator for the Keck Geology Consortium undergraduate research program from 1994-2000.  She is chair of the American Geophysical Union Committee on Education and Human Resources, and past- president of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.  She has co-authored several reports mobilizing action in the geoscience and digital library communities: Bringing Research on Learning to the Geosciences; Using Data in Undergraduate Science Courses; Shaping the Future of Undergraduate Earth Science Education; The Digital Library for Earth System Education—A Community Plan; and Pathways To Progress—Vision and Plans for the National STEM  Education Digital Library.

• Iris R. Weiss
  President, Horizon Research, Chapel Hill, NC

Iris R. Weiss is President of Horizon Research, Inc., a small contract research firm in Chapel Hill, NC specializing in science and mathematics education research and evaluation.  She has had extensive experience in evaluation, survey design and analysis, and science education policy research.  Dr. Weiss received a Bachelor's Degree in biology from Cornell University, a Master’s Degree in science education from Harvard University, and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  Before establishing Horizon Research, Inc. in 1987, Dr. Weiss was Senior Educational Research Scientist at the Research Triangle Institute (RTI).

Dr. Weiss participated in the evaluation of NSF’s model middle school teacher preparation and Triad programs, served on the assessment working group for the National Standards of Science Education, and chaired the Committee on Understanding the Influence of National Standards for the National Research Council.  She has been involved in the development of self-study tools for the Urban Systemic Initiatives and the evaluation of Statewide Systemic Initiatives in Ohio, North Carolina, South Carolina, Delaware, New Jersey, and Puerto Rico.  Recent projects include a national survey of mathematics and science teachers; an observation study of a nationally-representative sample of mathematics and science teachers; and the development of an on-line database of reviews of materials for the professional development of mathematics and science teachers.  She is currently directing a “knowledge management and dissemination” project for NSF’s Math Science Partnership Program.

 

Participants may register for the complete three-symposium series or for an individual symposium. Click here to learn more about registration including print out and mail in form.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS FOR BREAK-OUT SESSIONS

Proposals are welcome for organizing and leading a break-out session at one of the symposia. Click here for details of submitting a proposal.

 

Registration Form

Break-out Proposal Form