Mathematics in Industry Institute for Teachers

About

The Mathematics in Industry Institute involves middle and high school teachers in various activities:

Workshops July 11-15, 2005
Dissemination Activities
Follow-up Sessions

Please fill out the on-line application form by May 20, 2005.

Workshops

The Workshops are designed to bring the excitement of industrial mathematics into the classroom. Participants will work on mathematics and statistics projects developed in WPI's industrial mathematics program and will develop versions of industrial projects for their own classes.

Invited speakers will describe new directions in math curricula, how colleges are introducing applications of real-world mathematics, the ways real applications can motivate students, as well as the many career paths that are open to students well-trained in mathematics.

Participants will develop mini-projects that are accessible to students and illustrate the ways that mathematics and statistics are used in business and industry. They will work with undergraduates on current industrial projects and deepen their understanding of mathematical research and its industrial applications.

Who Should Attend?
Teachers interested in real applications for mathematics and statistics are encouraged to apply. Teams of teachers from the same school or district are particularly encouraged to apply.

Activities
The participants will

Attend presentations of industrial mathematics projects by faculty, students and industrial representatives.
Be introduced to some of the exciting career paths open to mathematicians working in industry.
Work in small groups with talented undergraduates on current industrial projects.
Develop industrial mini-projects for use in their own schools.

The Institute will expand and maintain a project web site where student projects and other materials developed during the workshops will be made available to all participants.

Credit
Graduate credit or CEUs will be awarded to the teachers who participate in the program and complete the additional written assignment.

Fees
There are no fees for the workshop. A $500 stipend is provided to the workshop participants ($300 at the time of the workshop and $200 after completion of follow-up activities).

Housing
WPI through a GE Foundation grant is providing full support for double occupancy dormitory housing, and partial support for hotel lodging.

Please go to Workshops for more information on housing and the workshop schedule.

Dissemination Activities

Participants will return to their home institutions with a sample set of open-ended industrial problems. They are expected to incorporate these into their courses during the school year and return to WPI for the follow-up in early spring.

The Mathematics in Industry Institute will provide a stipend for the teachers to disseminate the work done by training other teachers in their home school districts.The teachers will be provided sets of transparencies and/or PowerPoint presentations for training and presenting in their home districts.

CIMS will form an "affinity group" of the teachers to encourage a continuous exchange of ideas. A periodic electronic newsletter will be sent to the participants as a vehicle for updates and feedback. Results from a survey, the feedback obtained from the participants and resulting classroom materials and projects will be disseminated through this group.

Follow-up Sessions

Participants in the summer Workshop are expected to return to WPI for a follow-up session in early spring. During the follow-up participants will be involved in best practice sharing to describe the actual implementation at their schools of the industrial projects and of the dissemination activity.

Sponsors
The Institute is made possible through a grant from the GE Foundation and support from WPI.

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Last modified: Jun 20, 2010, 13:03 UTC