NSF PRISM Fellowship

It's official!  Next year I will be participating in the NSF PRISM (Problems and Research to Integrate Science and Mathematics program) in Atlanta Public Schools through Emory University's Center for Science Education.

As a PRISM fellow, I will work with a local High School Mathematics teacher to bring problem based learning lessons into the classroom curriculum.  I'm excited about this opportunity because rather than teaching Mathematics as a set of facts and formulas, I hope allow students to think critically and creatively while collaborating with their classmates on fun and interesting mathematical problems relevant to the curriculum.  In High School, students are actively considering choices for their future.  Perhaps with our efforts, they will consider studying math or a math-related field!

I have been assigned to work with a teacher at Decatur High School in Accelerated Math 2 for sophomores.  After a 2-week summer institute where we will write our cases together, during the school year we will execute them in the classroom.

Math Jokes at The Pi Mile Race

In belated honor of Pi Day, my husband and I ran the 39th Annual Pi Mile Race at Georgia Tech last Saturday.  Weeks before the race we talked of training and friendly competition but somehow never managed to get out for a single practice run.  The day before the race, there was a tornado alert in Atlanta and the city shut down in fear.  Although we were secretly hoping the race would be cancelled, no one who admit it.  On Saturday morning we woke up to bright and sunny skies and reluctantly headed to campus.  

We casually ran side by side and inevitably the pi jokes ensued: 

Why have you half-way finished the pi mile race when you only ran π/3?
cos(π/3)=1/2

Why did the sign read 1/2 way point after running only π/6?
'cause sin(π/6)=1/2

We made a full circle and finished the pi race where we started.

We had a splendid time at the Pi Race.  It turned out to be a fantastic and entertaining way to start a productive day!  I hope this gets us pumped for the Peachtree Road Race on July 4th.  Can you think of a joke involving trig functions and periodicity?