Build Math Confidence April 2021 Volume 142
Upcoming Math Education Events
Two Modes at Once: Hybrid AND In Person
I have long said that being a classroom teacher is like being Santa. The Tooth Fairy is busy every night of the year but Santa has to be everywhere all at the same time. As teachers, we want to be able to help all of our students at once -- in pre-Covid times, we could check on students by walking around/circulating the classroom. This type of informal assessment could help teachers gauge student learning and make in-the-moment decisions about pacing and content. In a digital or hybrid environment, getting feedback is more challenging especially as many instructors are teaching both In Person and Online.
Click here to read the entire blog posting.
Secrets of the Surface: Maryam Mirzakhani
This one hour film, Secrets of the Surface, profiles the late Iranian mathematician Maryam Mirzakhani. In 2014, she was the first woman to win the Fields Medal, the "Nobel" prize for mathematicians. In another first, two decades ago in 1994, Maryam and her best friend Roya Beheshti were the first girls to be on Iran's national Math team. She won the gold medal in both 1994 and 1995 at the IMOs (International Math Olympiads).
She had a great enthusiasm and passion for Mathematics and after university in Iran, she earned her Ph. D. at Harvard. She sadly passed away in 2017 at age 40 and remains as inspiration and role model to many colleagues and to future generations.

Math is a universal language! Cindy Lawrence, director of the Museum of Mathematics, describes how Math can connect people during this time: "MoMath is working to unite people of all ages and backgrounds through a shared enjoyment of mathematics." She writes how "In our digital programs, we regularly see questions asked—and answered—by members of a global audience coming together as a group, disregarding geographic and cultural boundaries."
Over the past year, the Museum of Math (MoMath) has broadened its reach beyond its NYC physical location. Through its online offerings, MoMath has interacted with over 87,000 participants from over 100 countries!
Read the entire Scientific American article here
Brain Puzzler
Answer to March's Brain Puzzler: 999 (not quite 1000)
Click here for the solution.
 
Thanks, Robin the Math Lady Schwartz