Summer at Mathworks: From Research to Practice in Mathematics Education

During the summer of 2014, four Texas State University graduate students were recruited by Texas Mathworks to assist with their summer math camps and curriculum development. The eight week program consisted of four phases aimed at providing the graduate students with a unique opportunity to participate in numerous research-related activities. In this presentation, the four graduate students will discuss their experiences this summer at Mathworks and how the program affected their learning and research goals. Nama Namakshi is a PhD student in Mathematics Education at Texas State University. Nama also holds a BS in Computer Science from Angelo State University, and a M.Ed in Mathematics Education from Texas State University-San Marcos. Her research interests are associated with informal mathematics programs such as math camps and the effect they have on women's participation in STEM fields. Christina Starkey is a PhD student in the Mathematics Education program at Texas State University. She received her undergraduate degree in mathematics at Texas State University. She is interested in researching how students learn to write mathematically, specifically mathematical proofs. Sonalee Bhattacharyya attended Texas A&M University, majoring in Mathematics and minoring in English. She earned a MS in Mathematics from Texas State and is currently in her third year in the Mathematics Education PhD program. Sonalee is interested in studying pre-service teaching noticing in the context of problem-solving. Ree Linker recently received her MS in mathematics from Texas State University, where she is in her first year of study in the Mathematics Education doctoral program. She is interested in methods of Calculus instruction and the impact of teacher confidence on flexibility in the classroom.