Conference on Math Education and Social Justice

[mzteris]

Saw this on a group I'm on and thought some here might be interested:


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Creating Balance in an Unjust World

Conference on Math Education and Social Justice

www.radicalmath.org/conference

We are looking for people to…

PRESENT a session.
REGISTER as a participant.
VOLUNTEER for planning or at the conference.
TABLE as an organization or vendor.

Location: Long Island University • Brooklyn, NY
Dates: Friday, April 27 th – Sunday, April 29th2007
Friday: 10:00 – 2:00 Classroom visits
5:30 Dinner
7:00pm Kickoff Event – Special Guests TBA
Saturday : 9:00-5:00 Sessions: workshops, interest groups, presentations; keynote speaker
Sunday : 10:00-2:00 Wrap-up discussions, meetings, organizing sessions

Registration fee: Sliding scale $25-125 and free for session facilitators

*To present/facilitate a session download the application at www.radicalmath. org/conference or see attached.

Abstract due Monday December 18, 2006

Complete application due Monday January 22, 2006

Conference Overview:

Join educators, parents, students, activists, and community members from around the country for a 3-day conference to explore the connections between math education and social justice. We will explore many questions, challenges, and opportunities to work toward social justice through math education.

We invite you to share your thoughts, lesson plans, questions and be a facilitator for a workshop, interest group, or presentation. Facilitators may also choose to present on topics related to math and social justice i.e. equity in education, literacy and social justice, etc. Sessions need not be entirely polished presentations as we hope to share ideas in order to build together.


Goals of the conference

Bring together educators, researchers, parents, activists, and students to collectively discuss social justice and math education

Foster new and innovative partnerships and collaborations

Create a space to share resources, lesson plans, best practices, and other classroom materials

Develop structures for ongoing discussion and working groups about math and social justice

Organize a national voice in the ongoing debate over math education reform

Plan actions, advocacy, future meetings, etc.



Conference Themes

1. Social justice in the mathematics classroom

How can educators integrate social, political, and economic justice issues (ie. prison rates, military recruitment patterns, etc.) into their math classes? What math topics can be explored from a social justice perspective? How do we address these issues while making sure the work is mathematically rigorous?

Sample Sessions:

· Share a lesson plan, unit, or project you wrote

· Create a networking session for lesson planning

· Share successes and challenges of integrating social justice and math lessons/projects (possibly with student co-facilitators who can share their experiences)

Mathematical literacy as a "gatekeeper"
Are ALL students receiving a high quality mathematics education? Why do students need to be mathematically literate? What "gatekeepers" (ie. SAT, graduation exit exams, etc.) are there and how do they affect students' academic and professional opportunities? What does math literacy look like?

Sample Sessions:

· Facilitate a discussion about equity in the math class, or the relationship between equity and math pedagogy

· Facilitate a workshop around the issues of standardized testing

· Explore how mathematics is necessary and useful in "real life" ie. careers, etc.

· Explore data regarding math education/achieveme nt and race/gender/ income, etc.

Ethnomathematics:
What is Ethnomathematics? What isn't Ethnomathematics? How do we integrate Ethnomathematic lessons, units, theory, etc., into our classes? How do we ensure that the cultures and their mathematics are given equal respect (ie, with no tokenizing of cultures)?

Sample Sessions:

· Share a lesson plan, unit, or project you wrote

· Facilitate an interest group discussion about the benefits and challenges of using Ethnomathematics in math class

· Explain what Ethnomathematics is and provide examples for teachers new to the topic

Session Formats

Applicants may submit proposals to facilitate Workshops, Interest Group Gatherings, or Presentations. All sessions will be one hour and 30 minutes in length. Workshops are interactive sessions intended for 15-40 participants that may utilize a variety of formats including small group work, open discussion, and break-out sessions. Interest Group Gatherings are informal sessions that bring together 15-40 participants with similar interests for more casual conversations to engage in network building, and collective thinking around common issues. Interest Group Gatherings do not require the facilitator to present information. They are brainstorming sessions where the facilitator helps guide a discussion around a common interest. Presentations are lecture style sessions that may have one speaker or a panel of speakers.

Timeline:
Proposal ABSTRACT due December 18, 2006
Proposal APPLICATION due January 22, 2007
Notification by January 29, 2007
Accepted Facilitators confirm sessions by registering before February 12, 2007
Notification of session date and time by March 31, 2007


Questions/Contact:

Taeko Onishi
ktaeko@gmail. com
[phone]

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Sounds pretty awesome!

[proud2BlibKansan]

1. Here's a working link

http://www.radicalmath.org/conference/

[mzteris]

2. thanks -

people usually put a space in addresses on the groups.