2015 Candidates for Vice President – Mathematics

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mbharms
Tim
Harms

Current Position
Professor, Mathematics Department, Minnesota State University Moorhead

Education
Ph.D. Education Foundations Research, Minor Field of Study: Mathematics Education
M.A.T. Mathematics Minot State University
B.S. Mathematics Education North Dakota State University

Goals as MCTM Officer
I was involved in the North Dakota Council of Teachers of Mathematics in my first several years of teaching mathematics while at Bismarck High. It has been professional organizations such as MCTM that I have found colleagues who have motivated me to keep learning to be a better teacher.

My goals include working with MCTM CONNECT to make more new teachers aware of Mentors, Virtual Mentor, and MCTM’s Spring Conference first years of teaching. Work to coordinate with other math organizations professional development available in MN.

Professional Affiliations

  • Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Education Minnesota
  • Minnesota Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges
  • National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics
  • Mathematics Recovery

Involvement in MCTM and Mathematics Education
Regular Presenter at MCTM’s spring conferences, 1999-2014
Tri-College Math Contest campus coordinator/exam writer, 1999-present
Math Recovery Intervention Specialist & Champion, 2011/2014
Math Science Teaching Partnership West Central MN, 2009-2012
Add+Vantage Math Recovery Courses 1 & 2, 2010
Nexus-A Leadership Program for STEM Educators, 2010
Reviewed the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Exam, 2010-2011
Presenter at NCTM Regional Conferences 2004
College Readiness, Math Works faculty partner, 2008-2010
Advisory Task Force for the Report of Teacher Academies: Math and Science, 2007
Guest speaker at the Moorhead Public School’s Mathematics Inservice, 2005
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mbmatsuura
Ryota
Matsuura

Current Position
Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Director of Mathematics Education, St. Olaf College
North American Director, Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education

Education
Ph.D., Mathematics, Boston University, 2008
M.A.T., Mathematics Education, Boston University, 2000
S.B., Mathematics with Computer Science, MIT, 1997

Goals as MCTM Officer
I have two goals as MCTM Officer.

First, every time I bring my pre-service teachers to the MCTM Spring Conference, their eyes widen when they see the collaborative energy and commitment of the MCTM community. As an MCTM Officer (and as a continued member of the CONNECT Committee), I plan to further increase our efforts in recruiting new teachers and help them remain connected to the MCTM community.

Second, I want to continue to grow the MCTM community so that more teachers benefit from the energy, commitment, and passion of our teachers and teacher educators. On a related issue, I hope to increase the communication channel amongst the MCTM members, so that we can all benefit from the collective knowledge of our community.

Professional Affiliations

  • Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  • Mathematical Association of America
  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Involvement in MCTM and Mathematics Education

I have been an MCTM member since 2010, when I came to St. Olaf College to direct the Mathematics Education Program. I have presented at the MCTM Spring Conference each year, and each year I have brought pre-service teachers from St. Olaf. My talks typically center on the “Experience First” pedagogy, in which students learn and make sense of mathematics through their own doing of mathematics.

In serving on MCTM’s CONNECT Committee that provides outreach and support to our beginning teachers, I have become more committed to our mission and thus I have been serving as co-chair for the past two years.

I am a former high school teacher in the Greater Boston area. After completing my Ph.D. in number theory at Boston University, I held a post-doctoral position in mathematics education at the BU School of Education, focusing on teacher preparation and mathematics education research. I have served as the director of PROMYS for Teachers, a mathematics content-based professional development program at Boston University; and I am now the North American Director of Budapest Semesters in Mathematics Education, a new study abroad program for pre-service teachers that emphasizes the problem-solving approach to teaching and learning. I have worked on various curriculum projects for teachers, including curricula for the Institute for Advanced Study/Park City Mathematics Institute’s Teacher Leadership Program (formerly the Secondary School Teacher Program). I am also a co-author of an NSF-funded high school curriculum, CME Project. I am currently Principal Investigator for an NSF-funded research project that investigates the relationships between teachers’ mathematical habits of mind, their use of such habits in teaching practice, and student achievement.

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