International mathematics conference coming up

By William Harms
News Office

Mathematics educators and scholars from around the world will meet on campus this summer for the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project's Fourth International Conference on Mathematics Education.

Members of the University community are welcome to attend the conference, which will be held from Wednesday, Aug. 5, through Friday, Aug. 7. The deadline for registration is Friday, July 24; the fee is $135.

Approximately 45 speakers from North America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia will discuss such topics as teaching mathematics for college-bound students as well as for those not planning on higher education; achieving high performance; and the role of technology in mathematics instruction -- how calculators and other technological tools serve as "key catalysts for the conceptualization of new curricula," said conference chairman Izaak Wirszup.

Wirszup, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Director of the Resource Component of the University of Chicago School Mathematics Project, is organizing the conference with Zalman Usiskin, Professor of Education and Director of UCSMP, the nation's largest university-based mathematics curriculum program.

UCSMP was founded in 1983 with the goal of improving mathematics education for students in kindergarten through 12th grade. From its inception, UCSMP has sought out countries that have high-achieving mathematics students and translated their mathematics curricula, textbooks and other resources to help develop innovative materials and teacher-training programs at both the elementary and secondary levels in the United States. UCSMP's materials are currently in use by about 3 million students throughout the country.

For more information on the UCSMP's Fourth International Conference on Mathematics Education, contact Carol Siegel at 702-9770 or at uscmp@uchicago.edu.