Breakout Presentations

In this hands-on workshop, learn how to use M&Ms to develop confidence intervals for means and proportions. M&M data will also be used to develop and test a hypothesis regarding a proportion, mean, or a difference of 2 means. If time permits, M&Ms will be discussed in the context of binomial distributions. This presentation is based on materials developed for use in a support (co-requisite) course; but could easily be incorporated into a traditional statistics lecture.

In this session we will continue building on what we talked about in the keynote. We will learn more about how to intentionally bring AI into the classroom and walk through additional AI resources.

What if math class looked less like rows of silent note-taking and more like a room full of movement, discussion, collaboration, and problem-solving? Beyond the Board: Building an Active Math Classroom explores practical ways to transform students from passive observers into active participants. From hands-on activities and group challenges to real-time engagement strategies, in this session you will participate in an active classroom environment to share ideas that make math more interactive, meaningful, and memorable—for both students and instructors.

I'm going to demonstrate how to create a very low budget soundboard that requires no subscription services. Use of a soundboard with college appropriate sound effects adds a dimension of fun for both students and the instructor! Participants will need a smart device (laptop preferred), access to a Google Drive account, and military-grade earbuds (just kidding!).

Learn how MathGPT.ai provides curriculum-aligned, instructor-led AI tutoring that is accurate, cheat-proof, and infinitely patient—built within a simple assignment management system. This session will highlight how MathGPT.ai supports student understanding, reduces math anxiety, and maintains academic integrity while offering an affordable solution for departments. Faculty will also learn how to explore the platform and participate in Summer or Fall 2026 pilots.

Peer support programs often begin with a simple interaction (a tutoring session, study group, or conversation with a fellow student) but these small interventions can have a lasting impact on academic success, confidence, and belonging. This presentation will explore Schoolcraft College's Learning Center and Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Leader program, highlighting how peer-led support helps students overcome challenges while simultaneously developing the next generation of campus leaders.

For well over 10 years, Schoolcraft College has required in-person testing (over 7,000 exams administered) for on-line mathematics courses..  Attendees will be presented with the process developed and refined by Schoolcraft College’s Testing Center from beginning (~1 month before the semester begins) to end (final exams).   We will share timelines, sample forms, best practices, and other information that may be helpful to establish similar programs at other schools.

Flipped instruction has become increasingly common in mathematics courses, but many questions remain about how to make it work effectively for different student populations and course formats.

This roundtable will provide a space for mathematics educators to discuss:

• Activities that work well during class time

• Strategies for increasing student accountability and preparation

• Common challenges and unsuccessful approaches

• Resources used for pre-class instruction

• Video platforms and creators that supplement or replace instructor-created content

• Ways to structure guided notes, practice assignments, and assessments

• Adapting flipped instruction for online, hybrid, and face-to-face courses

• Supporting students with varying levels of preparation and motivation

Attendees are encouraged to actively participate by sharing examples from their own classrooms. The session will emphasize practical ideas, honest reflections, and resource sharing among colleagues.

The use of 3D printers is increasing and advancing in various directions. From construction to the medical field to shoe manufacturing, 3D printing is increasingly used for its ability to produce personalized products at relatively low costs.

This session highlights some of the benefits of incorporating 3D printers in MATH classes:

• Enhances visualization of complex math concepts.

• Provides a bridge between theoretical classroom material and practical, real-world applications.

• Encourages and promotes innovation and creativity.

• Inspires alternative assessment and project ideas.

• Facilitates learning about 3D printers.

• Provides a space for collaboration and exchange of ideas.

• Equips students with relevant skills for future academic and professional careers.

Bringing Calculus into Their World: ALEKS for Calculus extends 25+ years of proven research and analytics into the Calculus course. Its AI-powered, machine-learning platform evaluates each student from day one—pinpointing what they already know, identifying where they need support, and guiding them step-by-step toward true conceptual mastery. ALEKS for Calculus goes beyond routine practice—challenging students to think, analyze, and apply. By reinforcing conceptual understanding at every step, ALEKS ensures students can connect foundational ideas to complex problems and prove mastery in multiple contexts before moving forward. The result: deeper learning, stronger problem-solving, and lasting confidence in Calculus. The proprietary ALEKS for Calculus Graphing Tool replicates the paper-and-pencil experience, engaging students in an authentic way as they work through problems. By aligning practice with how they’ll be assessed, students gain deeper understanding and are better prepared for quizzes and exams. As a bonus, this interactive approach makes cheating far more difficult—so scores reflect true mastery.

Visualization is a powerful tool for helping students build intuition and develop a deeper understanding of multivariable calculus. Many of the most challenging topics in Calculus III become easier to understand when students can see them in action. In this session, I will showcase a variety of classroom-tested CalcPlot3D scripts that I have developed to illustrate key Calculus III concepts, making abstract ideas more accessible and engaging. I will also discuss how I integrate student-created CalcPlot3D scripting assignments throughout the course, allowing students to actively explore and visualize mathematical concepts by designing their own models. I will share a few examples of student work. 

Join me for a candid look at my pilot implementation of our college’s HyFlex model, which offers students the choice to attend class on campus or live on Zoom. I will highlight what worked, what needed adjustment, and how I navigated technology issues, testing logistics, and meaningful engagement with both in-person and remote students. The session will also provide a clear overview of our HyFlex structure and practical takeaways for faculty interested in exploring it.

The NSF-funded Engaging Minds Project helps two-year college and dual-enrollment mathematics instructors bring hands-on, problem-based learning into College Algebra, Trigonometry, and Calculus courses. Using technologies such as GoPiGo robots, Jupyter Notebooks, Python, Desmos, and Graphical Analysis, students explore mathematical concepts through real-world applications, data collection, visualization, and collaborative problem solving. This session will showcase innovative Math Labs, share implementation strategies, and introduce summer faculty workshops and mentoring opportunities. Participants will gain practical ideas for increasing student engagement and learn how to join a growing community of educators using active learning in mathematics.

Michael, Ali, and John will give an overview of their work in redesigning a course using active learning techniques that they've developed as part of the Reconnect Mathematics grant project.  The audience will then be put into random groups to experience classroom activities involving active learning.

Series that can be used to calculate Pi have interested mathematicians for centuries.  The classic use of the Maclaurin for inverse tangent of 1 to calculate Pi/4 is an example most calculus texts use.  In this presentation, we will look at the effects on convergence if we change that Pi/6.  A little history of the problem and some historical discussion will be included in the presentation.

Activities for the Algebra Sequence using Desmos.  Several levels of difficulty will be covered.

Teachers of linear algebra frequently search for metaphors, examples, and practical applications to make more lively and concrete what would otherwise be abstract concepts, difficult for students to grasp. It turns out that the RGB or CMY color space is not only a fertile metaphor for such teachers, but in fact an actual three-dimensional vector space used by printers and computer graphics programmers. This talk will share color-based techniques, digital learning objects, and other materials developed by the presenter to teach basic vector operations and such concepts as coordinates, span, independence, projections, basis, dimension, and change of basis.

MyOpenMath is a free, open-source online homework management system and Open Educational Resource (OER) platform that integrates with all major Learning Management Systems. In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore MyOpenMath's key features and capabilities through demonstrations and guided practice while building their own course materials. Attendees will create a course, develop assignments, and learn how to write and edit questions, leaving with practical skills and resources they can immediately use to support engaging, low-cost learning experiences for students.

In this presentation I will provide an overview of the Reconnect Mathematics Project, its goals, efforts to develop an instrument to assess self-efficacy for active learning implementation, and other relevant project updates.

Come see the most recent innovations in MyLab Math for Precalculus and Calculus, including AI Study Tools, GeoGebra graphing exercises, Interactive Calculus, Live Response, Study Prep, Integrated Review and more.

A glimpse at several non-worksheet activities for Calculus I from several resources/authors to integrate into your classroom. Whether it’s a flipped classroom looking for more content, or a traditional lecturer looking to switch it up, get some inspiration to add a little “play” to your calc course.