Speakers and Abstracts

Marion Athearn, Lincoln School: Mission Statements: the Power of Taking a Stand

Do you have an educator’s mission statement? If you do, is it a living document that breathes life into your classroom or is it gathering “dust” in your electronic junk drawer? If you don’t, would you like an opportunity to explore why you might want one? In this active learning session we'll explore why a mission statement is a powerful opportunity to take a stand for equity in your classroom and how it might transform your teaching and relationship with your students. There will be small group time to begin thinking (or re-thinking) about what your personal educator’s mission statement might look like and how you might use it to infuse your classroom with a sense of safety and opportunity for every student who comes through your door. 

Eva Politou and Megan Selbach-Allen, Harvard University: Al Tutor-led Multivariable Calculus workshop

In this active session participants will have the opportunity to work on a multivariable calculus problem with the assistance of a trained AI tutor and then reflect on their experience.  This session will model a small portion of what we are offering to students this semester as an option for fulfilling a requirement to participate in a problem solving workshop.  The session will end with time for reflection and discussion about the affordances, limitations and potential of this technology for use in college mathematics classrooms.

Laura Callis, Curry College: UDL 1: An Introduction on Universal Design for Learning & Invitation for Self-Reflection

Universal Design for Learning is a framework based on learning sciences for improving instruction, particularly for students with disabilities and differences that impact learning (CAST, 2011). In this session, we will unpack the UDL framework and the UDL-Math framework, which connects UDL with research in mathematics education (Lambert, 2021). In groups, we will share how our current instructional practices exhibit UDL and brainstorm what else we could do as instructors to practice UDL in our mathematics and statistics courses. This session is facilitated by a college instructor with seven years of experience at an institution specializing in working with students with diagnosed learning disabilities in heterogenous classes.

Laura Callis, Curry College: UDL 2: Supportive Instructional Practices Identified by Students and their Alignment with Universal Design for Learning

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework is a collection of research-supported recommendations for teaching that make content accessible to a wide range of learners with varying physical and neurological differences. The recommendations are discipline-neutral, requiring faculty to make sense of what each of these practices looks like in their course. The National Science Foundation-funded project, Discourse to Improve Student Conceptual Understanding in Statistics, examined the instructional practices used by instructors who successfully supported students in learning, including students from marginalized demographics, such as students with learning disabilities. In this session, we examine what students and faculty identify as the instructional practices they found supportive. We will align their perceptions with the UDL framework to better imagine what each recommendation could look like in undergraduate mathematics and statistics courses. 

Xavier Ramos Olive, Smith College: Humanizing Real Analysis

Real Analysis is typically a cornerstone course in the Mathematics Major but often presents significant challenges for students. This can contribute to their decision to switch majors or leave mathematics altogether, and anecdotal evidence suggests that it is a contributing factor in the equity gaps in PhD programs in mathematics and beyond. Enhancing the teaching methods for Real Analysis could profoundly impact student success and departmental outcomes. One key challenge is that the subject's purpose can seem obscure due to its technical definitions, which often appear unmotivated and require considerable mathematical maturity to fully grasp. In this session, we will explore ways to "humanize" Real Analysis, motivating key concepts by addressing paradoxes through inquiry.  After working on an example of this as if we were students, we will brainstorm strategies to motivate the content of a typical Real Analysis course.

Carly Briggs, UMass Lowell and Christine von Renesse, Westfield State University: How to facilitate the class observation you want.

Observing teaching is difficult. Because of that we often do not get the feedback or recognition we want when we are observed. In this active session we will think about how to ask for what we want when being observed and how to be a more effective observer ourselves. At the end we will share resources!

Kimberly Barba, Fairfield University: Crafting Inclusive Learning: Designing Low Floor, High Ceiling Tasks with Fidelity

In today’s diverse classrooms, creating tasks that are both accessible and challenging for all students is essential. This session delves into the principles of low floor, high ceiling (LFHC) tasks—tasks that offer multiple entry points for learners of varying abilities while providing opportunities for deep exploration. Participants will explore strategies for designing and implementing LFHC tasks with a focus on accessibility and task fidelity, ensuring that these tasks remain true to their intended purpose while being inclusive of students with disabilities.

Through hands-on group activities, attendees will analyze and adapt a variety of LFHC tasks, considering key factors such as scaffolding, real-world relevance, and equitable assessment. The session will also highlight common challenges in maintaining task fidelity and provide practical solutions for overcoming these obstacles in diverse educational settings. By the end of the session, participants will have concrete strategies to apply in their own classrooms, fostering an inclusive, engaging, and intellectually stimulating environment for all learners.

This session aligns with the conference’s pillars of deep engagement, collaboration, equity, and transformative professional development, equipping educators with the tools to create meaningful and accessible learning experiences in mathematics and beyond.

Erin Rizzie and Christine von Renesse: Live Classroom

In this session, participants will first be part of an inquiry classroom as students. Afterwards we will reflect on the student experience and facilitation techniques. Anyone is welcome, but this session is particularly helpful if you are relatively new to teaching with inquiry and active learning.

Apoorva Mate: Flipping the Script - Collaborative Learning Made Easy with Team-Based Inquiry

Team-Based Inquiry Learning (TBIL) is a structured approach that integrates elements of flipped, problem-based, and inquiry-based learning to promote active collaboration. Widely effective across STEM disciplines, TBIL begins with a readiness assurance process, followed by scaffolded team-based activities that foster deeper inquiry and understanding. In this talk, we will outline the TBIL framework and its effectiveness in supporting the adoption of IBL in lower-division courses like Precalculus, Calculus, and Linear Algebra. Additionally, we will introduce the TBIL Resource Library, which offers comprehensive, student-centered activity books tailored for these courses.