SBU Math Professors and Students
Travel to 2006 NCTM-St. Louis
April 27-29, 2006


Dr. Kevin Hopkins , Dr. Bob Glasgow , and seven SBU students joined thousands of math educators from around the world to learn new concepts, strategies, and teaching techniques at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 2006 Annual Meeting and Exposition in St. Louis, April 26-29.  With more than 15,000 attendees, NCTM's annual meeting and expostition is the largest gathering of math educators in the world.  More than 1,000 presentations-led by national and international education experts-were presented in in St. Louis.  

SBU math alumni on the program were:

       
Tim Chappell-class of 1987 (then got a Masters from Pittsburg State).  He is currently at Penn Valley Community College.  He presented in session 491-One Question, Many Solutions:  How Can We Help Students Pass Mathematics?

Dustin Jones-class of 1997 (then went on to get Masters from Texas A& M and a doctorate in Math Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia). He is currently at Central Missouri State University.  He presented in session 235-Changes in Chance?  Probability in Middle Grades Textbooks, Historically

James Truelove- class of 1992 (has his doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction-Mathematics from University of Arkansas).  He is currently at Central Missouri State University.  He presented in sessions 293-Using Geoboards to Explore Area and Problems Solving in Realistic Situations and 478-Alternative Assessments in Algebra .  Dr. Glasgow ran into him at Steak and Shake in Sullivan on his way back to Bolivar.


Various other SBU math (Secondary or Middle School) alumni were also encountered at the conference.

Jamie Jacob and Dr. Hopkins

Jamie Jacob-Graduated in 1997
Now teaching in Lexington, Missouri
ran into Dr. Hopkins at the hotel after Dr. Hopkins' workout

He fondly recalled trips to an NCTM regional in Springfield, MO in 1995 and another to Kansas City in 1996.

Jeff Duncan

Jeff Duncan-Graduated in 1997
Now teaching in Washington, MO
Ran into Dr. Hopkins in the vendor display area

Becky Fisher

Becky Fisher-Graduated in 1976(?)
Now teaching in Marshfield, Missouri
Ran into Dr. Hopkins in the vendor display area

Amanda Jimenez

Amanda Jimenez-Graduated in 2003
Now teaching in Kansas City, Kansas
Ran into Dr. Hopkins in the hall at the conference

Erin Welch and Amanda Myers

Erin (Garver) Welch-graduated in 2004
Amanda (Knudson) Myers-graduated in 1999(?)
Now teaching at Bolivar Middle School
Ran into Dr. Hopkins while looking through the NCTM bookstore at the vendor display area

 

Michelle (Gibson) Sifford-graduated in December 1993
Now a stay at home Mom (with Emily in her arms)
Ran into Dr. Hopkins at the Cardinal's Game (see below for more narrative on that aspect of the trip)

Carolyn Snodgrass

Carolyn Snodgrass-graduated in 1999
Now teaching at Buffalo Prairie Middle School
Did not run into Dr. Hopkins at the conference, but did run into him the next day at the state MCTM 7th-8th grade math contest in Columbia

Stevenia Clemens

Dr. Hopkins left the conference a day early to go to the State MCTM 7th-8th Grade Math Contest, where he ran into another alumni.
Stevenia (Fung) Clemens-graduated in 1996
Now teaching at Fort Zumwalt West Middle School
Has run into Dr. Hopkins at other contests as well.


Wendy Corya-graduated in 1994
Now teaching at Nixa
Ran into Dr. Glasgow


Andrea Penland-graduated in 2004
Now teaching at Branson High School
Ran into Dr. Glasgow


Tim Garber-graduated in 2002
Now teaching at Bolivar Middle School
Ran into Dr. Glasgow




Our Students Enjoyed their time at the conference.
      Three students at banquet

From left:  Grant, Kallie, and Malissa attending the preservice banquet on Thursday evening.
Three more students

From left:  Julie, Amy, and Sara attending the preservice banquet on Thursday evening.
Dr. Hopkins and two students

From left:  Dr. Hopkins, Leslie, and Julie attending the preservice banquet on Thursday evening.
In vendor area

Grant and Malissa visiting the vendor display area
Three working at technology

Leslie, Julie and Amy working at the technology area.  Each teacher was allowed a maximum of 10 minutes on the computer to check their email.  Our students helped track the time on each of the 10 computers there.  By working, they were able to attend the conference at no cost thanks to GREAT work by Dr. Larry Campbell of Missouri State University who secured a grant from 3M Corporation to coordinate a preservice teacher conference.  This year's conference was attending this national conference.  It was truly a FANTASTIC opportunity for our students to get a feel for the math teaching profession and the camaraderie that exists.
One student

Malissa working outside one of the session rooms.  Many sessions were so popular they filled to capacity.  Our students then got the task of telling any late-comers that the session was already filled.  As you can see, these students attended the first timer orientation and got a sticker to identify them.
Another Student

Kallie working outside one of the session rooms.  Many sessions were so popular they filled to capacity.  Our students then got the task of telling any late-comers that the session was already filled.  This student has her admission card for a late afternoon session presented just for the preservice teacher participants.
Third student

Amy working outside one of the session rooms.  Many sessions were so popular they filled to capacity.  Our students then got the task of telling any late-comers that the session was already filled.  Some students got to work more than one jobs, depending on where the need was the greatest.

Grant working at the Member News Release area on Saturday morning.

From Grant going clockwise:  Grant, Leslie, Julie, Amy, and Sara returning to the hotel after the conference on Saturday.  A couple of our students picked up LOTS of books as the vendors were closing down their displays.

Our Students and Faculty Enjoyed their time "away from" the conference.
Preparing to Leave

Front Row from left:  Amy Wilson, Julie Poor, and Malissa Goodwin.  Back Row from left: Dr. Bob Glasgow, Grant Bradfield, Kallie Bylo, Sara Mayberry, and Dr. Kevin Hopkins.  The whole group (except for one student who headed to St. Louis one day earlier) leaving from Bolivar in an SBU van.
Gateway Arch

Arriving in St. Louis we got a great view of the Gateway Arch.

On our way to pick up lunch on Friday, we passed this fountain.  Dr. Hopkins (as usual for this trip) saw a photo opportunity.
America's Center

On our way back from lunch, we got a good view of the St. Louis Convention Center where the conference was held.
      

Dr. Glasgow got tickets to the Cardinals Game and went with a friend from his graduate school days at University of Missouri-Columbia.  From left:  Julie, Amy, Dr. Hopkins, and Oscar (Dr. Glasgow's friend who also supervised the technology area where Julie and Amy had worked earlier in the day).
 

Dr. Hopkins, Grant, Amy, and Julie also got to go to the game

Dr. Glasgow, with the field in the background.
Court House

From our seats we had a good view of the Courthouse (and where the old stadium used to be).

And the arch.
Looking Up from our seats


Our seats were almost at the top of the stadium (the photo to the left is looking up), but still provided an excellent view of the action below (as seen in the photo below).
View from our seats
Another view of the game

Albert Pujols just before home run

The Cardinals lost the game, but Albert Pujols did hit a home run.  Dr. Hopkins took this photo right as THAT pitch was being delivered.  He discovered at the game that the digital zoom on his camera was actually much more effective than he thought it was.

Dr. Hopkins took some photos at the conference to give an idea of how many vendors there were in the display area.

Display area

One way to enter the vendor area.  Dr. Hopkins spent an hour on Friday morning in the display area and got a bit over half way through.

Another view of vendor area

Another view of the vendor area.  Here you can get an idea of how large an area it is.  Unfortunately Dr. Hopkins is not the best photographer and I seem to have shaken the camera some as I took this (and other) photo.
A view from above

Dr. Hopkins discovered that one room on the second floor provided an excellent view of the vendor display area below.  Here you get a better idea of the size as he looks (through a window) one way
Another view from above

Then another.  Here you can see part of the technology area in the lower left corner where some of our students worked (they are just out of the photo here).
Preparing for next convention

The window also overlooked an additional vendor area which was not in use for the NCTM conference.  However, they are working diligently preparing for the next conference.

Future travel opportunities that I know of now (May 2006) are:


Back to other activities of the SBU math department.