RiSE Center Colloquium, April 4 – Steven Greenstein
Maine Center for Research in STEM Education (RiSE Center)
Colloquia & Seminar Series
Presents
Steven Greenstein
Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ
Topology, Technology, and Children’s Ideas
ABSTRACT: Children’s school experiences in geometry are entirely Euclidean. But they also have topological, or at least non-metric, ideas. In this talk I will describe the forms of mathematical reasoning that I identified in my investigations of children’s intuitive and informal topological ideas. It is these forms of non-metric reasoning that I refer to as “Qualitative Geometry.” I will also introduce the dynamic geometry environment I designed to elicit and further support the development of these ideas and discuss the theoretical and conceptual approach I used to design it. Bring a laptop if you’d like to play along.
BIO: Steven Greenstein is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Montclair State University. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Georgia State University, a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Texas State University, and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from the University of Texas at Austin. His research focuses on children’s topological thinking, culturally relevant pedagogy, and the design of microworlds and physical tools for learning mathematics and generating opportunities for authentic forms of mathematical experience.
Monday, April 4, 2016
3:00 pm
Arthur St. John Hill Auditorium, 165 Barrows Hall