Dr. Scott Adamson Keynote Speaker at The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges Conference

Chandler-Gilbert Community College Mathematics Faculty encourages problem-solving in the classroom

Dr. Scott Adamson

Dr. Scott Adamson, mathematics faculty at Chandler-Gilbert Community College, was the keynote speaker at The American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges (AMATYC) annual conference on Nov. 9-12, 2017 in San Diego. In his speech, Adamson encouraged making problem-solving central to the classroom experience.

Adamson’s presentation, “Is it 1957 or 20217?” challenged the nearly 1,500 mathematics professors in attendance to consider how mathematics is currently being taught. He argued that teaching students to solve problems by hand was necessary in 1957, but may not be as vital in 2017 due to accessible computing tools.

Adamson encouraged his fellow professors to consider the importance of helping students make sense of problems and creating mathematical models of real-world situations. He also encouraged professors to develop professional relationships with students and to support them in their efforts to become proficient problem solvers.

AMATYC is an organization devoted to providing a national forum for the improvement of mathematics instruction in the first two years of college. AMATYC provides professional development opportunities for educators through an annual conference, webinars, traveling workshops, publications, and projects.