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.

CGCC Instructors Back In Action at Military Bases Abroad

Scott Adamson and Linda Meng

Two Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) mathematics faculty, Scott Adamson, PhD., and Linda Meng, have re-enlisted with the Department of Defense Education Agency (DoDEA) to teach college and career ready standards to U.S. educators at military bases overseas. 

For the second year in a row, Dr. Adamson and Professor Meng joined a cohort through the Charles A. Dana Center International Facilitation Fellow Program – a DoDEA Mathematics Professional Learning Initiative, to be trained in Austin, TX and subsequently deployed to their individually assigned bases.  In 2015, Meng served at the U.S. Army Base in Daegu, South Korea and Adamson was at the U.S. Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan.  This year Meng and Adamson were assigned to U.S. Army Garrison, Ansbach, Germany and U.S. Marine Corps Air Station, Iwakuni, Japan respectfully.

Though the reasons as to why these volunteers recommitted to this service are both personal and varied, the common thread is to fulfill a sense of duty to our country, military families and the field of mathematics.
“In a small way, this program allows me the opportunity to support our military families serving our nation around the world. Specifically, I had the opportunity to build relationships with and support the teachers on base who impact the children and families stationed at the base in Iwakuni,” explained Adamson.  “Through this program, I can share my experience and knowledge of teaching and learning mathematics with the teachers who can then provide these children with a positive school experience.”

Military families often times feel isolated from what is happening “back in the states” and this DoDEA programs helps to ensure their children’s education is at the same level with the latest standards back home.

“I believe it is very important that the children of soldiers receive an education on par with children in the states,” shared Meng. “I also believe that mathematics education needs to evolve to better meet the needs of students, no matter where they live, and these new standards are addressing this change. For me this opportunity was a wonderful way to combine the two.”

It being the second year of the program, not only were the teachers more confident and better prepared, but the curriculum was more sophisticated as well.

“This year we had the opportunity to take a deep dive into two very important mathematical topics – place value and fractions. While last year was an introduction to the new standards, this year focused teachers more on learning effective strategies for helping their students to have a positive experience with making sense of important mathematical ideas,” shared Adamson.

More experience also brought with it more responsibility in year two.  For instance, Meng was assigned four schools in the southern Bavarian region of Germany compared to just one school in South Korea last year.  And more schools meant more teachers to train from a broader range of grade levels, but our CGCC faculty gladly welcomed the work and the impact they were able to make. 

“My son is serving in the U.S. Army as his career. I see first-hand the struggles his family has experienced during his service,” reflects Meng.  “He is the fourth generation of Mengs to serve in the U.S. Army, although he is the first to make it a career.  So this is my way of supporting him, his family, and all the other soldiers and their families who are serving our country, as well as honoring a family's commitment to our nation.”

For more information on the Charles A. Dana Center International Facilitation Fellow Program visit www.utdanacenter.org.

Cooper Hall Opens at CGCC William’s Campus

Cooper Hall, Chandler Gilbert Community College Williams Campus

Cooper Hall, Chandler-Gilbert Community College’s (CGCC) newest building, officially opened its doors to students, faculty and staff last month at the Williams Campus. The 11,820 square-foot multifaceted building, welcomes students with a variety of programs including math, electrical utility technology, history, engineering and business.

“We at Chandler-Gilbert Community College are excited about the opening of Cooper Hall and the opportunities this new learning environment will provide to our students,” said William Guerriero, CGCC Interim President. “Cooper Hall is another example of the College’s commitment to providing students with the latest technology to optimize learning and teaching.”
Cooper Hall’s emphasis on engineering, science and technology is intentional and appropriate given its namesake’s legacy. Cooper Hall is named after United States Air Force Colonel Leroy Gordon “Gordo” Cooper, Jr.  (March 6, 1927 – October 4, 2004), better known as Gordon Cooper. He received flight training at Perrin Air Force Base, Texas, and Williams Air Force Base, Arizona. After earning a bachelor’s degree in aeronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology in 1956, Col. Cooper went on to become an aerospace engineer, test pilot, United States Air Force pilot and one of the Mercury Seven, the original NASA astronauts who manned the first flights into space.

“CGCC is thrilled that Cooper Hall will help to preserve Gordon Cooper’s contributions to our nation’s pre-eminence in space exploration through the fields of engineering and science,” said Guerriero. “His legacy will continue to live on through our students and this building.”
   
Designed by Phoenix-based firm Gabor Lorant Architects and DNG Construction, LLC., Cooper Hall features four general classrooms, two engineering and applied technology labs, faculty offices, a conference room and support spaces. The building was funded by the 2004 Maricopa County Community College District bond, built to LEED Silver certification standards and includes 100 percent LED lighting, carbon neutral carpet and ground concrete floors.

An official grand opening event for Cooper Hall will be held at 2 p.m. on October 21st at the Williams Campus located at 7360 E. Tahoe Ave, Mesa, 85212. 

CGCC Teachers Serve Military Families Abroad Through Education

Scott Adamson, Ph.D and Linda Meng

Last semester, two Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) mathematics faculty members, Scott Adamson, Ph.D and Linda Meng, had the distinct honor of traveling to U.S. military bases abroad to train fellow educators on the latest college and career readiness standards in mathematics.  Their journey was part of a program funded by the United States Department of Defense Education Agency (DoDEA), an agency responsible for educating children of military service members who are stationed overseas. Adamson was selected to serve teachers at the United States Naval Base in Yokosuka, Japan while Meng was assigned to the United States Army Base in Daegu, South Korea.

“There is constant awareness of our U.S. troops serving on military bases abroad but far less recognition of the thousands of American children who live on these same bases.  They attend American schools where they are taught by American teachers,” said Adamson. “This program was an opportunity to serve my country by serving those teachers who educate our children and are often overlooked because of their location.” 

It is the DoDEA’s responsibility to educate these children at the same level as their peers receive state side.  And as the DoDEA transitions to the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics it, in partnership with the Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas, has sought out top U.S. teachers like Adamson and Meng to get our educators serving abroad fully up to speed.    

For Meng, this too was the chance to serve her country through education, but as a former military wife with a son currently serving as a 4th generation military man, it was very personal. 
“This experience allowed me to help other military families through education,” she expressed.  “Some military families stationed abroad may feel cut off from the U.S. and this program helps military parents ensure their children stay connected through the same quality education as they would receive back home.” 

And it was by pure coincidence that her assignment to the Daegu American School was on the same base as where her son, a 4th generation military man, is serving. “I got to see him and where he works! How awesome is that?!” beamed Meng.

This program was also the opportunity for both Adamson and Meng to visit a new country and experience a different culture, something they both enjoy. "This program allowed me to travel to Japan for the first time and connect with the Japanese culture," said Adamson. "It also allowed me the chance to see what military families endure while overseas, and the important role they play in the lives of the men and women serving our country."
The CGCC esteemed faculty underwent an intensive 4-day training provided by the Dana Center to prepare for providing professional development to DoDEA teachers and leaders.  The focus of their curriculum was new math strategies. 

"Our job was to help train teachers to encourage their students to apply math to real life situations through new innovative methods. We want students to understand that math applies beyond the classroom walls, said Meng."The best part of the program was seeing how excited and grateful the teachers were about the training and their eagerness to implement with their classrooms."

Additional Info:
Adamson and Meng were selected from a pool of hundreds of applicants to be Charles A. Dana Center Facilitation Fellows by the Charles A. Dana Center International Facilitation Fellows. The Dana Center is under a $12M contract with the DoDEA to equip American teachers and leaders with new tools to support the implementation of the new standards in mathematics at U.S. military bases in 13 countries.  Selection was based on each Fellow’s depth of understanding of college and career readiness standards in mathematics and experience supporting teachers in learning and improving their practice. 

Hermanas Conference Promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math to Latina Middle School Students

Chandler-Gilbert Community College, in partnership with Intel Corporation will host more than 200 Latina middle school students for the Hermanas: Disena Tu Futuro (Design Your Future) conference on Friday, October 23 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Williams Campus in Mesa. Students from Chandler, Gilbert, Higley, Mesa and Queen Creek school districts will participate in the one-day conference which promotes Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to underrepresented Latina middle school students.
                                      
The Hermanas Conference provides a supportive environment in which young women can interact with successful Latinas in STEM careers, explore technological careers, receive encouragement to finish school, attend college and to pursue their goals.

"Many young Latinas are not aware of the opportunities available in technology, or what it takes to be an engineer, scientist or a technical professional," said Maria Reyes, Dean Career and Technical Education at CGCC. "All too often, there is the perception that these professions are not considered “traditional careers” for Latinas. The Hermanas conference is aimed to educate young Latinas about careers in STEM, as well as prepare these women to be successful in education and the workforce."

The one-day conference introduces students to various engineering disciplines, provides hands-on experiences to build their problems-solving and teaming skills, and includes informational sessions on preparing for academic and professional success in an interactive environment.  Participants engage in hands-on engineering design activities coordinated by college faculty, dialogue with Latina engineers in the Latina Town Hall and attend a college fair. 

More than 100 middle school students to participate in 2nd annual Arizona Math Partnership Summer Camp

More than 100 middle-school students from six school districts throughout the Valley will participate in 2nd annual Arizona Mathematics Partnership (AMP) Summer Math Camp June 21-25, 2015.

This year's camp is at Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College in Tempe, AZ. Students will stay overnight in student dorms and get a taste of college life. They will also participate in math 

projects designed to share and teach math concepts in a fun and relevant way.

Selected campers are participating free of charge thanks to the AMP. AMP is covering the costs of the camp as part of its community outreach goal.

In 2012, the AMP received an $8.7 million, five-year grant from the National Science Foundation to implement strategies aimed at making middle-school math teachers more effective in teaching math. So far, more than 250 middle school teachers have received training.

During a two-year period of intense professional development, teachers learn new methods of imparting math concepts that emphasize problem solving, sense-making and a deeper understanding of content.

"We must have done something right last year because we had 260 applicants this year," said Trey Cox, this year's camp director and a math faculty member at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. "But we could only select 110 because of space and funding."

At the overnight camp, student campers will participate in math and science projects and experiments, ranging from a boxcar derby to robotics to building a mousetrap car. All activities are designed to teach math concepts.

Students will stay in dorm rooms at Barrett, eat at the college dining hall, and enjoy fun activities at the ASU student activity center.  

About the Arizona Mathematics Partnership

AMP consists of Promoting Excellence in Arizona Middle School Mathematics:  Increasing Student Achievement through Systemic Instructional Change.  The partnership consists of 10 core partners: Chandler-Gilbert Community College, Scottsdale and Glendale Community Colleges, and the Deer Valley, Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Chandler, Florence, J.O. Combs school districts, as well as Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community schools. Supporting partners are: Arizona State University, Maricopa County Community College District, and the Glendale, Mesa, and Peoria school districts.