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The algebra classroom in urban public high schools in the United States is a complex space, ripe with many challenges and opportunities. In this paper I introduce the notion of a heart-centered stance for the teacher and the educator and a method of engaging in creative expression for reflection and introspection toward individual change in the rich context of the high school algebra classroom. My evolving relationships with two high school algebra teachers, observations of their classrooms, as well as my own self-study and professional growth, are incorporated into this paper as I introduce and exemplify two tenets of a heart-centered stance: multidimensionality of experience and receptivity to relatedness. This study suggests the possibility of using creative artistic expression and a self-study approach to support the transformation of educators’ perspectives toward research, creative activities, and outreach that are receptive to the mathematical experiences of teachers and students in our local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Progress is possible. When I graduated from college, only 5% of the new U.S. doctorates in mathematics went to women; now it is about 30%. There is of course room (and need) for more progress. This paper begins with an account of my research about women and black mathematicians. The latter group claimed that racial equality can be achieved only when better elementary school mathematics education is available to all children in this country. That motivated me to lead a seven-year, grant-supported program to work with elementary school teachers and children in nine New Jersey districts, including Newark, Paterson, and Passaic. I share some disturbing, startling stories about this time as well as some stories of remarkable success. Recent admonitions to "raise standards for all" motivate a personal story about my mentally retarded brother; he and I needed and were given very different types of education. I then offer nine reasons for promoting mathematics education for all, three things good teachers need, and a few more suggestions for improving equity and education. The paper includes photographs and references to important books. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article chronicles the journey of an immigrant female mathematician in the United States. The chronicle encompasses early training, encouragements received, road-blocks encountered and the background while growing up which shaped the core of her being. The loving, supportive and educative background she received early in life provided the strength to withstand the hurdles thrown in the path of her career advancement. These hurdles are not unique to the author; many immigrant professionals face similar situations. The purpose of the article is to bring awareness to these challenges such professionals face and how they still persevere with discipline and focus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is a simple matter for the members of a group to decide among two options. When there are three or more options among which to choose, the situation is much more complicated. This is precisely what faces the electorate each time there are more than two candidates running for a single office. And while there is debate over which voting method should be used, there is wide agreement over the method that should not be used: plurality, the most common approach taken in the United States. This article presents a simple classroom activity which provides students the opportunity to explore this issue in the context of a group of friends deciding which movie to watch. The methods of plurality, Borda count, approval, Condorcet, and Instant Runoff are discussed, along with advantages and disadvantages of each. All theoretical discussions are illustrated with voting data collected from fifty-eight students; an accompanying spreadsheet contains the data and the tabulations corresponding to each method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Study Group on Ethnomathematics (ISGEm) supports incorporating cultural diversity of mathematical practices to promote the teaching and learning of school mathematics. Through The Mathematics Heritage Project, students at a middle school in the southeastern United States developed unique creations to connect with the mathematics connected to their identities and self-identified cultural group. Upon reflection, students reported an increased awareness of the relevance of mathematics in their lives and a sense of ownership that is both meaningful and modern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We explore using a "Study Challenge" to help students become active studiers in mathematics courses. We describe how a Study Challenge works and how we implemented it in calculus and differential equations courses. We discuss qualitative reactions from students who accepted the Study Challenge, which suggest that this might be a useful tool for students to add to their exam preparation toolbox. Finally, we offer some suggestions for implementing a Study Challenge within the mathematics classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is the report of a project on ways of teaching university-level mathematics in a humanistic way. The main part of the project recounted here involved a journey to the United States during the fall term of 2012 to visit several liberal arts colleges in order to study and discuss mathematics teaching. Various themes that came up during my conversations at these colleges are discussed in the text: the invisibility of mathematics in everyday life, the role of calculus in American mathematics curricula, the \is algebra necessary?" discussion, teaching mathematics as a language, the transfer problem in learning, and the relationship between humanistic mathematics and mathematics as taught in liberal arts contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]