Innovations in Mathematics Education Via the Arts

BIRS, Banff, Jan 2007

ParticipantsAlagic, Mara, Wichita State University

Atela, Pau, Smith College

Bier, Carol, Mills College / The Textile Museum

Bosch, Robert, Oberlin College

Burkholder, Doug, Lenoir-Rhyne College

Craven, Stewart, Toronto District School Board

de Vries, Gerda, University of Alberta

Fisher, Gwen, Cal Poly

Friedman, Nathaniel, SUNY Albany

Gerofsky, Susan, University of British Columbia

Gomez, Paco, Polytechnic U Madrid / McGill

Greenfield, Gary, University of Richmond

Hart, George, Stony Brook University

Hartshorn, Kevin, Moravian College

Higginson, William, Queens University

Huylebrouck, Dirk, Hogeschool Wetenschap en Kunst

Kaplan, Craig, University of Waterloo

Klotz, Gene, Swarthmore / Math Forum at Drexel

Mellor, Blake, Loyola Marymount University

Rappaport, David, Queen's University

Richter, David A., Western Michigan University

Rimmington, Glyn, Wichita State University

Sarhangi, Reza, Towson University

Schattschneider, Doris, Moravian College

Sequin, Carlo, University of California, Berkeley

Taimina, Daina, Cornell University

Toussaint, Godfried, McGill University

Wagner, Philip, The Fusion Project

Yackel, Carolyn, Mercer University

Vague Schedule

• Day 1: introduction, presentations Night 1: optional construction workshop

• Day 2: exploration, brainstorming, and discussion

Night 2: optional workshops• Day 3: proposal preparation

Night 3: optional hot spring excursion?• Day 4: reporting and planning for future• Day 5: morning: conclusions

afternoon: depart

Monday Schedule• Start at 9:00. Welcome by Brenda Shakotko• Introductory remarks• Five-to-ten minute introductions. Describe yourself,

your art/math interests, and past or future projects.• Late afternoon: Discuss goals.• Breaks:

– Coffee: 10:15 and 3:15– Lunch: 12:00-1:00– Group photo: Tuesday 12:00 Corbett stairs– Banff tour: 1:00-2:00, by Jim Olver, Corbett 2nd fl. lounge

• Evening: CD sculpture activity, here

Official Objectives• Our primary objective is to bring together a

diverse body of mathematically trained professionals who individually incorporate the arts in their educational activities. As a group, we will brainstorm to identify promising areas and techniques for a wider movement of math education via the arts. Then we will strategize by sketching proposal ideas, considering possible funding means, making detailed proposals, and assembling focused teams to implement the results appropriately.

More Objectives

We hope to incubate a range of projects in which the participants engage in development and dissemination that will ultimately transfer ideas to educators, students, and the public. This will likely include traditional means—such as exhibits, books, websites, workshops, videos, and special sessions at education conferences—but should include novel ideas as well.

Possible Outcomes

• New individual projects• New collaborations• Book of art/math activities aimed at teachers• Conference or special session• Resource material, e.g., website, CDROM, …• Exhibits, one-time, traveling, or permanent• Art/math museum• List of research questions• Proposals• Other…

Fields of Mathematics Listed on 1-Page Sheet

• Geometry, 18• Algebra, 6• Symmetry, 4• All / general, 4• Topology, 3• Statistics, 3• Combinatorics, 2• History of mathematics, 2

• Mathematical modeling, 1• Knot theory, 1• Set theory, 1• Sequences and limits, 1• Algorithms, 1• Number theory, 1• Optimization, 1• Quantitative proficiency, 1

Resources / Organizations

• Bridges Conference

• ISAMA Conference

• SIGMAA Arts

• Others?

Math–Art Relationships

• Math is Art — theorems or proofs are beautiful

• Math as Art — math objects can be presented beautifully, e.g., fractal visualization

• Math in Art — analysis of artworks for structure, e.g., perspective, symmetry, etc.

• Mathematical Art — works by Escher and others that have “mathematical content”

—Helmer Aslaksen