Are you ready to celebrate?  That’s right, we are having a party!  The Georgia Mathematics Conference is 50 and we are planning a Fabulous celebration.  So plan to join us October 14 – 16, 2009 at the Rock Eagle 4-H Center near Eatonton, GA to reflect on where we have been, share what we are currently doing in mathematics classrooms, and look to the future of mathematics education in the State of Georgia.  Of course there will be the usual fun and fellowship that we have come to expect and enjoy at the conference each year.

In addition to the many sessions provided by classroom teachers and mathematics leaders, the program will include three keynote sessions. 

The first keynote session will feature Dan Flockhart, the author of the Fantasy Sports and Mathematics series, on Wednesday night.  This series has been used by many students throughout the U. S. 

For the second keynote session we are bringing you Calculus the Musical!, a comic “review” of the concepts and history of Calculus.  Although, Calculus is usually thought of as a high school topic, the musical promises to be entertaining for all spanning genres from light opera to hip-hop. 

We will close the conference on Friday with the third keynote presented by our friend and colleague, Jane Barnard.  Jane is a well-respected mathematics educator and has served GCTM, NCTM, and mathematics education in Georgia for many years.  She will look back at these first fifty years and set the course for the next fifty.

As part of the sessions provided on Thursday and Friday, we will be inspired by a series of featured speakers.  Bill Jasper, Sam Houston State, will share his work on Mathematics for English Language Learners.  Ana Escuder, a project director at Florida Atlantic University, will demonstrate activities with GeoGebra, a free dynamic mathematics software.   Michaele Chappell, Middle Tennessee State University professor and Georgia native, will encourage teachers to integrate culture into the mathematics classroom, and Chris Franklin, University of Georgia, will provide statistics activities.  Janie Cates, Virginia Wilcox, and Beth Oberg are all leaders in mathematics education in Georgia and will offer elementary teachers activities and mathematical ideas to use in the classroom. 

Again this year, we will continue the pre-conference Open House on Wednesday, October 14 from 3 – 5 PM.  Experienced educators will provide a technology experience for conference participants interested in an introduction to using graphing calculators, GeoGebra, Geometer’s Sketchpad, and interactive white boards.  During this same time period, seasoned teacher-leaders will coach participants through tasks and share tips for incorporating tasks in classroom instruction.  This session will include tasks that are appropriate for each grade band: K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12.  Unlike the sessions on Thursday and Friday, the Open House will be “drop-in” style.  So come early and take advantage of the opportunity to share in these activities.

If you plan to get acquainted with Geometer’s Sketchpad or GeoGebra, please bring a laptop computer.  If you plan to work on a task, you may want to encourage a colleague to join you and serve as your partner.