Boise State Math Outreach 2022-23 Finale
2023 BSU Math Invitational | Monte Carlo Pi Day Winners | Data Science Initiatives | BSU Math Teaching Conference | AP Summer Institute
2023 Boise State Mathematics Invitational
RSVP now for this fall’s Mathematics Invitational, which will take place on the Boise State campus on November 4, 2023. The Invitational was successfully revived in 2022 after a three year hiatus, and the 2023 promises to be the best edition, yet. Last fall’s event was at capacity, so this year we are extending the opportunity to reserve space for schools without forming rosters. Schools that RSVP now will be asked to form rosters by October 14, 2023. See the Boise State Mathematics Outreach page for more information, download and post the flyer, or access the RSVP page directly. Hope to see you there!
Monte Carlo for Pi Day Winners
Over 150 students ‘vacationed’ in Monte Carlo for Pi Day, earning each of those ‘vacationers’ an entry in the Pi Day prize raffle. Lady Luck shone on the Treasure Valley Mathematics and Science Center, home of two raffle winners. Parker Rupe is in the 8th Grade in Rachel Spanneut’s class at TVMSC.
Josie Reedy is in the 7th Grade at TVMSC in the Boise School District, also in Rachel Spanneut’s class.
Finally, Zane Nichols is a junior in Doug Jackson’s class at Cambridge High School in Cambridge, Idaho.
A goal of Mathematics Outreach is to involve students in rural areas of Idaho, so we are thrilled Zane’s name was drawn. Congratulations to each of these students for their great work.
Boise State Welcomes Data Science Education Expert
Calculus has long been viewed as the ‘holy grail’ of high school mathematics, but this may be changing in favor of more statistics and data science courses in high schools. Given the changing nature of the workplace, and the increase in ‘data-driven decision-making’, this change may well be overdue. While statistics courses can be found in many Idaho high schools, especially in the form of AP Statistics, data science is currently less common.
Boise State welcomed Mahmoud Harding to campus in April to discuss these changes and how they might be implemented in middle and high schools. Mahmoud teaches at Durham’s North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics and is an integral member of the team of educators advocating for data science education through their organization, Data Science 4 Everyone.
Mahmoud was recently featured on the Data Science Education Podcast, where he discussed potential ways to implement a data science curriculum in high schools to students with no previous exposure to the subject. Take a listen.
Semi-relatedly, current AP Statistics teachers may be interested in implementing some of these principles in ready-made lessons available through Skew the Script, an open education resource available to teachers free of charge.
Boise State Math Teaching Conference
Boise State is hosting a conference dedicated to improving K-12 mathematics education. See the flyer below, or download it here.
Idaho Advanced Placement Summer Institute
Teachers with an interest in Advanced Placement courses need not travel far this summer for professional development. Several class offerings are available, including AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, as well as the new AP Precalculus, which launches this fall. Additional offerings are available in other disciplines. The Coeur d’Alene Session will be held June 20-23, 2023 at Lake City High School; more locally, the Boise Session will be held June 27-30, 2023 at Centennial High School. Click to learn more!