AIM Math Teachers’ Circle – Stanford
AIM Math Teachers’ Circle – Stanford
Every month from September to April, the AIM Math Teachers’ Circle at Stanford meets on the Thursday after the second Tuesday. We welcome all math teachers interested in exploring accessible, exciting topics in mathematics and learning about a problem-solving approach to teaching math. Meetings include dinner, which is complimentary.
Location
Ventura Hall 17, 220 Panama St, Stanford, CA 94305. You can park in the lot on Panama St. across from Ventura Hall (Lot L-21 on the parking map). You can park in any of the “A” or “C” spaces, which is most of the lot — permits are not required after 4:00 on weekdays.
History
Founded in 2006 at the American Institute of Mathematics in 2006, the AIM Math Teachers’ Circle is the original member of the national Math Teachers’ Circle Network. In December 2014, the American Institute of Mathematics moved from its Palo Alto location to the Fry’s Electronics Corporate Headquarters in San Jose. AIM reopened on January 1, 2015, in its new location at 600 East Brokaw Road, San Jose. In February 2015, the AIM Math Teachers’ Circle began meeting twice a month, at AIM and at Stanford.
Contact
Sonya Kohli, American Institute of Mathematics, skohli (at) aimath . org
Leadership Team
Brian Conrey, American Institute of Mathematics
Tom Davis, San Jose Math Circle
Mary Fay-Zenk, Miller Middle School (retired)
Tatiana Shubin, San Jose State University
Josh Zucker, Julia Robinson Mathematics Festival
Upcoming Events
Session leader: Peter Herreshoff
Session topic: Geometric combinatorics, the binomial theorem, finite differences, the 4th dimension and beyond
Session leader: Karl Schaffer
Session topic: Moving with Symmetry
Artists as well as scientists must perceive, analyze, and utilize symmetries in space and time. Symmetry may be found in dance in the way positions of the ensemble of dancers repeat in time, as with a variety of folk dances, but also in the relationships between the bodies of individual dancers in space at any given time. These spatial relationships may utilize symmetry or even asymmetry to create movement sequences which express an enormous range of ideas, stories, or images. We will practice differentiating and performing movements with several types of symmetry, will explore how these symmetries compose in pairs, and use this to construct symmetry group tables and to better understand frieze and wallpaper patterns. This leads back to better understanding of how these symmetries appear within dance composition, but also allows us to examine connections with cross-cultural uses of pattern and symmetry in visual arts, design, and language arts.
Karl Schaffer Bio:
Professional dancer and choreographer Karl Schaffer holds a Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of California, Santa Cruz in graph theory, and has taught mathematics at De Anza College since 1989. He has co-directed the Santa Cruz-based dance company Dr. Schaffer and Mr. Stern Dance Ensemble for 30 years. Operating under the auspices of MoveSpeakSpin, the company has performed its entertaining and highly physical works internationally, with special focus on dances integrating mathematics and movement. Schaffer and co-director Stern are on the Kennedy Center’s Teaching Artist Roster, and travel frequently sharing their math and dance integration methods in the classroom. Schaffer’s recent concerts include The Daughters of Hypatia, on women mathematicians, which appeared recently at Montalvo Arts Center; Mosaic, on issues of culture, conflict, peace and justice in Palestine and Israel; and Choreocopia, a festival of food, song and dance. Schaffer writes frequently on mathematics and dance, and his writing appeared in The Best Writing on Mathematics 2012.
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Ventura Hall 17
224 Panama St, Stanford, CA 94305