*Concerns of Young Mathematicians* Volume 2 Issue 2 January 19, 1994 An electronically distributed digest for discussions of the issues of concern to mathematicians at the beginning of their careers. PLEASE FORWARD TO ANY POTENTIALLY INTERESTED INDIVIDUALS Please, direct submissions and questions to Kalin Godev kalin@math.psu.edu , editor for the month of January. Next issue: Wednesday, January 26 Editor for January will be Kalin Godev kalin@math.psu.edu . To subscribe: Send mail to Charles Yeomans at cyeomans@s.ms.uky.edu Back issues and other information are available via anonymous FTP to ftp.ms.uky.edu, in pub3/mailing.lists/ymn-list. Editor for October was Curtis Bennett cbennet@andy.bgsu.edu . Editor for November was Steve Kennedy kennedy@math.stolaf.edu . Editor for December was Vic Perera vperera@silver.ucs.indiana.edu . The opinions expressed herein are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of the YMN or the editorial board. Table of Contents Item # Title Author ------ ----- ------ 1 Editorial 2 News and Notes Resolution Passes! Mark Winstead 3 YMN's Impact Mark Winstead 4 AWM and YMN Mark Winstead 5 MathMagic _LONG_ Alan A. Hodson 6 Closing Credits _______________________________________________________________________ Item #1 Editorial: We are in our second calendar year and Charles reports close to 800 subscribers. I am determined to boost this number into the thousands. To this purpose I propose the enlistment of YMN Field Representatives. These are people that are members of YMN at different universities with a commitment to the duty for at least a year. I will begin collecting names of volunteers today. To enlist as a YMN FR please send your name and the name of the school you are at to kalin@math.psu.edu. You may elect to remain anonymous, in which case put a line in your e-mail to that effect. In any case I will not keep a list of names on any computer, except for the time when mail goes to you and this probably will happen not form an edu site. Officer's duty will require to print a few copies of the weekly CoYMN and place them in the coffee lounge, mailing room and post them on a visible place, and at this point spread the word about us. Send e-mail to a friend from a different school or tell people without internet access, that might be interested, about YMN. Next month I will draft an article that upon your approval you will submit to your local student paper. The promotional page with YMN's platform and goals will be also revised to accommodate recent changes and made available to you to pass around. We'll see. Numbers talk and I think this push will make a difference. I realize that the larger the number of members in YMN the harder it will be to reach a uniform decision about anything, but I also have experienced the difficulties that all of us had faced in the last few years. This is what makes me think that we could come out of this united and make an effort to change things for the better. No one else will do it for us. The Editor ________________________________________________________________________ Item #2 News and Notes Resolution Passes! M Salah Baouendi, chair of the AMS Committee on the Profession and Professor at UCSD, has asked me to pass the word that the resolution that we petitioned the AMS to pass did pass in a modified form. He told me that he will see that we get a copy of the modified resolution. You may also wish to know that he plans to see that the resolution is published in several general academic journals, e.g. "Chronicle of Higher Education", in the hopes that other professional societies will imitate the AMS. Mark Winstead ____________________________________________________________________ Item #3 YMN's impact From: winstead@euclid.ucsd.edu (Mark Winstead) I had planned to write longer than what follows of my impressions of the impact of YMN based on my experiences at the annual winter meetings. However, contrary to rumors, there are still only 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. Any many ways, the way for YMN was paved by the AWM and NAM. At least among AMS officials and officers there seems to be a growing sensitivity to the concerns of various groups. An extra urgency to our plight is added when you consider that we represent a big chunk of the future. A conversation with Carol Wood reveacan only be done locally. Therefore I urgently ask everyone to occasionally forward issues of CYM, or excerpts, to your faculty and/or the faculty of your alma maters. Ask them to consider reforms proposed in CYM, the Notices, Focus or wherever else ematicians (and the intersection of that set o mentioned a desire to go even further and find ways to involve the ~9300 Nominee members (meaning mainly graduate students at institutional members of the AMS) more in the activities of the AMS. Additionally, many other prominent members of the mathematical community either publicly or privately applauded our efforts. Conclusion: I think it is time we concentrated more on pushing for action. We must realize, however, that much of what needs to be done can only be done locally. Therefore I urgently ask everyone to occasionally forward issues of CYM, or excerpts, to your faculty and/or the faculty of your alma maters. Ask them to consider reforms proposed in CYM, the Notices, Focus or wherever else ematicians (and the intersection of that set of unknown and women is larger than one would see in a perfect world). Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to urge all readers to join AWM, which stands for Association *for* Women in Mathematics (emphasis is mine). This encouragement includes male as well as female readers. Write Dawn Wheeler at awm@math.umd.edu for more information on how to join. Also, I should add that the AWM's executive council* passed the resolution that we were pushing the AMS, MAA and SIAM to pass. [*--The editorial board wishes to express our thanks to Prof. Harriet Lord of Cal. St. U. Pomona for responding to our last second request to raise this issue at the AWM executive council meeting.] Mark Winstead _______________________________________________________________________ Item #5 MathMagic Alan A. Hodson alanh@laguna.epcc.edu What is MathMagic? ================== MathMagic, is a K-12 telecommunications project developed in El Paso, TX that provides a strong motivator for students to use computer technology while increasing problem-solving strategies and communications skills. In a nutshell, MathMagic posts challenges into each of four categories (k-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-12) to trigger each registered team to pair up with another team and engage in an exchange of problem-solving dialog. When an agreement is reached, one solution is posted for every pair. Has it been done before? ======================== MathMagic has received wide ideological acceptance by hundreds of present FidoNet users, because it addresses most of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standards. It is now expanding into the Internet. Is this a "first call"? ======================= This first call is aimed at providing information and building an Internet-centered data base with names of K-12 and higher education teachers, librarians, technology directors and computer facilitators, and in general, to seek Net users that are in a position to make the postings available to teams of students. MathMagic's success on FidoNet makes building this project on Internet a logical step. Do participants "meet" each other? ================================== Each registered team is expected to work withan someone participate? ============================ There will be two broad categories of participants: REGISTERED and UNREGISTERED. All registered teams will be entitled to full access to all the list's mailings, and will have the ability to "post" aiscussion group of benefit to teachers re/ Mal/school/city information. How will the Internet be used? ============================== The postings and some team exchanges will be made via a kind of listserv called a MAILING LIST (different commands, same principle.) The wonderful folks of the Geometry Forum at Swarthmore College have made their "majordomo" Mailing List server available to MathMagic, and as a result, registration will be fairly easy. However, most team exchanges are via e-mail. How can someone participate? ============================ There will be two broad categories of participants: REGISTERED and UNREGISTERED. All registered teams will be entitled to full access to all the list's mailings, and will have the ability to "post" aiscussion group of benefit to teachers re/ MathMagic? ================================================================= One of the most valuable lessons a teacher learns is when s/he can observe and discuss the student's metacognition. For this purpose, a fifth list, mathmagic-general-open will also be available to schools of education, assorted profs, teachers, supervisors and in general to all interested parties wanting to discuss math learning and the student exchanges observed in these lists. As MathMagic itself develops, CONSTRUC- TIVE suggestions, observations and criticisms, along with any/all pedagogical discussions that may enlighten student/teacher (read old student) development will be welcomed. K-12 direct student input is not solicited in this fifth list. What donation is expected for full registration? ================================================ Information about the nominal registration fee is forwarded to each person registering for one of the lists. It is also available under the COSTS-GRANTS file as indicated below. Please note that the registration form calls for the name of a faculty sponsor, and a team name. Each team's name will consist of the sponsor's last name (surname), a color, the school mascot, and city/state/country information: Hodson's Gold Gators/El Paso, TX can end up working with Nahim's Blue Tigers/Tel Aviv, IL. How does a person subscribe/unsubscribe to MathMagic? ===================================================== All subscriptions (registered and non) begin with a free subscription to one of the "...-open" lists. Send the following e-mail message: TO: majordomo@forum.swarthmore.edu (note majordomo's spelling) subscribe mathmagic-X-Y-open where X-Y is either K-3, 4-6, 7-9, 10-12 or general. To UNSUBSCRIBE (when a user no longer wants to be part of the Mailing List) send the same message as above, but replace "subscribe" with "unsubscribe". Who can answer more questions? ============================== Alan Hodson, middle school math teacher with the El Paso ISD is in charge of the Internet component of the project. Wr gopher forum.swarthmore.edu (choose) 1. Forum's Archive/ (choose) 6. MathMagic/ (choose) 5. general.information Can MathMagic "make a difference"? ================================== MathMagic Foundation is a non-profit As worthy an endeavor as MathMagic may sHooper@f105.n381.z1.fidonet.org What other informational files are available? ============================================= To receive more information on MathMagic and the files available, send e-mail (no "Subject:" needed) to: mail-server@forum.swarthmore.edu send mathmagic/general/INDEX Users can also ftp the MathMagic information files from ftp forum.swarthmore.edu cd mathmagic GOPHER access is also available: gopher forum.swarthmore.edu (choose) 1. Forum's Archive/ (choose) 6. MathMagic/ (choose) 5. general.information Can MathMagic "make a difference"? ================================== MathMagic Foundation is a non-profit As worthy an endeavor as MathMagic may seem, it is "one more" time consuming commitment to a full-time job, the local board of a professional organization (AFT) and the usual daily distractions such as band boosters student accounts and the like. Presently MathMagic is NOT receiving any grants or stipends to allow for "extra" time to be dedicated to the project. Hopefully this will change in the near future. Please don't expect IMMEDIATE service - be ready to match your professional commitment to finding viable alternatives to age old concerns with a good dose of patience! At least at the beginning...Ironic how we may be able to communicate across the world instantly, but still be slaves of our time pieces! Happy (thought-provoking) Computing! Alan A. Hodson MathMagic Internet K-12 Problem Solving alanh@laguna.epcc.edu P.O.Box 27205 Send E-mail ahodson@tenet.edu El Paso TX 79926-7205 (no Subject:) to:- mail-server@forum.swarthmore.edu with the message: send mathmagic/general.information/INDEX __________________________________________________________________________ Item #6 Closing Credits: The Young Mathematicians' Network is administered by: Charles Yeomans cyeomans@s.ms.uky.edu Mark Winstead winstead@ml.kva.se Vic Perera vperera@silver.ucs.indiana.edu Franklin Mendivil mendivil@math.gatech.edu Stephen Kennedy kennedy@stolaf.edu Kalin Godev kalin@math.psu.edu Neil Calkin calkin@math.gatech.edu Curtis Bennett cbennet@andy.bgsu.edu Jeff Adams adams@bright.uoregon.edu Edward Aboufadel aboufade@scus1.ctstateu.edu ____________________________________________________________________ End of Journal -- Next week: The Discussion Continues