Participant Testimonials
The workshop organization, schedule, hospitality and accommodation were all first class. Thank you to all our hosts from Casa Matemática Oaxaca! The workshop's main scientific topic was well defined and clearly communicated to all workshop participants. For me personally our work in plenary sessions and in groups was an excellent learning experience. At the same time, with their choice of plenary speakers, the workshop organizers were able to introduce an array of research outcomes, ideas and activities that enhanced everyone's experience beyond the workshop's principal focus. Still, I think that the best part of the workshop were its participants. I would like to congratulate the workshop organizers on their choice of the scholars and practitioners who they invited to take part in the workshop. A diverse, but very communicative and knowledgeable group of math teachers, math education researchers, in addition to a few community members and administrators, all came together to learn and share their experiences on the topic of "Concept Study".
Mathematics, Simon Fraser University
My participation in the CMO-BIRS workshop will impact my current research, in the sense that I will expand it including the idea of Concept Study. There are new collaborations with colleagues; we started writing a short paper with the ideas that emerged during the workshop. The Concept Study idea will impact in my students, future mathematics teachers. This concept will help the to better grasp how a mathematics concept evolve through the school levels; something that they need to be aware as future teachers.
As a result of the workshop Concept Study - Profound Understanding of Teachers' Mathematics, I was able to make connections with people involved in Mathematics Education, mostly in Mexico. I have been working in collaboration with the Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, UPN, (México) in projects related to mathematics teacher education. This workshop was just one step further in these collaborations which so far include the proceedings of a previous meeting, an edited book, and co-supervising students. From this workshop we will produce a proceeding compiling the insights of several groups that focused on different mathematical concepts essential for education, including: geometry, number systems, and equality. Such explorations were enhanced by perspectives of aboriginal scholars from Canada, US and Mexico. As a result, we are considering a new venue of research regarding aboriginal mathematical knowledge and its impact on mathematics and mathematics education. Prospective PhD students showed interest in conducting research in this topic. Beyond my own benefit from this workshop, other people established connections that I am sure will afford benefits for mathematics teachers and students in Mexico. For instance, a group of young Mexican mathematicians who have a Cátedra CONACYT project in education had the opportunity to meet a network of teachers interested in working with mathematicians. Professors from the UPN established contact with other mathematics educators from universities across Mexico and Canada, including states universities of Yucatán, Zacatecas and Querétaro, as well as UBC, SFU and UofC in Canada.
Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary
My participation in the CMO-BIRS workshop impact in my current research related to Wejën Kajën in Mathematics Education, a point of view that I develop from indigenous cultures (in particular Ayuujk culture in which one I come from). So, I have some new contacts and I hope to start new collaborations or papers. Thank you.
President, Wejën Kajën Indigenous Research Institute International A.C
