In the summer of 2019, I traveled to the other side of the world to explore the mathematics behind the immense man-made structures of China and the delicate artistic compositions of Japan to create authentic, real-world Geometry problem sets that draw connections between engineering, architecture, and the arts. This trip was fully funded by a non-profit organization, Fund For Teachers, that believes that teachers are the best designers of their own professional development.
Parallel Photography
What began as an extra credit assignment for my math students when they were not quite grasping the significance of parallel lines, eventually became an art exhibit and a national award.
I asked my students to photograph parallel lines in the world around them and the submissions I received were tremendous. Not only were they beautiful, they demonstrated mastery of the very mathematical concept I was trying to teach.
In 2011, I was awarded the Challenge to Innovate Mobile Project by the NEA and the US Department of Education.
This project later turned into a series of photography scavenger hunts for a number of mathematical concepts found in our every day worlds: shapes, symmetry, transformations, etc.
student photograph of parallel lines - Deza L.
The Art of Mathematics: A Curriculum Framework
In Spring 2014, I developed a curriculum framework around the interdisciplinary nature of art and math with a colleague at Teachers College Columbia University.
“Without mathematics there is no art.”
