Information on James R. Olsen

  
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Jim Olsen

Professional Information

I have been teaching at Western Illinois University since the Fall of 1994.  After graduation from Doane College (1979) I taught high school mathematics for ten years.  I was also the head boys basketball coach for nine years at Centura HS in Cairo, NE.  I hold two Master's degrees (one in Mathematics Education from University of Nebraska-Kearney, and one in Mathematics from Colorado State University).  My PhD (Educational Mathematics) is from the University of Northern Colorado (1994). I am a professor in the Department of Mathematics and Philosophy at Western Illinois University. I teach mathematics courses and teaching methods courses for prospective and practicing teachers. My research interests are mental math, student understanding of the function concept, multiplicative reasoning (including proportional reasoning and rates), educational uses of technology, logic for middle school, student understanding of fractions, decimals, and percents, problem solving; and teaching mathematical and higher-order reasoning while seeing the beauty of mathematics. Recent awards: Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching with Technology from the College of Arts and Sciences, Western Illinois University, April 2019; Award for Academic Excellence in Enhancing Learning with Technology from the Provost, Western Illinois University, October 2019.

Personal Information

I consider myself a Christian, family member, teacher, athlete, and scholar.  I believe that children and students, Pre-K through graduate school, are important (see Children Are ABC's) and represent our future. I enjoy living in Macomb (past weather: Wunder or NOAA) and being part of the Wesley UMC family. I vacation at Lake Okoboji (water levels, okobojipics, okobojiadmin) in Iowa. Information about my wonderful family is below. In summer 2007 I went to Germany with my family. We went to Berlin. It was a moving experience for me to be there with the Berlin Wall down and able to walk under the Brandenberg Gate. I'm involved with Academic Year in America, a foreign exchange agency. My favorite book is The Story of the Other Wise Man. More links of interest: Happiness Coin, Three Things, Sung Graces. More of my off-campus interests are listed below. names form; men's ministry form; teachers form; Preachers form; new WIU grad form responses.

Committees and Responsibilities for 2019-2020

University:
  • UCEP - University Committee for Education Preparation
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (meets infrequently)
  • CIT - Council for Instructional Technology

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • Math Teachers Conference Website Coordinator
  • Mathematics Resource Office (MRO) Coordinator
  • High School Relations Executive Committee
  • Mathematics and Philosophy Department Chairperson Search Committee
  • 099/100 Revisions Committee

Off Campus:

  • Wesley Church Communications Committee Chair
  • Wesley Church Learn-Grow-Serve Committee Chair
  • Lay Speaker - UMC
  • ISMAA board member (through 2022)
  • Webmaster for bombersports.org

Committees and Responsibilities for 2018-2019

University:
  • UCEP - University Committee for Education Preparation
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (meets infrequently)
  • Teacher Education Test Success Committee - Chair

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • Math Teachers Conference Website Coordinator
  • Mathematics Resource Office (MRO) Coordinator
  • High School Relations Executive Committee

Off Campus:

Committees and Responsibilities for 2017-2018

University:
  • UCEP - University Committee for Education Preparation
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (meets infrequently)
  • CIT - Council for Instructional Technology (A&S Rep) '17-'18 (excused), '18-'19, '19-'20.
  • CAEP Steering Committee
  • Teacher Education Test Success Committee

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • Math Teachers Conference Paperwork & Website Coordinator
  • Mathematics Resource Office (MRO) Tutor and Scheduling Coordinator
  • High School Relations Executive Committee

Off Campus:

Committees and Responsibilities for 2016-2017

University:
  • UCEP - University Committee for Education Preparation
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (meets infrequently)
  • CAEP Steering Committee

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • Department Curriculum Committee (Math Educ. Rep)
  • Math Teachers Conference Paperwork & Website Coordinator
  • Mathematics Resource Office (MRO) Tutor, Student Assistants, and Scheduling Coordinator
  • High School Relations Executive Committee

Off Campus:

  • ISMAA Teacher Education Committee Chairman
  • Wesley Church Communications Committee Chair
  • Wesley Church Learn-Grow-Serve Committee Chair

Memberships

Off Campus Interests

Family

·Wife - Marilyn, my teammate, married July 29, 1988.
·Diane - Drake University graduate. Accounting and Finance majors. Math minor. Accountant. CPA.
·Eric - Drake University graduate. Marketing major. Ultimate frisbee enthusiast. Employed in Des Moines at Alignex, Inc. as a Business Development specialist.
·Rachel - Drake University. Mathematics, Data Analytics, and Computer Science majors. Drake CF (Campus Fellowship).

·Mom is Ruth Olsen of Lincoln, NE.
·My dad, Walter Olsen, passed away May 1, 2010. obituary here He was much loved and much missed.

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Past information

Committees and Responsibilities for 2015-2016

University:
  • UCEP - University Committee for Education Preparation
  • CIA - Council on Intercollegiate Athletics, Chair
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (meets infrequently)

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • High School Relations Executive Committee
  • Principal Investigator for the Teacher Quality- Leadership Grant (aka Race to the Top- teacher preparation program redesign project) $26,124 grant (FY14: $8,712, FY15: $11,491, FY16: $5,921).

 

Committees and Responsibilities for 2014-2015

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee
  • UTEC Subcommittee on WIU's web-based assessment system.
  • CIA - Council on Intercollegiate Athletics, Chair
  • Sanction and Termination Pool - Fall '13 - Spg '15

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • High School Relations Executive Committee

Committees and Responsibilities for 2013-2014

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee
  • CIA - Council on Intercollegiate Athletics
  • Sanction and Termination Pool - Fall '13 - Spg '15

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee, Chair
  • High School Relations Executive Committee

Committees and Responsibilities for 2012-2013

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee, Chair
  • High School Relations Executive Committee

Dr. Olsen was on Sabbatical during the 2011-2012 academic year

Committees and Responsibilities for 2010-2011

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee

College of Arts and Science:

  • Undergraduate Research Collaboration

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • High School Relations Executive Committee
  • Department Curriculum Committee (Math Educ. Rep)
  • 4-Year Chair Review Committee, Chairperson

Committees and Responsibilities for 2009-2010

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee

College of Arts and Science:

  • Undergraduate Research Collaboration

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • High School Relations Executive Committee
  • Department Personnel Committee

Committees and Responsibilities for 2008-2009

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (formerly FAASTEC - Fine Arts and Arts and Sciences Teacher Education Committee)
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee

College of Arts and Science:

  • Undergraduate Research Collaboration

Department:

  • Mathematics Education Committee
  • High School Relations Executive Committee
  • Committee on Secondary Math Teacher Certification
  • Department Personnel Committee

Committees and Responsibilities for 2007-2008

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (formerly FAASTEC - Fine Arts and Arts and Sciences Teacher Education Committee)
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee

College of Arts and Science:

  • Undergraduate Research Collaboration
Department:
  • LDCC (Lower Division Curriculum Committee)
  • Mathematics Education Committee, Chair
  • High School Relations Executive Committee
  • Committee on Secondary Math Teacher Certification

Committees and Responsibilities for 2006-2007

University:
  • SEDG - Secondary Education Discussion Group (formerly FAASTEC - Fine Arts and Arts and Sciences Teacher Education Committee)
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee
  • CIA - Council of Intercollegiate Athletics

College of Arts and Science:

  • Undergraduate Research Collaboration
Department:
  • Advisory Council
  • Mathematics Education Committee, Chair
  • High School Relations Committee
  • Committee on Secondary Math Teacher Certification
  • Math T.E.A.M. Advisor

Past Memberships

Committees and Responsibilities for 2005-2006

Illinois Section of the Mathematics Association of America

  • Committee on Teacher Education
University:
  • FAASTEC - Fine Arts and Arts and Sciences Teacher Education Committee
  • UTEC - University Teacher Education Committee
  • UTEC Subcommittee for Electronic Portfolios
  • CIA - Council of Intercollegiate Athletics

College of Arts and Science:

  • Undergraduate Research Collaboration
Department:
  • Advisory Council
    • Department Grade Appeals Committee
  • Mathematics Education Committee, co-chair
  • Department Personnel Committee
  • Departmental Grade Appeal Committee
  • Math T.E.A.M. Advisor

Committees and Responsibilities for 2004-2005

Illinois State Board of Education:
Illinois Section of the Mathematics Association of America
University:
College of Arts and Science:
Department:

Committees and Responsibilities for 2003-2004

Illinois State Board of Education:
University:
College of Arts and Science:
Department:

Committees and Responsibilities for 2002-2003

University:

Department:

Committees and Responsibilities for 2001-2002

Department:

Off campus:

·Board member (Director for Public Universities),  Illinois Section of the Mathematical Association of America
·Program Committee - chair
·Co-Editor of the Illinois Mathematics Teacher, the official journal of the ICTM

Committees and Responsibilities for 2000-2001

University:
Department:
Off campus:
·Board member (Director for Public Universities),  Illinois Section of the Mathematical Association of America
·Two-year College Committee - chair
·Program Committee

·Co-Editor of the Illinois Mathematics Teacher, the official journal of the ICTM

Committees and Responsibilities for 1999-2000

University:
Department:
Off campus:
·Board member (Director for Public Universities),  Illinois Section of the Mathematical Association of America
·Two-year College Committee - chair
·Program Committee
·Co-Editor of the Illinois Mathematics Teacher, the official journal of the ICTM

Other

 

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James R. Olsen
Mathematics Department
Western Illinois University
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455
phone: 309/298-2317
E-mail: jr-olsen@wiu.edu
updated: February 4, 2020

rev-fun.gospelcom.net

http://rev-fun.gospelcom.net/

If you delay till to-morrow what ought to be done to-day, you overcharge the morrow with a burden which belongs not to it. You load the wheels of time, and prevent it from carrying you along smoothly. He who every morning plans the transactions of the day, and follows out the plan, carries on a thread which will guide him through the labyrinth of the most busy life. The orderly arrangement of his time is like a ray of light which darts itself through all his affairs. But where no plan is laid, where the disposal of time is surrendered merely to the chance of incidents, all things lie huddled together in one chaos, which admits neither of distribution nor review.

By: HUGH BLAIR, “On the Importance of Order in Conduct.”