Old Announcements Archive

The purpose of this page is to put old announcements and links to pages which have been removed from my homepage.
Most of the pages below are no longer being maintained.
The intent it to list the most recent things removed first.

Removed 2/27/2024

MyWIUlinks

Removed 10/6/2023

Mini-Conference on Secondary Mathematics Teaching - This fall mini-conference is currently on hold. Our last mini-conference was, Thursday, Nov. 21, 2019. This conference is intended for grade 7-12 mathematics teachers.

Removed 8/19/2022

Advanced Perspective of Topics from Secondary School Mathematics - Geometry and Calculus - Summer 2022 Online Course Offering ~ WIU ~ Math 656 Click here for details.

Removed 4/5/2022

Logic For Middle School - workshop at NCTM Centennial Annual Meeting & Exposition, in Chicago, IL, April 3, 2020, 9:45 - 11 am. (conference cancelled, due to COVID). Session #369 (on page 67 of the program book; location: McCormick Place - South Building, S401BC). Workshop by Jesus Aguirre, Alejandro (Alex) Rangel, and Jim Olsen of Western Illinois University. Logic for Middle School is the web site. Parking information.

Number Theory Concepts in School Mathematics - Fall 2019 Online Course Offering ~ WIU ~ Math 407(G). Click here for details.

W.I.U. Basic Skills Test Preparation Page

Improving Vertical Alignment by Identifying Essential Learning Outcomes in Math - Workshops with Macomb C.U.S.D. #185 teachers October 17 and November 28, 2018. Facilitator: Dr. Jim Olsen.

Summer Academy - 2018 - Engaging Learners with Video - In June, I attended this summer academy put on by the WIU CITR. The academy provided numerous tools for designing, developing and integrating video for educational use.

Desmos and Desmos Classroom Activities for Math Grades 7-12 - Workshop at Rock Island ROE, July 11, 2018. Slides - Handout.

Desmos Updates - presentation at the NCTM Regional Conference in Chicago, IL, November 30, 2017. Click here for the Google Slides, which have links.

Percent: From 7RP.3 through College and Career Readiness (.PPT) - presented at the Mini-Conference on Secondary Mathematics Teaching - Thursday, November 16, 2017.

Mental Math Strategies PowerPoint - created and presented for WIU Math Club, 10/4/2017. This is an overview of mental math strategies with seven strategies highlighted.

New SAT Test

SAT / ACT / TAP Preparation Page

STEM through A Wind Turbine

• Curriculum - Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) through a WIND TURBINE (K-12) Curriculum
• Website - Wind Energy, NGSS, and STEM Through a Wind Turbine (K-12) Curriculum - links to wind sites, NGSS sites, and a new wind turbine curriculum.
• Presentations - at the (ICTM/ISTA) Illinois Math and Science Conference, Oct. 7, 2016, in Peoria, IL and at NCTM Regional Conference, Dec. 1, 2017, in Chicago, IL.

Desmos and GeoGebra Updates - Handouts: page 1; page 2 Illinois Math and Science (ICTM/ISTA) Conference presentation, Oct. 7, 2016 at 4:00 p.m., in Peoria, IL.

Standards Based Grading - presentations at the ICTM Annual Conference, Oct. 24, 2015, at Tinley Park, IL; the W.I.U. Mini-Conference on Secondary Mathematics Teaching, Nov. 19, 2015, in Moline, IL; NCTM Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, April 6, 2017; MAA MathFest, Denver, CO, August 2, 2018 at 3:30-5:00 pm.

Beauty of Three Dimensional Polyhedra Workshop (in Celebration of the MAA's Centennial) at MAA MathFest, August 7, 2015 (Washington, DC) and at the ISMAA Annual Meeting April 8, 2016 (Illinois College, Jacksonville, IL). Links to the presentation and resources.

Brain-Based Learning and Learning Theories - much has been discovered and written lately -- and this helps us help our students learn.

Quizlet Page - Quizlet is a great program (and app for iPad or other tablet) for making flash cards and review materials.

Navigating the Landscape of Fraction, Decimal, and Percent Problems - Documents, problems, and handouts from our presentations at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting, October 22, 2011, the International Conference on College Teaching and Learning, April 8, 2011, and the Western Illinois University Mathematics Teachers' Conference, March 23, 2012.

Removed 10/28/2020

I believe that this graphic, from Pam Harris, is very useful for teachers and students. These are the key themes of P-12 math education. Also note that Spatial Reasoning runs the entire span (and Algebraic Reasoning runs from Additive Thinking to grade 12). More information here.

• Western Illinois University has 12 Signature Programs.
• Jason Allemann is a LEGO Artist. He makes lots of really neat things, including models with moving (and motorized) parts with gears and pulleys. LEGO is a great, fun, learning tool/toy. Many STEM concepts can be learned via LEGO. Jason's website is jkbrickworks.com. He's on twitter at @jasonallemann. For us mortals, we won't be able to create things on Jason's level right away, but we can learn much from his videos. Then we can get out the LEGO and start playing and creating.
• We are in a very difficult situation here at W.I.U., but we are staying positive. The State of the Student Address video shows that our students are remaining positive and proud about Western's future and the student learning that continues. I recommend watching the video. Speakers included (1) SGA Speaker of the Senate Jacob Tomlinson, (2) WIU Student Trustee Michael Quigley, and (3) SGA President Wil Gradle. The address was given March 9, 2016.
• The Amazon company is launching a national movement to eradicate the fear math imparts in many U.S. students and get them to adopt the growth mindset (www.withmathican.org). I have two webpages ("Everyone Can Learn") also touting the Growth Mindset. It's time to put an end to the phrase, "I am not a math person," and get everyone to adopt the growth mindset (the truth of which has been proved by learning and brain researchers) and get rid of the fixed mindset. Check out my pages for videos and information on the growth mindset.

Removed 10/22/2019

Investigations in School Geometry - Fall 2018 Online Course Offering ~ WIU ~ Math 402(G). Click here for details.

Removed 2/12/2019

The WIU Men's Basketball Team earned a high academic excellence award from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC). This was one of only two programs recognized from the Summit League. This shows a lot of work done by our student-athletes on and off the courts. Click here for details.

Removed 1/19/2019

WIU Basic Skills Test Preparation Page has been moved to its permanent location of http://www.wiu.edu/coehs/teacher/advising/basic_skills.php

From PBSKIDS.

Removed 10/12/2018

364 Info

Removed 7/13/2018

Mathematics Teacher Education Summit, Saturday, March 1, 2014, 9am – 4pm at Lincoln Land Community College. This teacher education summit is designed to provide updates, networking, and sharing opportunities for all involved in the teacher education process in Illinois. The focus is on the new math standards for elementary ('Part 20') and middle school teachers ('Part 21'). For more information, and to register, see http://illinoiseledandmsteachered.wordpress.com/.

TI-73 Graphics Calculator Information

       Online Math Games, Demonstration/Exploration Tools, & Puzzles, organized by grade, K through 12.
       Spreadsheet of All Games ~ ~ Spreadsheet of All Demonstration/Exploration Tools

• The Five Star Representations - These are five good categories of representations of mathematical ideas (physical, verbal, analytic/algebraic, numerical, graphical). Dr. Mann and I often emphasize the benefits of these five representations for enhancing student understanding of concepts. They are also found in a wonderful lesson titled, Using Linear Equations to Define Geometric Solids, found here.
• Henry Ford Quote - Dr. Thomas quoted Henry Ford in his state of the university address on 8/17/17. This principle certainly applies to teams. In addition, and perhaps more importantly, we need individuals from our society's diverse groups, and even political parties, to learn how to come together to work together, to better our society.
• The WIU Women's Basketball team is having a great year. Update: They are outright Regular Season Summit League Champions and also Conference Tournament Champions. Follow them online or twitter (@WIUWBB). The NCAA National Tournament (aka Big Dance) is next. Go Leathernecks!
• The WIU Women's Basketball team members were asked what it meant to be a Leatherneck and this is what they came up with. Tweet. These are good words for all of us, living our daily lives. (click at right)
• Western Illinois University has 12 Signature Programs.
• The National College and Career Readiness Indicators website was created by the AASA. Their Redefining Ready! campaign is a national campaign to introduce new research-based metrics to more appropriately assess that students are college ready, career ready and life ready. The campaign is a response to dismal college and career readiness scores reported by standardized test makers that fail to portray a comprehensive picture of student potential.
• MAA Centennial - The MAA MathFest (which has been an annual event for years) will be extra big this year because it will be the Centennial Celebration of the MAA. It will be held August 5-8, 2015 (twitter). MathFest will be held in Washington, DC. I'm doing a workshop at MathFest. Workshop Info here. Workshop Webpage here.

 

Removed 4/6/2018

Problem Solving and the History of Mathematics - Spring 2018 Online Course Offering ~ WIU ~ Math 406(G). Click here for details.

The 24 Percent Tweets project is complete.  Click>>24 Percent Tweets for the information webpage with links. Click>>Learnist Board if you want to use the Learnist version. There are 4 Learnist Boards (1, 2, 3, 4). Each board explains 6 important percent concepts (for a total of 24 concepts).

Seeing Structure in Expressions - Symbols Come to Life: Meaningful Mathematics with A-SSE. This webpage created for my ICTM presentation on October 18, 2014.

iPad For Novices and iPad For Schools: Information, Links, and Resources - Since I'm new at the iPad, I made these pages to help myself and other newbies. A Few More iPad Tips

Secondary Mathematics Teaching Methods (Math 503) is an online course we offer here at W.I.U. At present, the next semester that it will be available is not set. If you are interested in this online course for future semesters, e-mail me.

Removed 11/3/2016

• 5 Reasons Why Origami Improves Students' Skills - very nice article. It has some embedded links to other articles and resources. Fractions, spatial sense, and problem-solving - Woohoo!!
• InspiroChristmas1 is one of the first drawings I made using Inspirograh, a really cool app/program, found at http://nathanfriend.com/inspirograph/. Spirograph is dripping with symmetry, LCM, and GCD. Merry Christmas to you and yours.
• Getting ready for the new school year, I came across a few nice lists. Teachers (and teachers-to-be) are awesome! I hope you find these four lists helpful.
• Two former WIU students have been featured on the evening news lately. Kirk Humphries is flipping his classroom at Washington Junior High School in Rock Island, IL. Lisa Litchfield is using mobile devices (Smart Phones, iPads, etc.) to engage 8th and 9th grade students at Camp Point Central School. It is very rewarding for me to have great students who go on to become teachers and make a difference in the lives of their students (and far surpass me technologically!). KHQA WQAD
• Problem-Attic - Wow, this is great! 80,000 of the best questions from NY Regents, State Assessments, NAEP, TIMSS, Academic Competitions, and more. Select, Arrange, Format, Print. Generate worksheets and Problems of the Week (POW's) in no time at all! Easy to use.
• This is a series of 7 Posters which answer the question (with specific examples from Art, Food Technology, Physical Education, Science, ICT, Geography, and Business Studies), "When will I ever need Maths?" (BTW, maths is the short form of mathematics that most of the (non-US) English-speaking world use.)  From www.mathscareers.org.uk. (It is a big PDF file, so it might take a while to load.)

 

Removed 10/31/2015

Wir sind ein Volk (We are one people) - In 2015, a 2 Euro commemorative coin was released commemorating the 25th anniversary of the reunification of Germany. The Berlin Wall going up, and coming down, in my lifetime is a big deal. The coins show people celebrating in front of the Brandenburg Gate, in Berlin. Also on the coin: on the edge of the coin: EINIGKEIT UND RECHT UND FREIHEIT (Unity and Justice and Freedom), 25 Jahre Deutsche Einheit 2015 (25 years of German Unity25 years of German Unity). A number of years ago I made a PowerPoint on the Berlin Wall, chronicling the history of the Wall (my perspective). Berlin is one of my favorite cities. The Wall came down in 1989 and Germany was reunified in 1990. I have the 2 Euro coin and a LEGO model of the Brandenburg Gate in my office. Stop by and see it.

Removed 10/6/2015

Fall 2015 Online Course Offering ~ Math 406 - Problem Solving and the History of Mathematics - Begins (online course) Aug. 24, 2015. Click here for more information.

Math Resources for Teaching, Learning, and Assessment - Workshop for Farmington Jr. and Sr. High, October 31, 2014

Rates, Ratios, Proportions, and Linear Functions: Algebraic Reasoning in Grades 6-9 - Workshop at RI-ROE, October 29, 2014

Macomb Teacher Institute Day Workshop for Junior and Senior High Math Teachers - 1/3/2014

Tasks and Resources for Preparing High School Classrooms for the PARCC Assessments (9-12) - Teacher workshop materials & links. Adkinson, IL (BHS R.O.E. - 10/29/2013), Rock Island, IL (RI-R.O.E. - 12/5/13), Macomb, IL (R.O.E. #26 - 2/26/14); Quincy, IL (R.O.E. #1 - 4/30/14).

Mental Math Workshop Handouts - Feb. 28, 2012, Macomb, IL & Nov. 1, 2011, Atkinson, IL.

Removed 1/19/2015

My Fall 2014 Courses: (Click here for office hours.)

• Math 106 - Edmodo | MyMathLab | Westernonline <<students click
• Math 439 - Edmodo | Resources Page | Westernonline <<students click

Removed 11/6/2014

• Getting ready for the new school year, I came across a few nice lists. Teachers (and teachers-to-be) are awesome! I hope you find these four lists helpful.

Removed 8/9/2014

• Shared (google drive) folder of images of congruent triangles.
• Western Illinois Mathematics Teacher Transformation Institute (WI-MTTI) This ISBE grant provides professional development for secondary mathematics teachers in our area during summer 2012, the 2012-13 school year, and summer 2013.  Please see wiu.edu/coehs/wi-mtti/ for the details.
• Quincy K-6 CCSSM Presentation (1/18/2013) Agenda/Outline and PowerPoint. Most of the resource are found on the Common Core Math Standards: Information, Links, and Resources page.
• E.I.U. (April 9, 2013) - Teaching and Practicing Mental Math Strategies in Applied and Mathematical Contexts presentation PowerPoint slides.
• ISMAA (April 5, 2013) - PowerPoint slides and Handout for Teacher Education Session: CCSSM, PARCC, and the Model Curriculum presentation given at Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL.
• Resources and Updates for the CCSSM, PARCC, and the iPad - For West Prairie School ~ 11/16/2012
• Increasing Mathematical Understanding for the Common Core - Number Sense and Fractions - Quincy, IL (4/12/13), Macomb, IL (1/30/13), Moline, IL (1/25/2013), Monmouth, IL (10/19/2012), and Atkinson, IL (9/21/2012) Workshop Materials/Handouts/Links
• Top Ten Lists for Using Technology to Help Elementary/MS Students Learn Mathematics
• Top Ten Lists for Using Technology to Help Jr. High and High School Students Learn Mathematics
• Macomb Math Olympiad Web site (NEW website - update your bookmarks)
• The Disney Pixar movie Brave - This video explains how math was used to create the annimation (all the way down to realistic moss). It's all about 3D geometry models and using algebra to make mathematical models.
• Get-The-Math - new site showing uses of math in music, videogames, fashion, basketball, and more. Videos and actual challenges for math students to figure out. (www.thireen.org/get-the-math)
• Two great videos by Vi Hart
  • The Gauss Christmath Special - 12 days of Christmas, Gauss as a child, and really cool.
• Great Video on the Hexaflexagon - Vi Hart is amazing. Lots of cool 3D and spatial visualization stuff. October 2012 is the Month of the Flexagon. I believe the video got 1.5 million views in 2 days!
• W.I.U. Alum named Teacher of the Year - Angela Barker Wilson graduated in 1997 with a bachelor's degree from Western Illinois University in elementary education. Go Western!!
• Connected Educator Month - Network to Learn, Collaborate to Innovate. connectededucators.org/ Nine useful lists for educators. August 2012 (resources will remain thereafter.)
• MasteryConnect - has a widget and an app for the Common Core State Standards - They have a free app and a free widget. The widget can be embedded on a webpage or made as a pull-out. For an example of the pull-out, see my Common Core Math Standards page (look on the right-hand side). Click here for the widget. Click here for the iPad app.
• Think Purple Stamps - WIU has recently developed Think Purple stamps for its correspondence to bring further visibility to the Think Purple campaign and Western Illinois University.
• Common Core State Standards - These have now been adopted by Illinois and the have "hit the website" (for Math and Language Arts). They were released 6/2010. They "provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them." The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO).
• Brain Rules - 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. By Dr. John J. Medina, a developmental molecular biologist, who studies human brain development. Lots of interesting information and videos to help us, well, at work, home, and school. The Rules.
• (old Wesley Senior High Youth Group page)
• (old Wesley Extreme Men's Ministry page)

Removed 7/5/2013

IMPACT - Integrating Mathematical Practices and Classroom Teaching webpage

Removed 10/21/2012

Hot Potatoes is a great program for making online quizzes. I have some online math quizzes.

Removed 8/20/2012

• Warning: Two MET's coming. The MET-2 draft report is available for public comment. The Mathematical Education of Teachers II (MET-2) draft is written by the Conference Board of the Mathematical Sciences (CBMS, which is made up of sixteen professional societies). The original MET report came out in 2001. For more information (including to make comments) click here.
• MET Project - The Measures of Effective Teaching Project is sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The site says, "We know that great teaching matters more than anything else within a school. More than class size. More than school funding. More than technology...The Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) Project is designed to find out the best way to give teachers the information and support they want. The 7 C's are from the Learning About Teaching: Policy Brief.

Moved to Teaching Resources>>Math Education Research and a Plethora of Committee and Government Reports* - *The list of reports was compiled on the occasion of the Common Core State Standards - these reports were the precursors for the CCSS.

Moved to Teaching Resources>>Teacher Facilitator Page - I prefer the term "Teacher Facilitator" over "Teacher Leader," but they are similar.

Moved to For Students Page>>Notes for Student Teachers - a page of suggestions written for math majors.

Removed 8/15/2012

Making (Informed) Mental Math Decisions: Four Factors for Appropriate Use - Presentations delivered at the

• NCTM Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN, 4/15/11.
• ICTM Annual Meeting, Springfield, IL, 10/16/10.

Linking Mental Math, Concepts, and Context in 7-12 Mathematics - Presentation delivered at the ICTM Annual Meeting, 10/16/2009, the MoCTM Annual Meeting, 12/4/2009, and the NCTM Annual Meeting, 4/23/2010.

Removed 6/28/2012

NIMS

• NIMS Mathematics & Science Page- has links and contact information (updated 7/14/2011). Click here for the Monmouth 2011 Wiki Page.

Removed 3/39/2012

• 2012 - (1) The MAA has an interesting Number-A-Day blog. (2) Unfortunately, the blog states that 2012 is a "lazy caterer's" number, but I believe this is false :-(.  However, 2017 is a "lazy caterer's" number. I really like the idea of the lazy caterer randomly cutting the pizza or pancake, so I'm including it. Two more cool things about lazy caterer numbers is that they are 1 more than a triagular number (see Handshake problem...see Freddie Gauss adding method) and that they are the central polygonal numbers (OK, I'm almost done). (3) With 2012 being a leap year, the months of January, April, and July copy eachother. We already know January started on Sunday, April, and July do the same.
• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day (Christmas Bells). Has a very interesting story behind it. Click here.
• CNN Heroes: Everyday People Changing the World - Recently, CNN recognized their top 10 heroes for 2011. Lots of great stories. Kudos to CNN for doing this and helping us remember that people are doing things to keep our world from falling apart.
• WIU Soccer Team Wins Regular Season and Tournament - The Western Illinois men's soccer squad (13-6-1) used a come-from-behind victory to capture the 2011 Summit League Tournament Title and earn a berth into the NCAA College Cup. Coach Eric Johnson was named 'Coach of the Year' and coach Johnson and his players have won numerous awards this year. Go Leathernecks!

The collaboration pyramid (or iceberg) - Teamwork is alway interesting. This blogger has a few things to say about the rest of the pyramid/iceberg.

Removed 6/24/2011

Timeline for Department of Mathematics 4-Year Chair Review - Fall 2010

Hot Potatoes is a great program for making online quizzes. I have some online math quizzes and we plan to make more.

Click here if you are a New WIU Student to learn how to Activate Your WIU Computer Username and Password.

Math and Science Academy 2007 - Online Math Games and Activities for the Teachers and Students at Kewanee and Sherrard

After School Math Games

What Do Middle School Teachers Need to Know to Teach Mathematics Effectively - from the State of Illinois and professional societies.

Removed 2/22/2011

Timeline for Department of Mathematics 4-Year Chair Review - Fall 2010

Removed 2/4/2011

You Can Do the Cube.com - Solve the Rubik's cube. Lots of nice educational materials. Download the solution

Removed 1/20/2011

Tom Hull's Origami Work - Tom Hull invented the PHiZZ (pentagon-hexagon-zigzag) unit which can be used to make a dodecahedron or truncated icosahedron (soccer ball) - with only 3 colors. Google or YouTube for PHiZZ unit or Tom Hull to find more (including the 5 Intersecting Tetrahedra model).

ig

Removed 12/13/2010

• Taskstream - This is the site for electronic teacher education portfolios.

Removed 6/3/2010

• Book: The Death and Life of The Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education - "Once a passionate advocate for injecting greater competition and accountability into the U.S. education system, the New York University scholar Diane Ravitch realized three years ago that her views had evolved to a point where she was contradicting herself on a regular basis. Like any good historian, she decided to set the record straight." more
• Book: Drive "Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Daniel Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He demonstrates that while carrots and sticks worked successfully in the twentieth century, that’s precisely the wrong way to motivate people for today’s challenges. In Drive, he examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose—and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action." 2-minute video TED Video
• Livestrong - Lance Armstrong Foundation - "We unite people to fight cancer believing that unity is strength, knowledge is power and attitude is everything."

Removed 6/1/2010

My father, Walter J. Olsen, passed away Sunday, May 2, 2010. He will be missed. His obituary can be found here.

Removed 1/15/2010

• 11³ - [from Yahoo!] Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany. President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day "Armistice Day," kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11. But over the years, with veterans returning from World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day — a day reserved to honor veterans returning from all wars.
• Leatherneck Football - It's going to be a great season for WIU football. Come out and join the fun!
• Between The Folds - An award-winning documentary exploring the science, art, creativity and ingenuity of many of the world's best paper folders. Screenings across the country and on PBS Dec. 22

Removed 1/12/2010

Millennium Math Express Page - (from Other Info page) [program has been discontinued] Fun online math activities especially for students in grades 4-8.

Removed 10/12/2009

World Maths Day - Unfortunately this has past for 2009. I just now learned of this event - which is quite large and growing. It is the first Wednesday in March each year. The students play against each other in mental arithmetic games. Students are captivated by the fact that they are playing in real time. Each game lasts for 60 seconds, students can play as many games as they wish. BTW, "maths" is the short form of mathematics used in most of the english-speaking countries outside the US, where we use "math."

Removed 10/7/2009

• Fall 2009 Course Offering: Basic Concepts of Calculus – Math 207 (3 SH). This course is designed for Elementary Education Majors seeking a Mathematics Endorsement.
• WolframAlpha - Just launched in May 2009. "An ambitious, long-term project to make all systematic knowledge immediately computable by anyone.  You enter your question or calculation, and Wolfram|Alpha uses its built-in algorithms and growing collection of data to compute the answer." See the examples and the video.

Removed 8/21/2009

• Millennium Math Express Page
• Upper Room Devotional
• Today in the Word

Removed 5/29/2009

Math 100 page
Math 123 page
Math 206 page
Math 503-WesternOnline

MASA 2008 Online Math Games and Activities
ISAMS 2008 Infomation Page

Removed 5/18/2009

Hot Potatoes - This is software for making online quizzes. "Hot Potatoes is not freeware, but it is free of charge for those working for publicly-funded non-profit-making educational institutions, who make their pages available on the web." From the University of Victoria.

Removed 4/16/2009

http://sketchup.google.com/

Removed 3/2/2009:

Danica McKellar, TV-star and UCLA mathematics major, has written two great books: Math Doesn't Suck: how to survive middle school math without losing your mind or breaking a nail, and (her new, second book) Kiss My Math: Showing Pre-Algebra Who's Boss.

Removed 2/6/2009:

The graphic at the top is a "Buckyball" (after Buckminster Fuller) or fullerene. Buckminster Fuller invented the geodesic dome, which has a similar structure.
The Buckyball is a model of the C60 molocule, is made up of 60 carbon atoms. Mathematically, we call this shape the truncated icosahedron. It has 32 faces, of which 20 are regular hexagons and 12 are regular pentagons. See also and Buckminster Fuller Institute. He was even on a US stamp.

Math 303 from fall 2008 page.

Removed 8/25/2008:

Summer 2008 Course Offering ~ WIU Quad Cities Campus ~ Math 599 ~ Algebraic Mathematical Modeling for Middle School Teachers

Removed 7/7/2008:

Math 100 Page

"Westernonline" Click https://westernonline.wiu.edu/

Removed 3/21/2008:

Actress and UCLA-Math Major graduate, Danica McKellar has written a great book titled, Math Doesn't Suck: how to survive middle school math without losing your mind or breaking a nail. It was named in Amazon's "100 Best Books of 2007." Danica has played many roles, including Winnie Cooper of The Wonder Years.

Removed 2/13/2008:

Third Grade Quickie Online Math Activities I

The KnotPlot Site is a very nice site to see an example of math and beauty. You can even study mathematical knots. Interestingly, this is one of the oldest sites on the Internet, which is still being activly updated. It was actually the first "cool math site of the week" on February 4, 1996 at Knot a Braid of Links. It is by Rob Scharein. Has a Knot Zoo and more.

Removed 11/14/2007:

The theme for Mathematics Awareness Month (April) 2007 is Mathematics and the Brain. Mathematical models play a central role in understanding brain cells, their interaction, and their function. Poster & Activities.

Removed 8/23/2007:

Math 303 Page - Technology and Secondary School Mathematics - Fall 2006. Daily notes.

Online Math Games and Activities for the Teachers and Students at U.T.H.S. II (2005)
Online Math Games and Activities for the Teachers and Students at U.T.H.S. I (2004)
Math-Science-Technology Integration: Dealing With Data for the Teachers and Students at U.T.H.S. Summer 2006

Removed 3/8/2007:

This year is the 300th anniversary of Leonhard Euler's birth. Celebrate Euler's 300th birthday. Check out EulerArchive, EulerSociety, or Euler-2007.

Removed 1/2/2007:

Two things noteworthy from the NCTM: (1) The Mathematics Teacher is an official journal of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM). It has been around for 100 years (it is actually older than the NCTM itself, because it started with the Association of Teachers of Mathematics). It is a wonderful resource for mathematics teachers. It's focus is secondary mathematics. The NCTM also has other quality journals. (2) The NCTM has recently released the Curriculum Focal Points which lists important mathematical topics which should represent major areas of content emphasis in K-12 classrooms. The document builds on the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics.

Removed 8/15/2006:

NUMB3RS is a drama about an FBI agent who recruits his mathematical-genius brother to help the Bureau solve a wide range of challenging crimes in Los Angeles (CBS - Friday nights at 10/9 Central - see about the show). NCTM and Texas Instruments have partnered with CBS to put together the We All Use Math Every Day Program, which provides math activities related to the math topics seen on the TV episodes of NUMB3RS. Check it out, I think you'll like NUMB3RS and We All Use Math Every Day.

Math 366 Students I have some practice percent change problems for you in a "quiz" on QuizStar. Click here for directions on how to use QuizStar.

Math 100 links - including the Problem Supplement.

Technology and the Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum (Math 655) - This is a "hybrid" course which is primarily an online course with two, all-day, face-to-face meetings on the W.I.U. Macomb Campus. We plan to offer this course summer 2006 (May 22 through July 13). If you are interested in this course, e-mail me.

Click here for a sample video.

The older WebCT system is found by clicking WebCT41 (then click Log in to My WebCT--then use your Ecom username and password).

Removed 1/13/2005:

Removed May 11, 2005:

Math 366 students click here for some Geometry Applets.

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Removed February 11, 2004:

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(Old heading) Jim Olsen's Home Page

The graphic and animation at the top come from Scott Kim's Inversions Gallery. An inversion is a word or name written so it reads in more than one way. Symmetry is one of my personal interests.

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Removed January 23, 2004:

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• (For M503 students) Prior to the January 12 there is only one thing to do: "Formally become a WIU student by activating your computer ECOM username account." (If you have been taking classes, then this has probably already been done.) Make sure you know your WIU username and password. If you are a new WIU student, then you have to activate your account. I have written out the instructions for activating your account (which includes a Helpdesk phone number and my phone number if you have difficulties or questions).
• Bookmark this page.
• If we've added (enrolled) you to the class just recently, you may not be able to access the WebCT41 site just yet (it's just a computers-talking-to-computers-thing). Monday, around noon I plan to update the class list on WebCT. So if you can't access WebCT41, try again Monday evening or Tuesday.

• Course Information
• WebCT41 (password protected--use your ecom username & password).

"All of the teachers, chaperones, and students had a great day at WIU from beginning to end. It was very well planned and coordinated. Lunch on a field trip is usually not peaceable, but having 2 groups at a time and puzzle activities was great. Every part of the day was well done. Please tell your students how much we appreciated their efforts as well as the WIU Math Dept.

Student response to the day, the food, and the campus were all positive. One student was heard to say while walking from the bus to the Union, "Wow, I didn't think I'd ever want to go to college, but I'm going to have to work hard so I can go." [emphasis added] Responses to activities were equally enthusiastic. There were several groups doing Mathemagic Sheets on the way home.

Thanks again from all of us. Karen Barrett, Havana Schools"

Math 406 students you may be interested in 1000problems.com. (They may not have 1000 yet.)
Problem solving form: ps-form.doc, ps-form.rtf, ps-form.wpd (you can right-click and Save-As).

Math 503 on-line, Secondary Mathematics Teaching Methods is again being offered spring of 2003. If you are interested in future offerings, e-mail me.

New students, click here to learn how to get your Ecom username and password.

The Western Illinois University community is taking the opportunity to focus on the issue of civility on our campus and on society.

James R. Olsen
Mathematics Department
Western Illinois University
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL 61455
phone: 309/298-2317
Homepage URL: www.wiu.edu/users/mfjro1/wiu/
E-mail: jr-olsen@wiu.edu
updated: April 5, 2022