MSU at the 2025 MI-AMTE/CAC Conference
The 2025 MI-AMTE Conversations Among Colleagues (CAC) conference will take place Saturday, March 15th, 2025, at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
From the website, “Conversations Among Colleagues originated in 2003-2004 as a day-long event to facilitate conversations between and among mathematicians, mathematics educators and leaders in mathematics education. In 2015, the CAC became the official conference of the Michigan Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (MI-AMTE).”
The MI-AMTE organization consists of professionals committed to advancing all facets of high-quality mathematics teacher education across Michigan. Its primary mission is to foster collaboration among educators at all levels to enhance the teaching and learning of mathematics.
The conference, held in Schneider Hall, will bring together a diverse group of educators, researchers, and professionals from across the state, providing a platform to discuss the latest trends, research, and strategies in mathematics teacher education.
The theme of the conference this year is Collaborating for Change—Learning from Each Other. The Program in Mathematics Education is proud to be one of the conference sponsors.
"This will be my second time attending MI-AMTE, and it’s my first time collaborating
with another graduate student outside of MSU to present something at a conference.
I am excited to be part of it again!" remarked Ahmad Wachidul Kohar, math ed doctoral
student.
The MSU graduate students and faculty who will be presenting are Alden J. Edson, Ashley Fabry, Ahmad Wachidul Kohar, Sadrack Luden Pagiling, Sunyoung Park, Elizabeth Difanis Phillips, Sasha Rudow, Yvonne Slanger-Grant, Samantha Wald, and Sabrina N. Zarza.
Conference Sessions
Session 1 (9:40am-10:25am)
Supporting Secondary Mathematics Interns’ Lesson Planning
Presenters: Ashley Fabry & Sasha Rudow, Michigan State University; Room 1120
This session examines the different daily lesson planning practices of two secondary mathematics interns. Participants will collaborate on strategies that support these interns with their planning process, such as promoting reflection and providing scaffolding in ways that encourage student-centered instruction.
Audience: Teachers, Mathematics Teacher Educators, Coaches
Population: In-service teachers
Collaboration on the Bridge: Engaging with Chicana Feminist Methodologies in Mathematics Education
Presenters: Sabrina N. Zarza, Michigan State University; Room 1140
University mathematics education researchers are invited to consider how methodological choices can cultivate genuine relationships and collaborative space with their teacher and/or student participants. Attendees will examine transcripts from studies that utilized Chicana feminist methodologies and discuss how engaging with ethnic studies methodologies in mathematics education can drive transformation.
Audience: Mathematicians, Mathematics Teacher Educators, Coaches, University Mathematics Education Researchers
Population: In-service teachers, Grades 9-12
Session 2 (10:30am-11:15am)
Enhancing Context Embeddedness in Mathematical Literacy Tasks: Insights from Indonesian Preservice Teachers' Problem-Posing Experiences
Presenters: Ahmad Wachidul Kohar, Michigan State University, & Dayat Hidayat, Purdue University; Room 1125
This session explores Indonesian preservice teachers’ experiences in a problem-posing workshop focused on developing mathematical problems with a stronger emphasis on context, aligned with the PISA mathematical literacy framework. It highlights their collaborative processes, including understanding real-life contexts, designing scenarios, formulating, and solving problems, assessing solutions, and refining final problems.
Audience: Teachers, Mathematics Teacher Educators
Population: Pre-service teachers
Connected Mathematics 4: A Problem-Based Mathematics Curriculum Co-Developed with Teachers and Students
Presenters: Alden J. Edson, Elizabeth Difanis Phillips, & Yvonne Slanger-Grant, Michigan State University, and CMP teachers; Room 1140
For four years of design, field testing, and evaluation, CMP authors and teachers were guided by a deep commitment to create more powerful ways to engage all students in making sense of mathematics. This talk highlights the ongoing partnership that is crucial to the successful development and implementation of CMP4.
Audience: Teachers, Mathematicians, Mathematics Teacher Educators, Coaches
Population: General
Session 3 (2:15pm-3:00pm)
A Collaborative Discussion of a Partnership Between a Graduate Student Researcher and a Secondary Math Teacher
Presenters: Samantha Wald, Michigan State University & Carcia Young, Waverly High School; Room 1120
During this collaborative session, the presenters will provide an overview of the partnership's start and how it has been maintained and grown. They will also create a collaborative group discussion with mathematics teacher researchers/educators and practicing mathematics teachers to discuss potential partnerships within research projects that are of common interest.
Audience: Teachers, Mathematics Teacher Educators
Population: Grades 9-12
Teacher Education Course Materials: Learning to Teach Problem-Based Curriculum
Presenters: Ashley Fabry, Sunyoung Park, & Sasha Rudow, Michigan State University; Room 1125
This session invites teacher educators, pre- and in-service teachers, and instructional coaches to a collaborative conversation around redesigning mathematics methods course materials. We will share an outline and sample lesson from our current version of materials that utilize the Connected Mathematics Project 4 and solicit feedback from participants.
Audience: Teachers, Mathematics Teacher Educators, Coaches
Population: Pre-service teachers
Decolonizing Middle School Mathematics Curriculum
Presenters: Sadrack Luden Pagiling, Michigan State University; Room 1140
Honoring Indigenous knowledge in the middle school mathematics curriculum is paramount to dismantling hegemonic European knowledge. We should embrace Indigenous knowledge to provide different stories about knowing and doing mathematics. Mathematics teachers can co-plan and co-create with other educator actors and communities to generate different knowledge and generate knowledge differently.
Audience: Teachers, Mathematics Teacher Educators
Population: In-service teachers
Session 4 (3:15pm-4:00pm)
Teachers Collaborating for Change: Reflecting on Digital and Non-Digital Math Learning Environments
Presenters: Alden J. Edson, Elizabeth Phillips, Yvonne Slanger-Grant, Sunyoung Park, Michigan State University, & CMP Teachers; Room 1130
In this session, classroom teachers and university researchers will share insights into their collaboration using curriculum resources and the teacher-researcher partnership in the project. Participants will explore teachers' collaborative planning and reflection on teaching the same problems in both digital and non-digital environments with Connected Mathematics 4 materials, offering practical takeaways for sustaining collaboration.
Audience: Teachers, Mathematicians, Mathematics Teacher Educators, Coaches
Population: In-service teachers
