TCM 2025 Sessions & Speakers

Tamar Avineri,

NCSSM - Durham

Absorbing Markov Chains: You’re Stuck Here!

Markov Chains are used to model changing processes based on previous events, such as the regional distribution of taxicabs in a busy city and age-specific population dynamics. A state in a Markov Chain is absorbing if it is impossible to leave the state. In this session, we will discuss what makes a Markov Chain absorbing and apply theorems about such Chains to contextual scenarios, such as a population transitioning from using leaded to unleaded gasoline or switching from one brand of detergent to another. Lesson materials, class activities, and assessments will be shared and are well-placed in any course that includes matrix topics.

Dr. Lauren Baucom,

Amplify Desmos Math

Modeling with Mathematics in the Desmos Activity Builder

How can technology support students in engaging in the modeling process? Come experience a modeling lesson embedded in the Desmos Activity Builder. In this session, participants will experience a modeling lesson, engage in mathematical modeling, and then peel back the layers of the Desmos Activity Builder to think about how to begin building their own. Come to learn the basics of or to reinvigorate yourself around the power of Desmos Activity Builder, while also participating in conversations about how technology can support students in engaging in the modeling process? Participants of all Desmos background knowledge are welcome and encouraged to join us as we learn alongside each other. So bring your laptop and get ready to do some math together! (This session will be co-presented by Jenny White and Kevin Ji.)

Christine Belledin,

NCSSM - Durham

Log-ical thinking: Making Sense of Logarithms

In this session I will share two activities that I use to make logarithms more than a set of mysterious rules and symbol manipulation. We will begin by doing a simple but fun log-scale activity that I use to introduce the idea of a logarithm and show one way that logs are useful. We will then take a deeper look at the classic carbon-14 problem. What if your specimen is contaminated? How does this impact the estimated age of an artifact? I will share a modeling problem – The Neanderthal Problem – that allows students to explore these questions and extend what they know about exponential decay and apply what they know about using logarithms to solve exponential equations.

Floyd Bullard, Ph.D.,

NCSSM - Durham

What Are Degrees of Freedom?

A statistics principle explained. Participants will learn what degrees of freedom are, why we often seem to lose one or two of them, and where they go. You'll learn why we divide by n-1 when we compute a sample standard deviation. The topics in this talk are beyond any introductory statistics course but will be of interest to many statistics teachers seeking enrichment. Simple examples will be used to make difficult concepts accessible to teachers and motivated strong students.

Cecil Flournoy, Jr.

Alabama School of Fine Arts

Empowering Math Education with GeoGebra: Interactive Techniques for Engaged Learning

In this interactive session, we will look at various ways to utilize GeoGebra to enhance student engagement and deepen mathematical understanding through looking at how it can be used in various courses. Through demonstrations and illustrative examples, we will see how interactive visualizations and dynamic constructions can bring abstract concepts to life. I plan to illustrate ways I’ve incorporated GeoGebra in my courses and how to use GeoGebra resources to help with your courses.

Ben Galluzzo,

COMAP

Refresh for Relevancy with COMAP: Making Mathematical Modeling Fit Your Classroom

This interactive session will explore practical strategies for integrating mathematical modeling into your teaching, regardless of your students' experience levels. We’ll engage in an activity designed to encourage students to connect with mathematics on their terms, share ready-to-use COMAP resources, and introduce COMAP’s new Refresh for Relevancy challenge. This initiative invites participants to update historical modeling problems to better fit their classroom needs—while also offering opportunities to win prizes!

Reed Hubbard,

NCSSM - Morganton

Linear Programming: Precalculus Perspectives to Motivate Linear Algebra

In this interactive session, we will utilize basic graphs of linear inequalities to motivate Linear Programming, a linear algebra topic discussing optimization given constraints.

Kevin Ji,

NCSSM - Durham

Modeling with Mathematics in the Desmos Activity Builder

How can technology support students in engaging in the modeling process? Come experience a modeling lesson embedded in the Desmos Activity Builder. In this session, participants will experience a modeling lesson, engage in mathematical modeling, and then peel back the layers of the Desmos Activity Builder to think about how to begin building their own. Come to learn the basics of or to reinvigorate yourself around the power of Desmos Activity Builder, while also participating in conversations about how technology can support students in engaging in the modeling process? Participants of all Desmos background knowledge are welcome and encouraged to join us as we learn alongside each other. So bring your laptop and get ready to do some math together! (This session will be co-presented by Lauren Baucom and Jenny White.)

Nick Koberstein,

NumWorks

Using Data to Visualize and Understand Global Warming

Reports about climate change often reference the global average temperature. However, the varying local impacts are often hidden when only a global average is discussed. Using longitudinal climate data from around the world, we will explore how overall and local temperature changes affect us on an individual and global scale.

Ron Lancaster,

Mathematics Consultant

Math Walks: Where Learning Steps Outside the Classroom

Imagine students going on a math walk to make measurements, collect data, observe how things change, and notice the little things we often overlook. Picture them answering mathematical questions related to what they encounter, as well as posing their own questions based on what catches their eye and sparks their curiosity.

This is what a math walk is all about—learning to slow down, be curious, and develop a mathematical eye to find and photograph where math lives. Whether on the campus of your school, in a park, at a shopping mall, or in a museum, math walks can be done almost anywhere. All you need is an imagination. Imagine that!

Michael Lavigne, PhD,

NCSSM - Durham

Nourishing Intuition: Matrix Multiplication through Oats and Eggs

Matrix multiplication is much more than dot products! In this session, we'll explore a practical, intuitive approach to teaching matrix multiplication using an everyday context: nutrition labels. By framing foods like oats and eggs as vectors of nutrients, we’ll build a strong motivation for the concepts of linear combinations and matrix multiplication.

Samantha Moore,

NCSSM - Morganton

ArtSpace

Come explore the artistic side of mathematics! Create some simple pieces of art that are based on mathematical ideas or objects. All projects use simple, readily available, and inexpensive materials so that you can use these ideas with your students.

Ronald Patten,

NCSSM - Morganton

Modeling - An Actuary's Perspective

All subjects were isolated from each other when I was in school. My first job out of college was as an actuarial consultant, and I was no longer just a math / statistics person. I was expected to be a very broad and knowledgable individual of Math, Finance, History, Science and English. We used all of our knowledge and reasoning to answer complicated modeling concepts in order to get an efficient solution to challenging and confusing problems. I used my knowledge from the actuarial profession to reach high school students. I told stories for appropriate levels of mathematics (from Algebra 1 through AP Calculus) that were being used and had my "actuarial consultants" (students) solve the various modeling situations and then explain their reasoning and solutions. Come and join the fun as an "Actuarial Consultant" for 60 minutes.

Ryan Pietropaolo,

NCSSM - Durham

The Flying Hat, Parametrically!

In this session we will model the path of a Flying Hat as it is carried away by a gust of wind. In addition, we will model the path of a Mars Rover as it travels across the Red Planet. These are both great problems to introduce Parametric Equations in either Precalculus or Calculus!

Ryan Severance,

NCSSM - Durham

Using Modeling in Lab Based Calculus

Students are naturally curious individuals, but how can we enhance their curiosity and sense of wonder of mathematics in the classroom? In our program we have structured our calculus curriculum to be centered around a lab based approach to learning. This approach invites the students to work in tandem with the instructors to build ideas, recognize patterns, model real world scenarios, and communicate their thinking.

Jenny White,

Amplify Desmos Math

Modeling with Mathematics in the Desmos Activity Builder

How can technology support students in engaging in the modeling process? Come experience a modeling lesson embedded in the Desmos Activity Builder. In this session, participants will experience a modeling lesson, engage in mathematical modeling, and then peel back the layers of the Desmos Activity Builder to think about how to begin building their own. Come to learn the basics of or to reinvigorate yourself around the power of Desmos Activity Builder, while also participating in conversations about how technology can support students in engaging in the modeling process? Participants of all Desmos background knowledge are welcome and encouraged to join us as we learn alongside each other. So bring your laptop and get ready to do some math together! (This session will be co-presented by Lauren Baucom and Kevin Ji.)