NSF Awards: 1810992
What if mathematics educators began with the assumption that each and every student possesses practices, skills, and dispositions that make them problem solvers? How would it change our work in mathematical spaces? More importantly, how would it change youths’ perceptions of who they are and what they are capable of when they learn and do mathematics? In the Montana Models project, we are answering these questions through university-community partnerships that aim to understand the problem solving practices already present in rural communities. Project leaders spend time in rural towns across our state understanding the ways “everyday folks” navigate the problems that come up in their daily lives. We then partner with youth and adult mentors who put these problem-solving practices to work as they use mathematics and statistics to address problems that come up in their own communities – problems that range from trying to make a crosswalk safer to diversifying economic opportunities in rural towns. Montana Models culminates in a free summer camp where youth and adult mentors experience the power of mathematics and statistics, coupled with their own problem-solving abilities, to address a range of “real world” issues. Our video draws on the voices of project leaders and participants to tell the story of Montana Models. It highlights the rural community-based practices we identified and youths' experiences at our summer camp.
Cynthia Callard
Executive Director and Faculty
Thank you for sharing your work! I really appreciate the grounding of this project in the funds of knowledge of the rural communities and the aim to understand the problem solving practices that are present. I am curious to hear more about any intentions/plans to share YOUR model with others interested in doing similar work in other areas. In other words, do you have any plans to disseminate what you did/how you went about this work so that others who may want to do the same could do so in their region? How can it live/grow beyond the summer camp experiences in Montana? Also, what might it take to develop project leaders/facilitators for this kind of work? Curious to hear more.
Mary Alice Carlson
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
Thank you so much for your comments and questions. Yes! We are developing a set of design principles for tasks that integrate local problem solving practices and disciplinary practices, as well as a set of tasks that show how those practices can be put into practice. With respect to facilitators...good question! We would love to hear from people who want to try out our modules and give us feedback.
Wendy Smith
Research Professor
Thanks for sharing your exciting modeling project drawing on community funds of knowledge (and great to "see" you via video). Have community members and/or local secondary teachers also been involved in leading parts of the summer camps? Have you been able to share parts of the modeling project with local preservice or inservice teachers to help expand the impact? What are some of your favorite project topics students have brought to the summer camps from their local communities?
Mary Alice Carlson
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
Hi, Wendy! These are such great questions. I'll take them one at a time.
Regarding local community members and secondary teachers - Yes! Youth come to camp in teams, and they come with a community mentor. In our first iteration of camp, our mentors included parents, grandparents, 4-H leaders, and middle/HS math and science teachers. They worked alongside the youth throughout camp, so they were in a mentor/participant role.
Local Preservice Teachers - We are getting there! Here at Montana State, we have a Modeling for Teachers course that is our capstone, so there is some synergy between what we do at camp and what we do with teachers. For example, we developed a task that simulates the way a disease is spread (before Covid, if you can believe it!) through a combination of the chicken dance and playing rock-paper-scissors. We did versions of that class in both our modeling course and in a math for elementary teachers course. We've also shared it at our state conference and at NCTM in Indianapolis.
Favorite Projects - We had a couple of teams investigate issues related to traffic and road safety. This was a surprise to me initially, but in rural communities "main street" is often a highway. A mostly middle school group investigated a dangerous crosswalk - so dangerous that no one used it, in fact. They collected observational and survey data and proposed new locations for the crosswalk based on where people actually cross the street (https://youtu.be/sjonwp0srzI). We also have some exciting projects brewing for this year, including ones focused on language preservation/revitalization in American Indian communities and the sustainability of wolf populations in Yellowstone National Park...so stay tuned!
Gealdine Steinbrink
Mary Alice, the issue of road safety in small towns really hits home with me. State Highway 283 goes straight through both towns where I do business. The trucks speed through as a person backs out from the grocery store or bank. One must be really careful! I am so glad a middle school group investigated a dangerous situation. I am glad you are sharing your projects with the people who saw what a promising scholar you were and you certainly have exceeded expectations!
Mary Alice Carlson
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
Oh, seeing your comments here warms my heart! Math in the Middle was really what started me on this trajectory. I know I wouldn't be where I am without that experience and I am so grateful that I got to share it with you and all the other amazing teachers in our cohort. Thank you so much for taking the time to post.
Janet Stramel
I love your initial questions and the university-community partnerships. I would like to know more about your summer camps. Do you have data of how your summer attendees do when they go back to school in the fall? And does this also help with recruitment to MSU?
Mary Alice Carlson
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
Both great questions! We don't yet know about long term impact. In fact, that is likely a question we will need to address in a future project when we scale up the work. Our hope is that they leave camp with an expanded image of what it means to know and do mathematics. We have an attitudes assessment and youth interviews that are helping us get some picture of what they take away from camp, but we are still working to interpret those data. We also don't yet know if this is influencing youths' college decisions. Our first cohort was mostly middle grades students, so they are just reaching the college decision years.
David Lockett
Data Science Outreach and Grants Development
Such an inspiring project. Field experiences definitely impact prospective preservice teachers. Students' perceptions towards mathematics seem to be shaped by how they define mathematics and the role of mathematics in their life. Summer attendees will gain a wealth of experience.
Mary Alice Carlson
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
Thank you so much for your encouraging words. We are all learning so much…PIs, mentors, preservice teachers, and youth alike!
Clara Cogswell
Such a great project! I'd love to know a bit about how you go about building trust in small rural communities and establishing local relationships to move this work forward.
Mary Alice Carlson
Associate Professor of Mathematics Education
Really good question, and something we think about all the time! Of course, every community is different, but we generally start by working with an established organization. For example, we partner with 4H, a local school, or an after school program. We rely on those leaders to help us learn who we might talk to to get to know the community a little better. In one community, it meant we talked to the local post office manager and she asked those who visited if they might be interested in talking with us. In other communities, we might start with a classroom teacher or a colleague at the local community college.