I was very impressed and very thrilled to observe and participate in the activities they presented including, but not limited to finding the place value (Egyptian Treasure Hunt), Addition and Subtraction Bingo and the Golden Ratio (Go For the Gold). As the Math Coach, I was able to disperse the activities that the Fellows created to the other Math teachers in the department. The have not only helped the three teachers that they work with directly, but have enriched the other math classrooms at Vista Middle School.
Rosario P. Dougherty
Math Coach, Vista Middle School
The Fermat program has motivated me to go back to school and continue my education. Working with the graduate FELLOWS has rekindled my fire and desire to increase my mathematical knowledge. I am currently enrolled in a math master’s program at CSUN.
Damian Coleman
Math teacher, Vista middle school
Recently one of my most discouraged students submitted to me a paper about Mobius bands. She did so even though I had not assigned the paper or offered any credit. The fellows had used Mobius bands in a discovery activity several months before and had clearly inspired the student.
Dan Cramer
Math teacher, Birmingham High School
With the FERMAT program, my students’ California Math Test Scores have increased. The year without the FELLOWS, there were 7 students out of 32 who scored Proficient and Advanced. The year with the FELLOWS I had 31 out of 38 students score Proficient and Advanced.
Last year one of the on-going projects that the FELLOWS had my Geometry Class work on was a Program called Geometer’s Sketchpad. My students got so good at it that I took them to a conference I presented at, Info Tech. The funny thing about the whole presentation was when they asked the teachers in the audience if the knew how to prove the properties of a regular hexagon using circles. The teachers present had little or no idea how to do so. My students ended up having a math lesson for the teachers on regular hexagons.
Gabriel Ortega
Math Teacher, Math Department Chair, Mulholland Middle School
This year I decided to pursue a master’s degree in mathematics at CSUN. I enjoyed the conversations with the fellows regarding their own pure and applied math courses in the CSUN math department. The courses are so professionally and personally stimulating that I plan to follow up with a doctorate in mathematics!
Tania Lopez
Math Teacher, Birmingham High School
The FERMAT program has truly served as an enrichment in my classroom. In particular, Brittany Noble and Andrea Nemeth were able to bring the importance of place value to life. The lesson that they prepared and presented was engaging and memorable. Many students enter middle school with a lack of fundamental mathematical concepts ... place value being one of them. Their lesson was presented as a historic Egyptian scavenger hunt, paired with an exquisite use of technology that had the students 100% invested from the beginning. Their creativity and passion for the concept is infectious. They have definitely proven to be a valuable asset to my classroom and continue to inspire me to push the boundaries of my profession. Tawna Montano
6th Grade Math/Science Teacher, Vista Middle School, LAUSD