A Portrait of some Activities at UEPB

1. A Portrait of some Activities at UEPB Abigail Fregni Lins (Bibi Lins) bibilins2000@yahoo.co.uk

2. Some of the Activities • A brief history about UEPB • The Master Program on Science and Mathematics Education • The Mathematics Undergraduate Program • The Research Group GITPEM • Our ongoing goals

3. Brief UEPB History UEPB stands for State University of Paraiba Paraiba is one of the states in the northeast region of Brazil, near by Bahia (Salvador) and Pernambuco (Recife) UEPB became to be a State (Public) University 15 years ago It faced a number of problems, difficulties, specially during 2001-2003, when its doors nearly closed (the staff members did not leave the institution even being off paid for 10 months In 2004, UEPB had a new President, still in post, and a new phase started UEPB became an autonomous state university (managing its own incoming) making easier for its expanding process, which started in 2005 In two and a half years time the new President, Marlene Luna, was already working towards Graduate level End of 2008, UEPB could count with 8 new Graduate Programs, all OF THEM approved by CAPES.

4. The Master Program Science and Mathematics Education - Mathematics and Physics so far First Year (20 New Students) - October 2007 Second Year (20 New Students) - July 2008 Third Year (12 Students) - March 2009 Some of the Research Studies going on: Mental Calculation (Elaine Farias - in second year) children between 10 to 11 years old unexpected data Chess and Mathematics Education (Wantuir Santos - in second year) a critique to some viewpoints first phase - workshop with high school teachers and students second phase - students working on Mathematics and Chess - seeking for connections School Algebra and Abstract Algebra (Walber Colaco - in second year) seeking for connections in between the two - how much of Abstract Algebra is presented in the School Algebra text books analysis

5. The Master Program Mathematics and Music (Valdir Cavalcanti - in first year) high school students lyrics composed with mathematics mathematical knowledge coming out ot it music show/theatre play/clips (DVD) The sense of studying Mathematics Mathematics and the Web Searching (Maria Jose Amorim - in First year) middle school students searching the mathematical homework in the Web to be discussed in the classroom teaching approach - mathematical knowledge and content being worked in this way

6. The Undergraduate Program Mathematics Education Area Meetings 10 to 12 colleagues Along 2008 - weekly meetings great discussions about the courses of our Program great discussions (presentation-seminars) on our teaching approaches/views/beliefs discussion about possibilities on how to improve the Final Students Work (writing process, Choosing Topics process, topics and courses being related, …) Organization of EPEM - Paraiba Congress in Mathematics Education Regional Conference by SBEM/PB (the Brazilian Society of Mathematics Education - State of Paraiba) 450 participants great impact - school teachers all our colleagues participated Invited Speaker - Joao Pedro da Ponte (Portugal) 6 of us became part of the new SBEM-PB Board

7. The GITPEM Research Group GITPEM stands for Investigation Group on Theoretical and Practical issues on Mathematics Education It was founded in September 2007 It started as an “open group” (all have being invited to join it - researchers, lecturers and students) It works in two Campi - Campus of Campina Grande (the main one) and Campus of Monteiro (two hours away from CG) It started with 40 members Weekly reading Meetings in both Campi various subjects and issues being choosing by the members as

8. The GITPEM Research Group Problem Solving Didactics of Mathematics Brousseau - didactical contract Chevallard - Didactical Transposition Vergnaud - Conceptual Fields) Proof Process on geometrical theorems by elementary school students Working on mathematical mistakes in a positive way - a sign of knowledge

9. The GITPEM Research Group four One Day Seminars were organized by GITPEM so far I GITPEM SEMINAR - September 2007 (Campina Grande) Joelson Pimentel (Mphil Studies) on the use of technology by teachers at school Abigail Lins (PhD studies) on the use of Cabri and Excel by middle school teachers in the UK Lourdes Onuchick (invited speaker) on Problem Solving) Roger Hamman (Mphil studies) on Problem Solving Anibal Silva (Lecturer) on teaching approach of Logic

10. The GITPEM Research Group II GITPEM SEMINAR - December 2007 (Monteiro) students final research work (Mont) students final research work (CG) Lamartine Silva (Lecturer and ongoing PhD student) on History of Mathematics Izabel Albuquerque (PhD studies) on Didactical Contract Aproach

11. The GITPEM Research Group four Seminars organized by GITPEM so far III GITPEM SEMINAR - September 2008 (CG) Carlos Eduardo Costa (Mphil studies) the use of technology by student teachers Silvanio de Andrade (PhD studies) on research and classroom practice Celina Abar (invited speaker) on e-learning Edson dos Santos (student CG/initiation research) on WebQuest for Geometry students final research work (Mont)

12. The GITPEM Research Group four Seminars organized by GITPEM so far IV GITPEM SEMINAR - December 2008 (Mont) students final research work (CG) students final research work (Mont) Silvanio de Andrade - workshop on problem solving and some students data analysis Valdir Cavalcanti and Maria Jose Amorim - workshop on didactical material

13. Our ongoing goals first GITPEM book being organized to be published by September 2009, hopefully Weekly meetings now 12 members at CG now 10 members at Mont The Teaching Logic Research Project financially supported by UEPB two years project starting in March Collaborative Research Projects - UGA and UEPB Universities Exchange - UGA and UEPB THANK YOU