Northern Colorado and Rocky Mountain
Math Teachers’ Circles
Summer Workshop Application Instructions
1) DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION SUBMISSION: Monday, March 16, 2015.
2) You need to submit an Application Form (on the third page), a One-page Essay (see #5 below for
details) and a $100-check (refundable). Please make the check payable to Northern Colorado Math
Teachers’ Circle (see #4 below for details).
3) Please submit all the required application materials to:
Gulden Karakok
University of Northern Colorado
School of Mathematical Sciences
501 20th Street, Campus Box: 122
Greeley, CO, 80639
You may email or fax the application form and the one-page essay to the email address or fax number:
(Note: you will still need to mail your $100 deposit check to the address)
Email: gulden.karakok@unco.edu
Fax: 970-351-1225
4) Refundable Check Information: Make the check payable to Northern Colorado Math Teachers’
Circle. A $100 refundable deposit is required by March 16, 2015 to reserve your spot for the summer
workshop. After attendance at the summer workshop, this deposit will be returned to the participant.
Applicants must be able to attend all sessions of the summer workshop. If you are not selected, your
check will be mailed back to you. Applicants will be notified by April 6th of acceptance.
5) Essay Information:
Math Teachers’ Circle Information: A Teachers' Circle provides an opportunity for teachers to
engage in mathematical problem solving and deepen their understanding of mathematics. The main
activities of a Teachers' Circle are problem-solving sessions in a collaborative environment. Rather
than emphasizing math exercises, the techniques discussed during the Teachers' Circle sessions aim
to create a culture of problem solving among mathematics teachers. At each of our sessions, the
participating teachers will actively engage in solving math problems. In particular, participants
will work on math problems geared towards the level of teachers, rather than the level of their
students, as well as discuss various solutions and strategies, address concerns about how to
implement problem solving in the classroom and how to modify problems from our sessions to fit
their students’ level and connections to the Common Core Standards. Another important aspect of
the Teachers' Circle is to create a network among math teachers and research mathematicians. This
network becomes an invaluable resource of ideas, activities, and support with fellow professionals.
Northern Colorado and Rocky Mountain
Math Teachers’ Circles
6) Credit Options:
We provide full scholarships for your choice of one of the following:
a. Participation Certificate (35 hours)
b. One credit hour of graduate credit from the University of Colorado Denver.
c. Two credit hours of graduate credit from the University of Colorado Denver. This option
requires completion of an additional assignment during the summer and following fall, in
which the teacher implements a problem-solving activity in the classroom and writes a paper
reflecting on that experience.
d. Continuing Education Units (3.5) from the University of Colorado Denver. This option only
requires full attendance and active, productive engagement at the workshop.
Please attach a one-page essay that describes the benefits you hope to gain from being a part of the
Northern Colorado & Rocky Mountain Math Teachers’ Circles. You may include a description of
methods that you currently incorporate in your classroom that engage students in mathematical
inquiry and problem solving.
Note: Preference will be given to teachers who intend to continue engaging with Math
Teachers’ Circle activities during the academic year. This continued involvement may take a
variety of forms. For example, the teacher may attend monthly Monday evening sessions of the
Northern Colorado Math Teachers’ Circle or monthly Saturday morning sessions of the Rocky
Mountain Math Teachers’ Circle. If schedules or geography make such participation infeasible,
teachers could make arrangements to meet in person with other teacher participants from their
district to discuss problem-solving and classroom implementation, or to meet virtually with other
workshop participants in a structured way. If you expect to continue participating with Math
Teachers’ Circles in one of the capacities above, please indicate this in your essay. If you are
coming from a geographic location that would prevent you from attending our academic-year
sessions, please let us know if there are other teachers from your area who could also participate
in the summer workshop, so that you have a continued support network during the year.
Northern Colorado and Rocky Mountain
Math Teachers’ Circles
APPLICATION FORM
Northern Colorado & Rocky Mountain Math Teachers’ Circles
Summer Workshop (June 22-26, 2015)
Name: ______________________________________________________________________________
Home Address: ____________________________________________________________________
*Home or Cell Phone: ______________________________________________________________________________
*Personal Email address:_______________________________________________________________
*School Email address:_________________________________________________________________
School/School District _________________________________________________________________
*Work Phone Number:_________________________________________________________________
Position/Title ________________________________________________________________________
Classes Taught This Year ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
Other Classes Taught In The Past: ________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
_
Years of Teaching _______________
*We need both school and personal email addresses and phone numbers, so that we can reach
you even if you change schools or when school is not in session.