The Pitch
Each year, the GeoGebra Institute of Ohio hosts a free two-day conference for mathematics students, classroom teachers, and university researchers. The conference supports the use of open-source software (namely, GeoGebra) in the teaching and learning of mathematics at all levels, K-16. The Spring 2011 meeting attracted over 100 students, teachers, and researchers from throughout the United States. The mission of the conference is to provide high-quality, low-cost (free) professional development to those interested in using GeoGebra to teach and learn mathematics. Because we are a non-profit organization, and because we ask for no dues from our participants, we find it difficult to cover expenses related to the conference (e.g., transportation costs for high-quality keynote speakers, printing costs for promotional flyers and hands-on materials for participants). See www.ggbmidwest.com/conference for more details.
Impact
We aim to attract 200+ participants to the 2012 GeoGebra Midwest Conference. The majority of these conference-goers are teachers who plan to use (or currently use) GeoGebra mathematics software with their students. By supporting teachers' use of GeoGebra software, we encourage young learners to see mathematics as a vibrant, creative field of study. Furthermore, because we encourage high school and college students to give talks at the conference (in 2011, 4 of 36 conference presentations were given by students), we aim to provide young learners with opportunities to become a vocal and visible part of the mathematics education community. This upcoming year, we are encouraging all speakers to bring student co-presenters to the conference.
What We Need & What You Get
We are looking to raise $1000 by the time of our next conference (June 11-12, 2012). This amount will completely fund the conference. We will be able to provide handouts for participants, create promotional materials, video record all sessions, and fund the travel for a prominent keynote speaker. By contributing to our cause, you gain the satisfaction of knowing that you have meaningfully contributed to the mathematical development of teachers and their students.
Other Ways You Can Help
Please let others know about the GeoGebra Midwest Conference. In particular, tell school-aged students about the software (freely available for download at www.geogebra.org/download). Encourage them to tell their teachers about the conference and GeoGebra software. Tell your friends to visit our website and register to attend: www.ggbmidwest.com/conference. Registration is FREE and easy.