A Carnival of Math! 
Rising third and fourth graders will explore math and technology as they create their own carnival! How do we make a game where the house usually wins? How does the roller coaster get up the last hill? How many kernels are in one cup of popcorn?  Join us as we investigate these questions and more using computers, Wii, graphing calculators, and special guests. Puzzles, prizes, and play every day. You just might learn something!

Dates: July 19-30 9:00-12pm
Location: Annandale Terrace Elementary (host school)
7604 Herald Street
Annandale, VA 22003-5498
Age range:  Rising 3rd and 4th grade
Camp focus: Math, Creative problem Solving  & Tech

Engaging inquiry based math Expeditions
Calling all math lovers! In this course students will dive into mathematical reasoning and risk-taking. We will learn to develop multiple problem-solving strategies, evaluate our results, and explain our thinking to others. We will see how to apply our understanding of number sense, geometry, probability, and algebra to daily, real-life situations. By working both independently and collaboratively, students will find creative solutions and build their mathematical brainpower. This class will provide students with a supportive and fun environment for interaction with other students who love mathematics.

Instructors: Kerri Fulginiti, Gifted Resource Specialist;  Trina Campbell, Camp Coordinator/instructor; Jennifer Suh, Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education: GMU teaching interns in Elementary education

"Connecting theory and research to practical settings is a complex process but essential for teacher education. One exciting teaching innovation in the summer of 2010 was teaching a math methods course with summer field work through a summer enrichment camp for students attend our Title I PDS schools. This proved to be the most effective way to help teachers make these connections is through field-based teacher education." Dr. Jennifer Suh

My favorite part though: THE KIDS!! I worked mostly with the fourth grade class and I loved them! They were so awesome, so much fun, ENTERTAINING and truly a bright bunch. I began feeling like a real, close-knit COMMUNITY, it was nice. What made me feel so good was the way they really responded to me. They really saw me as a teacher figure and looked to me for advice, help or to teach them. I got the chance to actually teach some of them things that I saw them using day after day. THAT FEELING WAS INCREDIBLE! It was such a proud moment for me to witness the kids teaching others or sharing with the class a technique that I had taught them days ago! Nisreen Doud(2010)
 

“First of all, the summer camp has been the best experience I have had in this graduate program thus far. We were able to put into practice concepts that we had learned rather than just reading from a textbook. I learned so much through observing other professionals, collaborating with my peers, and teaching through problem based learning. Through my classroom observations, I learned how to probe children’s thinking with my questions, the importance of keeping directions brief, and how to facilitate a whole group discussion about the strategies used to solve math problems. Through collaboration with my peers, I was able to gain insight into other’s thought processes. The process of collaboration allowed us to capitalize on each other’s strengths in order to achieve the best lesson plan possible.” Hannah Seabolt (2010)