Black River Technical College (BRTC) Dean of General Studies Donna Statler recently travelled to Little Rock to represent BRTC at the Southwest Region of American Mathematics Association of Two-Year Colleges Conference (AMATYC).
The southwest region includes Arkansas, Arizona, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Members were present from all states. Statler and BRTC Mathematics Instructor Daphne Perkins were on the planning committee for the conference.
The conference began with registration and opening lecture at the Wyndham in North Little Rock. Dr. Victor Ford and Andrew Bolton of Arkansas Agriculture Cooperatives gave an opening presentation on “The Impact of Community Colleges on the Growth of Agriculture in Arkansas”. Their presentation included the fact that one-half of rice grown in the U.S. comes from Arkansas. Mathematics in agriculture is essential, from mixing the proper fertilizers to the economics of farming. “MATH makes crops grow!” said Statler.
The remainder of the conference was held at the University of Arkansas – Pulaski Technical College. Keynote speakers and break-out sessions focused on mathematics in the classroom – strategies in the classroom, competency-based learning, math strategies, utilizing TI Technology to support mathematical thinking, and active learning strategies from AMATYC.
The logo for the program and T-shirts were designed by BRTC’s own Adult Education Instructor Angela Loveless. The design included honeycombs and honeybees. Since Arkansas is the Natural State, the theme was “Making Mathematics Natural for All”. Angela’s design captured that theme perfectly.
The national AMATYC Conference will be held in Omaha, Nebraska, in November.
For more information about BRTC’s general studies offerings, contact Dean Statler at (870) 248-4183 or by email at donnas@blackrivertech.edu.