James E. Elander Mathematics Teaching Endowed Scholarship

James E. Elander lived a life of mathematics education. Jim obtained an undergraduate degree from Western Illinois University and a Masters from Illinois State in the 1950s. He was an Associate Professor at North Central Collge during the 1980s. Prior to that, he taught at Oak Park and River Forest High School (Oak Park, Illinois) for 25 years and was head of the school’s Mathematics Department for many of those years. He authored the South Western textbook, Geometry For Decision Making, and wrote six self-published math textbooks (on xlibris.com). Jim valued critical thinking and applied geometry to educate people in thinking!

CRITERIA:
• Graduate student in the Master of Science in Teaching Mathematics program
• In good standing with the University and the College of Arts and Sciences
• Complete a 500 word essay entitled “Why Teach Mathematics?”

The applicant for the James E. Elander scholarship, will submit a 500 word essay on “Why Teach Mathematics?” based on the 13th yearbook of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics: The Nature of Proof ¹⁹³⁸ by Harold P. Fawcett.
Those receiving the scholarship will commit to giving a presentation to a meeting of math faculty and students or to an undergraduate math education class on “Why Teach Geometry?” based on 13th NCTM Yearbook, The Nature of Proof (1938) by Harold P. Fawcett. (Note: the presentation topic is more specific to geometry than the application essay on teaching mathematics.) Or the recipient may give a presentation on one of the mathematicians featured in E.T. Bell’s book, Men of Mathematics, to a meeting of math faculty and students or to an undergraduate math class.