MAA PREP Program, Summer 2011

Sage (http://www.sagemath.org) is free, open-source, and comprehensive mathematics software. You will discover how to use Sage to enhance your courses, customized to your institution and curriculum. There will be four one-day online sessions during the summer. The first day will introduce you to Sage, followed by a two-week period during which you will, with support of the organizers, familiarize yourself with the software. The remaining days, each one week apart, will focus on creating curricular materials, effectively using Sage in the classroom, and feedback on content you have created in the workshop. In the weeks between the sessions, you will explore Sage on your own schedule, with dedicated online “office hours” from the organizers.

No previous usage of Sage is assumed.

Registration

To register, visit http://www.maa.org/prep/.

Equipment needed

Participants will need:

A standards-compliant web browser (e.g., Firefox or Safari) and a high-speed internet connection. This will allow the participant to use Sage over the internet and participate in the teleconference sessions.
A headset with earphones and a mic. This will allow the participant to participate in the teleconference sessions. Or regular headphones and any kind of microphone (built-in or plug-in). You CANNOT listen to audio over speakers and speak to the group simultaneously, so you must have something like a headset, headphones, or earphone to listen to the audio.

Elluminate TeleConference System

The four online sessions will be conducted with Elluminate software. Here is our guide for technical, logistical and productive use of this system.

Resources

There are a number of online resources for learning about Sage in education. Several useful ones include:

The sage-edu Google group is a discussion area for ideas about using Sage in education.
The sage-support Google group is a support list for general or specific questions about Sage.
There is a good section of the Sage wiki devoted to sample interactive demonstrations, or "Sagelets".

Organizers

Please contact Karl-Dieter Crisman and Jason Grout at [email protected] and [email protected] for more information.