Mathematical modeling and computational thinking in mathematics education are being considered as necessary skills for the 21st-century learner and for STEM career. We will explain our rationale to promote math modeling at high school levels, followed by the presentation that steps through thinking processes and considerations when developing mathematical models to solve a real problem. These initial steps are discussed through the case on how to prepare Onsen-Tamago style eggs. Then we will run a mini math modeling contest on the 2017 problem. In the early afternoon, we invite the winners of this year to report their solutions and share their experiences at the IMMC contest.

Bios:

Hongmei Zhu is an associate professor at the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, York University. Hongmei obtained a honorable B.Sc. in Applied Mathematics from Shandong University, P. R. China, and carried out her graduate work at the Department of Applied Mathematics under the guidance of Professor Graham M. L. Gladwell at the University of Waterloo (UW). Her primary research interests are in the areas of image analysis, data science, numerical computations and their applications in real-world problems arisen from medicine and other industries. With her passionate about K-12 STEM outreach activities, she is dedicated to the development and promotion of mathematical modeling contests at Canadian high schools.

Robert Jordan is currently completing his M.A in Mathematics (Mathematics for Teachers) at York University. He is actively involved with York’s Mathematics Outreach programs: York’s Math Circle, Canadian Math Kangaroo Contest, and International Mathematical Modeling Challenge - Canada. Robert’s engineering training and work experience provide a fresh perspective and a real-life aspect to his work as a teacher, tutor, mentor, and his support of mathematics outreach programs.