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SigMT Vol 11 Iss 3

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SiG MT 64 Okay so for most, it's probably been a while. As for the rest of us, we have tried to avoid the mere mention of such mathematical terms since we le the classroom as young students – if we even remember what many of them meant in the first place. We are exactly the people who Fulbright Specialist and Mathematics Educator Dr. David omas loves to reach as he travels all over the world meeting with curious minds. Dr. omas (he'll tell you to call him Dave) is more than a math teacher. He is an explorer, an observer and an inspirer, and he believes students should learn about math that maers. "I like to do things that help put math into context," says Dave, who has spent the last fiy years teaching students at every level. "I want to make kids happier about doing it because if they had a different experience with mathematics, the outcome would probably look very different." Dave is a liaison between the worlds of mathematics and everyday life, bringing them closer together for learners until they become so merged that people travel freely between them on their own. It's no wonder why the Fulbright Specialist Program was quick to accept an application from this mathematics scholar. Dave is passionate about recruiting other Montana educators for the Department of State operated program, which pairs U.S. faculty and professionals from a wide variety of disciplines with overseas host institutions. "It's not a job – it's really a sponsored trip to get to make friends on behalf of America," Dave says of his Fulbright-sponsored voyages. He uses those opportunities to work with students and By Holly Matkin Photo • Really Montana Photography Making Math Memorable, Fulbright Scholar-Style The Equation of a Banana: ost of us probably don't contemplate complex equations or mathematical formulas as we go about our daily routines. We rely on math for the basics, like balancing a checkbook or calculating a tip in a restaurant, but when was the last time you took a moment to relax and take in the parabolas around you? e what? The Equation of a Banana: M

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