Joseph Eitel

I started my teaching experience at a high school in a rural California setting working with the children of migrant farm workers. I expanded my experience at a high school in Roseville California where the population reflected the center for the S&P railroad and a large Hewitt Packard complex. I now teach at Folsom Lake College in Folsom California. My students are a blend of families who live in the rural settings of the gold country and the children of those employed by Intel which has a research headquarters here. The unique blend of these students has helped focus my desire to develop math materials that help bridge the gap for lower income students so they can compete in the workplace of the high tech world in which they now live.

I started to use math magic as the center of my materials. I am trying to develop material that can motivate reluctant students to practice their math skills. I also want to try and use material that makes them want to ask “why” this works and I have found math magic really allows this. As the student tries to find out the why behind the effect they must extend their understanding of the math concepts involved. This can really help develop critical questioning and critical thinking skills. Many of the activities I use have a “second level” of understanding that involves more involved math concepts and introduces both levels of students to major concepts in mathematics

AIMS Educational Scholarship $20,000 California State Technology Grant for Exceptional Innovation in the Classroom Kern County Academic Decathlon Founding Father Award

B.S. California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo M.S Education Fresno State University M.A Mathematics Education Fresno Pacific University

I worked as an AIMS (Activities that Integrate Math and Science) instructor for several years. I enjoyed providing teacher workshops in many states. I had the opportunity to compare different curriculums and instructional practices in various regions of the country.