Tuesday, May 3, 2011

NCTM Honors Klotz and Krulik with Lifetime Achievement Awards in Mathematics Education

Reston, Va., May 3, 2011 –The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has presented Mathematics Education Trust (MET) Lifetime Achievement Awards for Distinguished Service to Mathematics Education to Eugene A. Klotz and Stephen Krulik. This award honors those who over a lifetime have contributed significantly to mathematics education through their leadership, teaching, and service at the national level. Since the award's inception in 1994, MET has honored 41 individuals. The list reads like a "Who's Who" of the mathematics education world.

Eugene Klotz of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, was among the first to realize the potential of technology to support mathematics learning, and for years his projects have incorporated the newest technology while looking ahead at emerging technology and its possibilities. One result of that commitment to innovation was the project of a Swarthmore student whose work produced The Geometer's Sketchpad, now one of the most widely used software programs in school mathematics.

In 1986, Klotz launched the multimedia Visual Geometry Project, which eventually expanded to become the Math Forum, which has become the leading online resource for improving math learning, teaching, and communication.

Now retired from Swarthmore College, Klotz continues to work with the Math Forum at Drexel University, living testimony to the fact that he has done more than influence the students whom he has taught over the last 47 years. He has inspired them to bring innovation and enthusiasm to their work—and beyond his own classroom, he has changed the technology of mathematics education.

Stephen Krulik of Boynton Beach, Florida, was a driving force at Temple University, where he taught for more than 40 years, and he has shared his passion and knowledge about mathematics through hundreds of presentations and in numerous publications spanning five decades.

Krulik began his career as a teacher in the New York Public Schools in 1954. After 15 years, he moved to Temple University, where he taught until 2006. Krulik's focus in mathematics became problem solving and reasoning. He helped students build a repertoire of strategies and increased their mathematical ability and self-confidence. Most importantly, his teaching provided opportunities for students to experience how it felt to learn to be a problem solver.

At Temple, Krulik was named Outstanding Professor of the College of Education and honored with the Lindback Award for Excellence in Teaching as well as Temple University's Great Teacher Award. The Association of Mathematics Teachers of New Jersey also gave Krulik the Max Sobel Outstanding Mathematics Educators Award.

Over his prolific 55-year career, Krulik gave more than 350 presentations at conferences, including 100 NCTM conferences; authored or coauthored 30 books; and published more than 30 journal articles.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development, and research. With more than 100,000 members and 230 Affiliates, NCTM is the world's largest organization dedicated to improving mathematics education in prekindergarten through grade 12. The Council's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics includes guidelines for excellence in mathematics education and issues a call for all students to engage in more challenging mathematics. Its Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics identifies the most important mathematical topics for each grade level. Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making advocates practical changes to the high school mathematics curriculum to refocus learning on reasoning and sense making. NCTM is dedicated to ongoing dialogue and constructive discussion with all stakeholders about what is best for our nation's students.

Contact: Andrea Christie, Communications Assistant, (703) 620-9840, ext. 2198, achristie@nctm.org.