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Featured Faculty: Carmen LatterellProfessor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics Interests: teaching and learning mathematics; what motivates students, at all levels, to engage in mathematical learning Courses Frequently Taught: Calculus I, Foundations in Mathematics and Statistics, Mathematics for Elementary Education Majors, Introduction to Statistics and Probability Website: http://www.d.umn.edu/~clattere/ |
Dr. Latterell's current research is on students' dispositions, interests, and motivations with respect to learning mathematics, including motivation to participate in activities in mathematics classrooms as well as motivations to major in mathematics and/or mathematics education. In addition, she has recently done work examining how to interest graduate mathematics students in secondary teaching, and on what secondary students' perceptions of mathematics are.
Dr. Latterell is also the Principal Investigator on a large National Science Foundation Grant. This grant places science and mathematics graduate students in local schools. The goals are three-fold. 1) To increase the ability of graduate students to communicate science and mathematics. 2) To increase the knowledge level of teachers. 3) To increase the secondary students' interest level in math and science.
Dr. Latterell is the author of two books: Math Wars: A Guide for Parents and Teachers and Helping Students Prepare for College Mathematics placement Tests: A Guide for Teachers and Parents. Math Wars has been printed in three editions: a hardback, a paperback, and a Korean version.
Besides research activities, Dr. Latterell is keenly interested in her own teaching, and is very active in teaching committees across campus, including a departmental teaching committee that examines how to improve the 1000-level courses. She has recently won the Jean G. Blehart Distinguished Teaching Award.