Mathematical Portfolio

Each MST student will be required to develop a mathematical portfolio. The portfolio will be a collection of each student's best mathematical work. It will represent a chronicle of the student's mathematical career during the time he/she was enrolled in the MST program and provide a student with the opportunity to pull information together and make connections between various mathematical experiences.

Required Items for the Portfolio

1. A letter to the reader.
2. A presentation, talk, workshop, or article that brings together several mathematical ideas. This would be developed in consultation with and approved by your faculty adviser.
3. Responses to a set of questions pre-college students might ask. The responses must include a description of how the mathematics learned in the MST program could be used to answer the students' questions.
4. A description of a mathematical insight you have had during your participation in the MST program that has changed the way you think about mathematics as a discipline  or the learning or teaching of mathematics, or made you think differently about yourself or your students as mathematics learners.
5. A review of 2 articles that the participants are asked to read over the period of their program - one in mathematics content at the level of the Monthly and one in mathematics teaching at the level of the Mathematics Teacher. These articles need to be approved by your adviser; consult your adviser for suggestions of appropriate articles.
6. The best test or assignment from each of the "core" courses that the students must take as part of their program. A rationale for each of the choice must be provided.
7. A mathematical autobiography.
8. An annotated list of courses taken.
9. Additional items may be added and are encouraged. Items chosen to be included must have a written description of why that particular item was included.

For more detailed information for these required items, see the Concluding Experience document.

Portfolio Evaluation

Students will be encouraged to share their portfolios with their faculty advisor to get feedback prior to the final submission (see portfolio timeline suggestions). Any feedback/suggestions they receive should be documented and placed in the final product. A ruberic has been developed to evaluate the portfolio and the ruberic contains specific criteria for evaluation. If necessary, specific suggestions for improvement will be given to the student along with a deadline for resubmitting the portfolio.