$Chapman student tutoring youth$
$Chapman student tutoring youth$
$Chapman student teaching math in front of a class$

» Community Math Program

Modeled after Attallah College’s Kathleen Muth Literacy Center, the Community Math Teaching and Learning Program integrates teacher education training and community tutoring. The community program gives Chapman students opportunities to practice research-based math instructional strategies while providing free mathematics tutoring to students in the community.

Embedded within Chapman's five-year, accelerated MACI (Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction) teacher education program, the math program serves local families and youth while giving Chapman graduates hands-on practice.

The primary goal of the program is to learn by doing for the Chapman students and the K-12 children.

The Community Math Teaching and Learning Program is made possible in Spring 2021 by the generous support of the Klein Family Foundation.

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Math Virtual Classroom

The Math Virtual Classroom forms the basis of the online Community Math Program. The rich online learning environment include mathematics exercises, lessons, quizzes, and links to additional resources for students from preK through 12th grade. All activities are problem-based and focus on students’ reasoning and sense-making.

Educators and families are encourage to make a copy of the virtual classroom and customize for their own students.

Math in Context Toolkit

Adapted from Dr. Cathery Yeh’s manuscript “Towards Justice-Oriented Mathematics,” the Mathematics in Context Toolkit helps educators consider how to “humanize math” using Learning for Justice’s Social Justice Standards. It provides opportunities for reflection and examples of real-world applications.

Math@Play Video Series

The Chapman U Math at Play Video Series is a free video series that helps math concepts come alive with hands-on activities. Posted to an open YouTube channel, the series addresses pre-kindergarten through 8th grade mathematics standards and is accessible to educators and families alike.

The web series includes both English and Spanish lessons led by Attallah College faculty and Chapman teacher candidates. Each lesson also include downloadable PDF activities handouts.

Gifts to the Attallah College of Educational Studies allow us to support the vast array of diverse educational projects including our various literacy and tutoring programs, scholarships to our deserving students, international travel opportunities for research, and multiple campaigns that promote education and civic engagement throughout our immediate community and the world.

To find out how you can give to the school and support the work our students are doing, please visit our Support Attallah College webpage. Every dollar helps!

To learn more about the Community Math Teaching and Learning Program, please contact:

Cathery Yeh, Ph.D.
yeh@chapman.edu

Program Faculty & Supervisors

$photo of Cathery Yeh, Ph.D.$

Cathery Yeh, Ph.D.

Program Director

yeh@chapman.edu

Dr. Cathery Yeh is the Community Math Program Director and Assistant Professor of Mathematics Education at Chapman University. Driven by a belief that every student has the potential to be successful in learning mathematics, Dr. Yeh has more than 20 years of experience teaching mathematics to K-12 students, working with future and experienced teachers. She has published more than 40 articles and books on mathematics education, including Reimagining the Mathematics Classroom: Creating and Sustaining Productive Learning Environments (NCTM, 2017) and Catalyzing Change in Early Childhood and Elementary Mathematics (NCTM, 2020).

$photo of Victor Vega$

Victor Vega

Program Coordinator

vicvega@chapman.edu

Victor Vega is the program coordinator and has worked in public education at the elementary level for more than 25 years, specializing in math, science and technology integration, and inquiry-based learning. He previously coordinated the Latino Family Literacy Project, facilitated the Tutor Connection program connecting foster youth with future teachers, and led teacher workshops in project-based learning for English Learners at California State University, San Marcos, where he served as Distinguished Teacher in Residence in the School of Education. A doctoral student in the Attallah College of Educational Studies at Chapman University, Victor’s current research focuses on strengths-based, equity-oriented teacher noticing from a critical perspective.

$photo of Ruth Freedman-Finch$

Ruth Freedman-Finch

Math Supervisor

RFreedman@losal.org

Ruth Freedman-Finch is a highly sought after teacher leader. Her teaching career spans more than 25 years, from her start as an ESOL teacher in Wichita, Kansas, teaching across elementary grade levels, to her current position as a third grade teacher at Weaver Elementary in the Los Alamitos School District. Ruth is a Costen Fellow, Chapman master teacher, a CGI consultant, and the recipient of the 2019 Teacher of the Year Award for the Los Alamitos School District.

$photo of Siena Kemp$

Siena Kemp

Math Supervisor

sienamkemp@gmail.com

Siena Kemp’s 10+ years of experience working with children, coupled with her training in UDL (Universal Design for Learning), systems thinking, complex instruction, and CGI Math have led her to a truth that is evident the moment you walk into her 6th grade classroom, bubbling with excitement and noisy with rich conversation: that math is learned best in the presence of joy. Siena not only sees the mathematical brilliance that is within every child, but through her intentional deconstruction of the walls of intimidation and exclusivity that are built up around mathematics before children even enter school, Siena helps children to see the mathematical brilliance within themselves.

$photo of Christina Lincoln-Moore$

Christina Lincoln-Moore

Math Supervisor

clmoore@talknumber2me.com

Christina Lincoln-Moore is an innovative constructivist educational leader who is tenaciously and profoundly dedicated to mindful inquiry-based learning to engender formidable mathematics identities. She has been an educator for 25 years. She is currently the Principal of Cheremoya Avenue in Hollywood, California. Christina is regular featured speaker on the re-humanization of mathematics for historically excluded students by integrating mathematics, social-emotional learning (SEL), and mindfulness. She believes the integration of SEL and mathematics can change the trajectory of children's lives. She is currently pursuing an Ed.D. in Elementary Education at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and is the Founder of Talk Number 2 Me Mathematics Consulting.

$photo of Desiree Olivas, Ph.D.$

Desiree Olivas, Ph.D.

Math Supervisor

Desiree.Olivas@sausd.us

Dr. Desiree Olivas has dedicated her life’s work to educating students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Desiree has more than 30 years of teaching experience working in public schools, as well as international schools. She approaches teaching with the belief that the whole child should be developed, curriculum is experienced, while “we teach children.” Therefore, every child can learn and enjoy mathematics as it is a natural part of their world. Desiree is actively involved in the mathematics education community, as trainer, speaker, writer and editor. She has had the privilege of working with educators from USC, UCI, Cal State Fullerton, and Chapman University. She has been integrating CGI, as well as STEAM, into her campus community as well as the local community. She has won several grants and awards for her efforts in educating the whole child.

$photo of Susan Saldana$

Susan Saldana

Math Supervisor

ssaldana@elsolacademy.org

Susan Saldana has worked in public education at the elementary level for more than 15 years, primarily in dual-immersion settings. Susan is part of the Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) GLAD trainers team and is part of the first GLAD en Espanol cohort of trainers. As a lifelong learner, she is eager to mentor and collaborate with future teachers.

$photo of Nita Walker$

Nita Walker

Math Supervisor

momnita@aol.com

With 30+ years of experience and success working with students and teachers, Nita Walker began her teaching career as a bilingual elementary school teacher and later led professional developments as the mathematics/science specialist in Santa Ana. Outside of her classroom work, Nita is an active presenter and organizer of conferences for teachers of mathematics and is currently president of the California Mathematics Council-South, a state-wide organization servicing 6,000 teachers, administrators, parents, and teacher-educators who are committed to improving mathematics learning in classrooms throughout California.