Riley is a proud Spring 2022 Pitt Math graduate. Currently, she is a master’s student in the School of Education. She is part of the MOSAIC Program, pursuing her degree in Special Education and certification in Special Education and Secondary Mathematics. She is currently student teaching at a local high school where she plans daily lessons and interacts with students in both the special education classroom and mathematics classroom. Her career aspirations are to teach high school math at a local high school in Pittsburgh.
As the Curriculum Design Fellow for the Magical Math Program at the Hill District Community Engagement Center, Riley designs lessons and trains team members to interact with students and on how to implement the lessons for each Saturday. This program gives 3rd to 5th graders a chance to expand their mathematics knowledge by introducing them to new topics and practicing some old ones. Students attend a one-hour session on Saturday mornings to learn about the history of math and practice using their math skills in fun and interactive ways.
Some lessons from this past year include learning how to use measuring tapes and measuring different objects around the room, using baseball statistics from current and historical local teams to calculate fractions, and sailing around a coordinate plane as pirates to learn about Cartesian coordinates.
Riley uses the PA State Standards for Mathematics as well as creative ideas from the Magical Math team to blend what the children are learning in school with topics the team is passionate about teaching. She draws on the math theory and foundations from her undergraduate studies to introduce elementary students to topics outside of the elementary curriculum.
The program's main goal is to give kids a chance to explore the different types of mathematics and spark their interest in learning more. Engaging with the students, the Magical Math team, and the staff at the Hill District CEC has given Riley a new opportunity to apply her math and education knowledge. Working on this project has broadened Riley’s horizons to adapt college-level mathematics for younger students to spark their interest in pursuing math throughout their academic careers.