James Stuart Tanton (born August 1, 1966) is an Australian-American mathematician and math educator. He is a winner of the Kidder Faculty Prize for his teaching at The St. Mark's Math Institute, scholar at the Mathematical Association of America,[1] author of over ten books on mathematics, curriculum, and education, and creator of videos on mathematics on YouTube. As of August 2024 his approximately 360 videos had earned over 2,100,000 views.[2]
Tanton received his B.A. in mathematics from the University of Adelaide, and he earned his Ph.D. in mathematics from Princeton University in 1994, with a thesis in algebraic topology titled A Homological Fibration for Gl [infinity]. He taught at the New College, St. Mary's College of Maryland, and Merrimack College[3] before deciding that, to gain credibility with the high school teachers he hoped to work with, he had to teach high school himself. Tanton taught at St. Mark's School in Southborough, Massachusetts, from 2002 to 2011.
As a presenter working with Maths Week Ireland, Tanton has worked to create interest in mathematics in schools in both parts of Ireland.[4] Currently he is a visiting scholar at the Mathematical Association of America in Washington, DC.[1]
Personal life
Since graduating from the University of Adelaide in 1988, Tanton has been living in the US.[5] He is settled there with his family; his spouse is planetary scientist Lindy Elkins-Tanton,[6] who was born in Ithaca, New York.
Selected awards and honors
MathMovesU Math Hero Award for mathematics middle and high school teaching, sponsored by Raytheon Company, 2010[3][7]
The Kidder Faculty Prize for teaching at St. Mark's School, 2006
The Mathematical Association of America's Beckenback Book Prize for Solve This: Mathematical Activities for Students and Clubs, 2005[8]
The Mathematical Association of America's Trevor Evans Award for distinguished writing in both 2001 and 2002[9]
Homer L. Dodge Award for college teaching excellence at The St. Mary's College of Maryland, 1999
Princeton University Engineering Council Teaching Award, for teaching excellence, 1994
Selected books by Tanton
Mathematics Galore: The First Five Years of the St. Mark’s Institute of Mathematics, Mathematical Association of America, 2012[3] The Encyclopedia of Mathematics, Facts on File.2005. Solve This: Mathematical Activities for Students and Clubs, Mathematical Association of America, 2001.
Self-published texts and curricular material
THINKING MATHEMATICS! series:
Volume 1: Arithmetic = Gateway to All
Volume 2: Advanced Counting and Advanced Algebra Systems
Volume 3: Lines, Circles, Trigonometry and Conics
Volume 4: Functions and their Graphs
Volume 5: e, i, pi and all that!
Volume 6: Calculus
GEOMETRY: Volume I and GEOMETRY: Volume 2 MATH WITHOUT WORDS MATHEMATICAL THINKING: Numbers and their Algebra (An advanced course for middle-school students and their teachers.)[3]
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