Caroline “Caro” Williams-Pierce Assistant Professor College of Information Studies University of Maryland, College Park [email protected] FORMAL EDUCATION AND DEGREES Aug. 2016 Ph.D. in Mathematics Education Department of Curriculum & Instruction University of Wisconsin – Madison Advisor: Dr. Amy B. Ellis Committee: Dr. Mitchell Nathan, Dr. David Landy, Dr. Erica Halverson, & Dr. Eric Knuth Dissertation: Multiplying Fractions and LittleBigPlanet 2: Playing to Learn May 2010 M.A., Mathematics and Education (joint degree) University of Wisconsin – Madison Departments of Curriculum & Instruction and Mathematics Advisor: Dr. Amy B. Ellis Committee: Dr. Eric Knuth and Dr. David Griffeath Thesis: Algebra and No Child Left Behind: Standardized tests and algebraic complexity May 2004 Bachelors in Mathematics University of Maine at Fort Kent Advisors: Dr. Marion “Penny” Albert and Dr. John Elliot POSITIONS HELD Aug. 2019 – Assistant Professor Present College of Information Sciences University of Maryland, College Park Aug. 2015 – Assistant Professor Aug. 2019 School of Education, Department of Educational Theory & Practice University at Albany, SUNY Additional voluntary appointment for the academic year 2019-2020. May 2011 – Research Team Member, Mitchell Nathan & Martha Alibali, co-P.I.s May 2017 Tangibility for Teaching, Learning, and Communicating Mathematics (TANG) University of Wisconsin – Madison Sept. 2014 – Project Assistant, Percival Matthews, P.I. Aug. 2015 Mathematics Education Learning & Development (MELD) Lab University of Wisconsin – Madison Caro Williams-Pierce last edited 6/12/19 11:38 AM p. 1 of 34 Sept. 2014 – Project Assistant, Amy B. Ellis, P.I., Elise Lockwood, Erik Tillema, & Kevin Aug. 2015 Moore, Co-P.I.s Generalization Across Multiple Mathematical Areas (GAMMA) University of Wisconsin – Madison June 2013 – Project Assistant, Constance Steinkuehler & Kurt Squire, Co-Directors Aug. 2014 Games+Learning+Society Center Wisconsin Institute for Discovery Sept. 2012 – Teaching Assistant, Ryan Martinez & Kurt Squire, instructors May 2013 Curriculum & Instruction 277: Videogames and Learning University of Wisconsin – Madison Oct. 2010 – Research Team Member, Constance Steinkuehler, P.I. Nov. 2013 PopCosmo Research Lab University of Wisconsin – Madison Sept. 2010 – Project Assistant and Team Member, Amy Ellis, P.I. Feb. 2013 Supporting Students’ Proof Practices through Quantitative Reasoning in Algebra (SPARQ) University of Wisconsin – Madison Aug. 2009 – Project Assistant, Eric Knuth, P.I., Amy Ellis & Charles Kalish, co-P.I.s Sept. 2012 Understanding and Cultivating the Connections between Students’ Natural Ways of Reasoning and Mathematical Ways of Reasoning (IDIOM) University of Wisconsin – Madison Aug. 2008 – Faculty Fellow, Melissa Gresalfi, co-P.I. (Sasha Barab, P.I.) June 2009 The Quest Atlantis Project (QA) Indiana University – Bloomington Sept. 2007 – Project Assistant, Amy Ellis, co-P.I. (Joanne Lobato, P.I.) June 2008 Coordinating Social and Individual Aspects of Generalizing Activity: A Multi- tiered “Focusing Phenomena” Study University of Wisconsin – Madison Aug. 2007 – Project Assistant, Rovy Branon, Executive Director May 2008 University of Wisconsin System, Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co- Laboratory Aug. 2006 – Project Assistant, Eric Knuth, P.I., Amy Ellis & Charles Kalish, co-P.I.s June 2007 Understanding and Cultivating the Connections between Students’ Natural Ways of Reasoning and Mathematical Ways of Reasoning (IDIOM pilot) University of Wisconsin – Madison INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND CONSULTING Caro Williams-Pierce last edited 6/12/19 11:38 AM p. 2 of 34 Sept. 2016 – Game Designer & Builder Present Rolly’s Adventure Revising game for touchpads about multiplying proper and improper fractions represented as quantities, based upon dissertation design and research. Graphics by Filament Games, LLC. April 2015 – Mathematics Education Consultant, Filament Games LLC Aug. 2015 Consulting about math content, representations, and interactions for Take Off!, a mobile puzzle game for young children about addition, subtraction, and place value for the educational game company EkStep. Product shipped. Sept. 2013 – Game Designer & Builder, Dissertation Game March 2015 Rolly’s Adventure, built and published via LittleBigPlanet 2 Designed and built a game about multiplying proper and improper fractions represented as quantities, with a trajectory designed to ground formal notation in perceptual experiences. Product shipped. Jan. 2011 – Game Designer, Scott Wilson, Director Sept. 2012 University of Oklahoma K20 Center – Gear Up grant Working as game designer and mathematics educator on the game Me & E, a multiplayer game about the Oklahoma oil industry centered around mathematical concepts from Algebra I and II. Collaborated closely with industry experts in order to maintain authenticity, designed mathematical tasks and assessments aligned with CCSS-M, and worked with fellow designers and on-site programmers. Product shipped. Aug. 2008 – Game Designer, Sasha Barab, Director, & Melissa Gresalfi, Associate June 2009 Director The Quest Atlantis Project, Indiana University, Bloomington Designed, built, and published various quests centered around learning mathematical concepts including fractions and statistics, as well as River Rumpus, a quest parallel to Cedar Creek, part of Vanderbilt’s Jasper Woodbury video curriculum. Product shipped. Aug. 2007 – Online Interactive Lesson Design, Rovy Branon, Executive Director May 2008 University of Wisconsin System, Academic Advanced Distributed Learning Co-Laboratory (Co-Lab) Co-designed an online algebra preparation class with Moses Wolfenstein. Topics and tentative details were provided virtually by our client, Florida Virtual School, the largest K12 online school in the country, which we consequently modified and elaborated appropriately for interactive and online content. We worked hand in hand with the programming team, also on-site at the Co-Lab. Product shipped. GRANTS AND AWARDS Caro Williams-Pierce last edited 6/12/19 11:38 AM p. 3 of 34 To be submitted Principal Investigator July 2019 Mathematical Play, Failure, and Learning National Science Foundation CAREER In submission Project Co-Lead with Dr. Janet Walkoe (Project Lead), with Virginia Flood, Bianca Bennett, Dr. Martha Alibali, Dr. David Weintrop, Martha Mulligan, and Dr. Jordan Thevenow-Harrison (Team Members) Teacher Noticing of Action and Gesture in Computational Thinking Enhanced Mathematics Classes James S. McDonnell Foundation 2019 – Present Senior Personnel with Dr. Hortensia Soto (PI) Embodied Mathematical Imagination and Cognition: Professional Development for Undergraduate Mathematics Instructors ($49,326) National Science Foundation 2018 – Present Senior Personnel with Dr. Mitchell Nathan (PI) Synthesis and Design Workshop: The Future of Embodied Design for Mathematical Imagination and Cognition ($99,995) National Science Foundation CyberLearning 2018 –2019 Principal Investigator with Dr. Julie Learned and Dr. Brett Levy (Co-PIs) Toward Inclusive Schools: Expanding Teacher Demographics to Reflect Students ($5,000) School of Education Dean’s Award University at Albany, SUNY This led to the Dean establishing the SoE Diversity Task Force and the Rising Scholars program. 2016 – 2019 Principal Investigator A Provocative Object: Designing an Interactive and Playful Mathematical Experience ($10,000) Faculty Research Award Program – category A University at Albany, SUNY March 2017 Individual Development Award for professional development ($1,000) New York State/United University Professions Joint Labor-Management University at Albany, SUNY Spring 2014 Department of Curriculum & Instruction Conference Travel Grant University of Wisconsin – Madison Fall 2013 – James B. and Susan Solie Patterson Graduate Student Award ($7,500) Spring 2014 University of Wisconsin – Madison Caro Williams-Pierce last edited 6/12/19 11:38 AM p. 4 of 34 Fall 2013 Vilas Conference Presentation Travel Grant University of Wisconsin – Madison Spring 2013 Department of Curriculum & Instruction Conference Travel Grant University of Wisconsin – Madison RESEARCH AND PUBLICATIONS Research and Publications in Progress Williams-Pierce, C. & Dogan, M.F. (in preparation). When generalizing is just playing the game. Walkoe, J. & Williams-Pierce, C., (in preparation). Seeing learning: Teacher noticing and embodied cognition. Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles Williams-Pierce, C. (under review). Designing for mathematical play: Failure and feedback. Dogan, M.F. & Williams-Pierce, C. (in revision). The role of generic examples in teachers’ proving activities. Williams-Pierce, C., & Thevenow-Harrison, J.T. (in revision). Mathematical play: Failure and learning. Dogan, M.F. & Williams-Pierce, C. (accepted). Supporting teacher proving practices with three phases of proof. To be published in the Teacher Education Advancement Network Journal. Pier, E., Walkington, C., Clinton, V., Boncoddo, R., Alibali, M., Williams-Pierce, C.C., Alibali, M., & Nathan, M. (2019). Embodied truths: How dynamic gestures and transformational speech contribute to mathematical proof practices. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 58, 44-57. Walkington, C., Cooper, J., Leonard, O., Williams-Pierce, C., & Kalish, C. (2018). Middle school students' and mathematicians' judgments of mathematical typicality. Journal of Numerical Cognition (Special issue on Psychology and mathematics education: Bridging approaches to research for understanding the learning and teaching of number),