Program Overview

Summer@BSME is a 6-week summer program, designed for those interested in the learning and teaching of secondary mathematics. Participants explore the Hungarian pedagogy, in which a strong and explicit emphasis is placed on problem solving, mathematical creativity, and communication.

Why Summer@BSME? Today’s teachers are expected to provide students with opportunities to struggle productively towards understanding, and the Hungarian pedagogy has the potential to play a critical role in this endeavor. At Summer@BSME, we are excited for our participants to develop and bring back this new perspective on mathematics education.

Summer 2023 Calendar

Required: Pre-arrival online orientation	TBA
Arrival for BSME housing	6/20 – 6/24
Program begins	6/26
Introduction to Hungarian language, culture and education	6/26 – 6/30
Classes	7/3 – 7/28
Field Experience at Pálköve (Lake Balaton)	7/31 – 8/6
Program ends	8/6

Note: The earliest time to fly out is August 6 at 12 noon, but a later flight will be more convenient. For details, see the last two bullet points under Week 6 information on this page.

Academic Program

Summer@BSME has two academic components: (a) courses in mathematics education and (b) field experience at a mathematics camp for secondary students. Participants learn about the Hungarian pedagogy in their course work; in the field experience, they obtain first-hand experience on how the methods learned in the courses are put into practice.

Mathematics Education Courses:

• DLP Discovery Learning: The Pósa Method
• GMP Gamification and Playfulness in Teaching Mathematics
• GPS Teaching Geometry through Problem Solving
• PRC Practicum: Experiencing the Hungarian Approach through Observation and Teaching

All BSME courses lie at the intersection of mathematics and education. But they differ in the emphasis placed on each discipline.

• DLP and GPS have an increased mathematical content. They provide participants with the experience of learning mathematics through the Hungarian pedagogy, so they can acquire firsthand understanding of the values of those experiences for learners.
• GMP and PRC, while deeply situated in mathematics, have an increased focus on teaching methodology and on implementing the Hungarian pedagogy in the classroom setting.

Attendance

Attendance in BSME classes is required and participation is expected. Both will factor into your course grade. Please organize your travels and other activities in a way that they do not conflict with classes. If you need to miss a class, you must obtain the instructor’s permission in advance.

Course Credits

BSME courses are designed so that credits are transferable to American colleges and universities. St. Olaf College is the School of Record for BSME and provides the transcripts. See this page for how credits from BSME courses typically transfer to participants’ home institutions.

Academic Schedule

Please see the Academic Schedule page for details.

Program Cost

See the Program Costs page.