51视频

04/28/2016
By Karen Angelo

From TV shows to music videos, the 鈥淢ath with Matthew鈥� program is changing the way kids learn.

The brainchild of Graduate School of Education alumnus Matthew Beyranevand, the innovative teaching program infuses popular culture into math instruction to reach the minds of today鈥檚 students.

As the K-12 Mathematics and Science coordinator for the Chelmsford Public Schools, Beyranevand produces and hosts a public access television show and creates music videos with the students to communicate math concepts.

鈥淚 decided to be a teacher in college when I became a teaching assistant,鈥� says Beyranevand. 鈥淭he excitement and energy of helping students understand had me hooked.鈥�

鈥淢ath with Matthew鈥� started four years ago with one-off math and science related music videos with other teachers and students.

鈥淚 started to see how bringing new ways to communicate with students into my teaching methods could combine to do great things,鈥� he says.

Beyranevand recently completed a 16-month pilot project for a 鈥淏ill Nye the Science Guy鈥� style show that explains the Pythagorean theorem. 鈥淢ath with Matthew: The Pythagorean Project鈥� has aired in more than 30 Massachusetts communities and has won several awards. The math music videos recently captured the attention of .

He also produces and hosts 鈥淪cience with Matthew鈥� spotlighting the science and innovation fairs in Chelmsford, as well as 鈥淓ye on PARCC鈥� which familiarizes the educational community with the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC), a system of standardized assessments.

Beyranevand has used music videos to include the arts into learning.

鈥淚 felt that taking the STEM acronym and adding an A for the arts to make STEAM just made sense,鈥� said Beyranevand, 鈥淚 wanted to create engaging media that helps kids enjoy mathematics.鈥�

His work with students and viewers doesn鈥檛 end with his television and video programs. His website, , was first launched to host his many music videos, and has developed into a multimedia resource that features articles, a math blog and podcast. It has become a useful resource for math teachers to learn unique and fun methods to help increase their students鈥� interest in mathematics.

Having earned his master鈥檚 in 2003 and doctorate in 2010 from the Graduate School of Education (GSE), Beyranevand gained the skills he needed to conduct mathematics education research.

鈥淢atthew鈥檚 master鈥檚 and doctoral work at the GSE showed his ability to apply theory and research to the world of practice and to do so creatively,鈥� said Dean of the Graduate School of Education Anita Greenwood. 鈥淗is enthusiasm for making mathematics accessible and exciting for students is beyond compare.鈥�

In addition to articles from his dissertation on investigating multiple representations of mathematical concepts, he has had articles published on the impact of popular culture on mathematics instruction.

鈥淢y time at 51视频 was nothing short of excellent,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he master鈥檚 program in education helped make me into a strong teacher and the doctoral program helped prepared me to take on a greater leadership role in math and science. Prof. Regina Panasuk, my mentor and dissertation chair, was instrumental in my professional development and growth.鈥�