Edward Silver Awarded for Work
In late 2004, the Regents of the University of Michigan named four Collegiate Professorships in Education. A named chair or professorship is a unique way that the University honors both its historical figures and its current distinguished faculty. The regents honored Edward Silver as one of the first holders of these professorships.
William A. Brownell Collegiate Professorship in Education (Edward A. Silver)
William Arthur Brownell gained his
Ph.D. from the University of Chicago
in 1926. He was a faculty member
at the University of Michigan (192728) and a number of other prestigious
universities, including Professor of
Education and Dean of the School of
Education at UC-Berkeley.
Professor Brownell conducted research on children’s learning, particularly in arithmetic. His theoretical position, known as “meaning theory,” was that understanding, not sheer repetition, is the basis for robust mathematical learning. He actively applied his theory and research to mathematical education.
Professor Brownell’s distinguished career included national professional leadership and recognition. He was twice the chairman of the National Society for the Study of Education. He served as president of the American Educational Research Association and of the Division of Educational Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA). He was the second recipient of the Edward Lee Thorndike annual award given by this Division.
Edward A. Silver is Professor of Education and Mathematics at the University of Michigan and Chair of the Educational Studies Program. He has taught at the middle school and high school levels in New York State and at universities in Illinois, California, and Pennsylvania. He received his Ed.D. in mathematics education in 1977 from Teachers College, Columbia University.
Silver’s scholarly interests include the study of mathematical thinking, especially mathematical problem solving and problem posing; the design and analysis of intellectually engaging and equitable mathematics instruction for middle school students; innovative methods of assessing and reporting mathematics achievement; and effective models for enhancing the knowledge of teachers of mathematics. His work has been published not only in major research journals but also in outlets intended to reach the educational practice community, especially K-12 teachers of mathematics.
This profile appeared in the Spring 2005 edition of Innovator
