Who was that Mathman?

The name 'Mathman' for Don came when he visited the home of a 2nd grader. Upon reaching the front door, he heard his student inside the house say, "Mom, here comes the mathman!" Then Don's wife Marilyn ordered a license plate for their car: MATHMAN. For those of you who remember 'The Lone Ranger' (the Masked man), at Don's 50th birthday party, one of his friends gave him a tee-shirt which had printed on the back 'Who was that Mathman?'

Don Cohen was born in Jersey City, N.J. in 1930. He has taught all ages of students for 56+ years, the last 34 of those as co-founder and teacher of The Math Program, with his partner Jerry Glynn.

After 7 years of teaching in a junior high school, he realized there must be a more enjoyable and effective way to teach math. He searched for alternatives. This lead to designing new curriculum for NY State; learning about mathematics and creativity from Robert B. Davis (who died in Dec. '97) with The Madison Project; learning what real teaching is about by observing great teachers such as Sue Monell at Bank Street; teaching teachers; working on PLATO (a computer-based education system started at the U of IL); all before Don and Jerry invented The Math Program. This is a great organizational scheme which enables them to work with about 5 students at a time, in their homes, with students of all abilities and ages (3 to 73) and have time to write, learn, and work together.

One of the most interesting and satisfying events (besides the birth of his sons, grandchildren, and greatgrandchildren) in Don's life, was the completion of his book
Calculus By and For Young People
(ages 7, yes 7 and up)
which was reviewed in the Dec. 1988 issue of Scientific American, as well as in many other places. He then, with his son Brian in IA, produced his two videotapes. In 1992 Don created his book Calculus By and For Young People-Worksheets, which was an attempt to help young people, parents and teachers, by asking questions leading to the different ideas in his book. He then he produced "A Map to Calculus". The third book Don wrote was "Changing Shapes With Matrices". He has also worked with students around the country and around the world (as far as Tasmania, AU), in his Math By Mail/Email Program. Students also have come to Champaign for a week at a time from around the country and the world to work with Don (from as far away as Japan). In 1996 Don started his web site, helped by Jenny, then a sophomore at MIT who Don had as a student in The Math Program when she was in 5th grade! Don's former internet server was part-owned by a former 5th grade student. His A Map to Calculus was made clickable by another former student, Jonathan Storm. Don's 3 books were published in Japanese as well.

The 1986 THE FRIEND OF CHILDREN AWARD was presented to Don by The Montessori School of C-U and The East Central Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children.

In 2008, Don was the recipient of an Excellence in Education Award, given by his alumni association at SUNY at Albany.

Don was asked to give an online presentation for Math2.0, a Google Math group, on August 4, 2010

Don 's presentation Calculus By and For Young People, ages 7 and up was accepted by the 2010 Global Education Conference and given on November 16, online.

Don had 3 students, a long time ago, who now bring their children to work with Don- it doesn't get better than that!

Don has been blessed with a wonderful wife (of 58+ years), three fine sons, 6 terrific grandchildren and 3 greatgrandchildren! He is a watercolor artist (see the shell on his main page) and as a friend said, "he takes time to smell the flowers and gives them to people". See his page Don paints in watercolor with.. students and grandchildren

Don with Khaki (on the cover of his worksheet book), then age 17, a long time ago, used the computer program Derive to "zoom in" on a curve to find the slope of the tangent at a point on the curve, leading to the derivative. She was preparing for her Fall calculus class. (see Ch. 14). Khaki is now a teacher and using this book with her students!

These are the good old days!