Papers of Peter G. Braunfeld (1930-), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Professor Emeritus of Mathematics (1959-1997), is recognized for his research in mathematics education, PLATO automatic teaching systems, grades 7-16 curriculum development, pre- and in-service teaching training, and educational technology.
Papers include Braunfeld's professional correspondence, conference materials and talks, Department of Mathematics Math Tattler newsletters, committee reports, and childre's math books written by Belgian mathematician Frederique Papy-Lenger. Also included are Braunfeld's teaching materials for the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Department of Math, the Calculus for Teachers Summer Institute, and the Rockford Calculus for Teachers Project; his Stretchers and Shrinkers textbook; and his publications relating to mathematics education, curriculum development, and educational technology.
The Peter Braunfeld and Family Papers also include Fritz and Johanna Braunfeld's (his parents) personal papers documenting their life, work, the family's flight from Austria in 1939 via Czechoslovakia, the UK, and the USA, and Holocaust restitution issues in the decades thereafter. Johanna Braunfeld taught German and French at the University of Illinois for over two decades.
Arrangement: organized into 3 series: Series 1, Correspondence and Subject Files, 1957-1996, arranged alphabetically by subject; Series 2: Courses, 1957-1991, arranged alphabetically by course name or title; and Series 3, Publications, arranged chronologically by date of publication.
Series 1: Correspondence and Subject Files, 1957-1996, consists of Peter Braunfeld's professional correspondence, awards, conference materials and talks, UIUC Department of Mathematics Math Tattler newsletters, committee reports, and children�¢??s books written by Belgian mathematician Frederique Papy-Lenger, arranged alphabetically by title.
Series 2: Courses, 1957-1991, consists of courses, summer programs, and workshops taught by Peter Braunfeld including courses on calculus, algebra, linear transformations and matrices, the Calculus for Teachers Summer Institute, and the Rockford Calculus for Teachers Project, arranged alphabetically by title.
Series 3: Publications, 1956-2004, consists of books, journal articles, reports, conference proceedings, and textbooks authored and co-authored by Peter G. Braunfeld, arranged chronologically.
PETER G. BRAUNFELD (1930 - )
Peter G. Braunfeld, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Professor Emeritus of Mathematics, is recognized for his research in mathematics education, PLATO automatic teaching systems, grades 7-16 curriculum development, in-service teaching training, and educational technology.
Peter G. Braunfeld was born December 12, 1930 in Vienna, Austria to Fritz and Johanna Braunfeld. Being Jewish, the Braunfelds fled Austria in 1939 via Czechoslovakia and the United Kingdom before finally ending up in the United States. They eventually moved to Urbana-Champaign, IL, where Johanna Braunfeld taught French and German at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) for over two decades.
Peter Braunfeld received his Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts and Sciences from the University of Chicago in 1946 and his Masters and Ph.D. in Mathematics (abstract algebra) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1951 and 1959. After completing his Master's Degree, Braunfeld worked as a research associate for the Control Systems Laboratory doing systems analysis and automatic radar data processing from 1953-1959; as Research Assistant Professor at the Coordinated Science Library 1959-1966; as co-creator of PLATO (Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations); Associate Professor of Mathematics and Education 1966-1968; and Professor of Mathematics and Education from 1968-1997.
Braunfeld's contributions include his work as chief author of Stretchers and Shrinkers (a 7th grade mathematics program for challenged students), his research related to mathematics development and education technology, and his service as an advisor to numerous national curriculum projects including the University of Illinois Committee on School mathematics (UICSM), the University of Boston BUMP program, the Education Development Center (EDC) in Newton, MA, Robert Moses' Algebra Project, and the UIUC Office for Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education (MSTE). In addition to his research and involvement, he has also produced, taught, and organized over fifty professional development programs for college, elementary school, and high school teachers including the Calculus for Teachers Summer Institute, Computers for Elementary Teachers workshop, and the Rockford Calculus for Teachers Project.
Throughout his professional career, Braunfeld has received many awards for his research and service including The Mathematics Educators in Illinois (ICTM) Distinguished Life Achievement in Mathematics Award (2015), Excellence in Extramural Teaching Award (1992), Max Beberman Prize for outstanding contributions to mathematics education by the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1980), Senior U.S. Scientist Award for Research and Teaching by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (1973), a Fulbright Travel Grant to teach and study in West Germany (1959), and the Goethe Prize for Excellence in German Language and Literature at the University of Chicago (1949), amongst many others.