Matthew Beyranevand produces and hosts “Math with Matthew,” a public access cable television show that combines comedy and music to help pre-teen children understand mathematics without even realizing it.
“While I was a teaching assistant in college, I decided that teaching was the career for me,” says Beyranevand, the K-12 mathematics and science coordinator for Chelmsford Public Schools. “The excitement and energy of helping students understand had me hooked.”
Having earned his master’s in 2003 and doctorate in 2010 from the then-Graduate School of Education, now the School of Education, he gained the skills he needed to become a strong teacher and researcher.
“Matthew’s master’s and doctoral work at the GSE showed his ability to apply theory and research to the world of practice and to do so creatively,” said Graduate School of Education Dean Anita Greenwood. “His enthusiasm for making mathematics accessible and exciting for students is beyond compare.”
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.
“My time at UMass Lowell was nothing short of excellent,” he says. “The master’s program in education helped make me into a strong teacher, and the doctoral program helped prepare me to take on a greater leadership role in math and science.”
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 a podcast. One of his most popular music videos, “What is the Value of Pi?”, has been viewed more than 80,000 times.
The website has become a useful resource for math teachers to learn unique and fun methods to help increase their students’ interest in mathematics.