2021 Susan Gay Travel Scholarship Recipient
Daniel Edelen
University of Central Florida
Biography
Daniel Edelen is a doctoral student in the Ph.D. in Education, Elementary Education Track, in the College of Community Innovation and Education at the University of Central Florida. He is expected to complete his degree in May 2022, studying under the mentorship of Dr. Sarah B. Bush. He began teaching at a public elementary school, where he taught grades 2-5, with a focus on integrated and inquiry-based learning. At the University of Central Florida, Mr. Edelen has taught elementary mathematics methods and experiential learning courses at the undergraduate level. His teaching focuses on the preparation of pre-service teachers and their journey in using culturally and linguistically responsive teaching and pedagogies to encourage the understanding of mathematics content and practices.
His research focuses on student-constructed sociocultural mathematical norms, specifically as they relate to power structures and systems of authority in elementary mathematics. He is especially interested in using ethnographic perspectives to uncover ways in which the positioning of students influences their identity, thinking, and sense of belonging in elementary mathematics. Mr. Edelen is the author or co-author of fourteen peer-reviewed national journal articles and fifteen peer-reviewed presentations. He has published empirical research studies, theoretical pieces, practitioner-focused pieces, and commentaries in national journals. He has presented at international, national, and state conferences on the topics of integrated STEAM, using mathematics to build student empathy, addressing power differentials in elementary mathematics, and transdisciplinary STEM learning. He has served as a graduate research assistant on several grant-funded research projects at UCF. He is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators, and Florida Council of Teachers of Mathematics.