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Dr. Craig Cullen

Professor
Mathematics
Office
STV Stevenson Hall 331c
Office Hours
By appointment
  • About
  • Education
  • Awards & Honors
  • Research

Biography

Before coming to ISU, I taught high school for 6 years at Willowbrook high school in Villa Park IL. During that time, I taught algebra, geometry, precalculus, data analysis, and calculus. Outside of the classroom, I coached the Willowbrook boy's gymnastics team.

Current Courses

599.002Dissertation

599.007Dissertation

599.010Dissertation

223.001Introduction To Secondary Mathematics Education

599.005Dissertation

599.007Dissertation

500.002Independent Study

223.001Introduction To Secondary Mathematics Education

326.001Mathematical Problem Solving Using Technology

583.002Professional Projects In Mathematics Education

Teaching Interests & Areas

My teaching focuses on courses for preservice high school teachers. I have taught all of our methods courses for these students. The course I have taught the most is our technology course for preservice teachers.

Research Interests & Areas

The role of technology in the teaching and learning of mathematics.

Children's development of measurement concepts. I am currently focused on quantitative reasoning, especially as it relates to students' understanding of angle measure and trigonometry.

Ph D Mathematics Education

Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

MA Mathematics Education

DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

BS Mathematics Education

Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

College of Arts and Sciences Outstanding University Teacher Award nominee

College of Arts and Sciences
2022

Department Outstanding Teacher Award

Department of Mathematics (ISU)
2022

Outstanding University Teaching Nominee

2018

Outstanding College Teaching Award

Department of Mathematics (ISU)
2017

Department Outstanding Teacher Award

Department of Mathematics (ISU)
2016

Million Dollar Club

Research and Sponsored Programs (ISU)
2014

STaR Fellow

AMTE
2012

Departmental Teaching Initiative Award

Department of Mathematics (ISU)
2012

Book, Authored

Barrett, J. E., Cullen, C. J., Klanderman, D., & Behnke, D. (2017). A Pleasure to Measure. (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics): Reston, VA.

Book, Chapter


Barrett, J. E., Wickstrom, M. H., Tobias, J. M., Cullen, C. J., Cullen, A. L., & Baek, J. M., (2019), Chapter 3: Children’s Measurement Project. In P. Sztajn, P. H. Wilson (Eds.), Learning Trajectories for Teachers: Designing Effective Professional Development for Math Instruction. (pp. 48-74). New York, NY: Teachers College Press.
Barrett, J. E., Clements, D. H., Sarama, J., Miller, A. L., Cullen, C. J., Van Dine, D. W., . . . Klanderman, D. (2017). Integration of results: A new learning trajectory for area. In J. E. Barrett, D. H. Clements, & J. Sarama (Eds.), Children’s measurement: A longitudinal study of children’s knowledge and learning of length, area, and volume. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education monograph series (Vol. 16, pp. 129–148). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Barrett, J. E., Cullen, C. J., Miller, A. L., Eames, C. L., Kara, M., & Klanderman, D. (2017). Area in the middle and later elementary grades. In J. E. Barrett, D. H. Clements, & J. Sarama (Eds.), Children’s measurement: A longitudinal study of children’s knowledge and learning of length, area, and volume. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education monograph series (Vol. 16, pp. 105–127). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Cullen, C. J., Barrett, J. E., Kara, M., Eames, C. L., Miller, A. L., & Klanderman, D. (2017). Integration of results: A new learning trajectory for volume. In J. E. Barrett, D. H. Clements, & J. Sarama (Eds.), Children’s measurement: A longitudinal study of children’s knowledge and learning of length, area, and volume. Journal for Research in Mathematics Education monograph series (Vol. 16, pp. 181–201). Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Barrett, J., & Cullen, C. Strategy use indicative of an understanding of units of length. In M. Pinto & T. Kawasaki (EDs), Proceedings of the 34th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education 2 (2010): 281-288.

Conference Proceeding


Cullen, C. J., & Martin, T. S. (2018). Exploring trigonometric relationships: Is it a function? In Editors, Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 259–262). Greenville, SC: Publisher.
Dimmel, J., Nickels, M., Cullen, C., & Bock, C. (2018). Mathematical making in immersive virtual environments working group. In Editors, Proceedings of the 40th Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 1422–1428). Greenville, SC: Publisher.
O’Dell, J. R., Barrett, J. E., Cullen, C. J., Rupnow, T. J., Clements, D. H., Sarama, J., Rutherford, G., & Beck, P. S. (2017). Using a Virtual Manipulative Environment to Support Students’ Organizational Structuring of Volume Units. In E. Galindo & J. Newton (Eds.), Proceedings of the 39th Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 1329–1336). Indianapolis, IN: Hoosier Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators.
Beck, P. S., Eames, C. L., Cullen C. J., Barrett, J. E., Clements, D. H., & Sarama, J. (2014). Linking children’s knowledge of length measurement to their use of double number lines. In Liljedahl, P., Nicol, C., Oesterle, S., & Allan, D. (Eds.). Proceedings of the 38th Annual Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education. (Vol. 2) (pp. 105-112). Vancouver, Canada: PME
Eames, C. L., Miller, A. L., Kara, M., Cullen, C. J., & Barrett, J. E. (2013). The longitudinal development of unit concepts in area and volume measurement contexts: A case study. In M. Martinez & A. Castro Superfine (Eds.), Proceedings of the 35th Annual Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education (pp. 171–178). Chicago, IL. Retrieved from http://pmena.org/2013/files/PMENA2013_Conference_Proceedings.pdf

Journal Article

Cullen, C. J., Ssebaggala, L., and Chávez, O. (2024). Rate of change: Degrees vs. radians. North American GeoGebra Journal, 12(1): 25-31.
Cullen, C. J., & Hertel, J. T. (2023). Improving our criticism of technology in mathematics education. Mathematics Teacher: Learning & Teaching PK–12, 116(5), 314–321. https://doi.org/10.5951/mtlt.2023.0004
Hertel, J. T., & Cullen, C. J. (2023). Technology: Reflecting and Moving Forward. Mathematics Teacher: Teaching and Learning PK–12, 116(5), 310–311. https://doi.org/10.5951/MTLT.2023.0053
Rupnow, T., O’Dell, J. R., Barrett, J. E., Cullen, C. J., Clements, D. H., Sarama, J., Rutherford, G. (2022). Children’s Construction of a Volume Calculation Algorithm for a Rectangular Prism with a Dynamic Virtual Manipulative, Journal of Mathematical Behavior, 67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmathb.2022.100998


Sarama, J., Clements, D. H., Barrett, J. E., Cullen, C. J., Hudyma, A., & Vanegas, Y. (2022). Length measurement in the early years: teaching and learning with learning trajectories, Mathematical Thinking and Learning, 24:4, 267-290, DOI: 10.1080/10986065.2020.1858245




Presentations

Cullen, C. J. (2024, February) Comparing Radians and Degrees. Presented at the 38th Annual Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference – Southern Section.
Cullen, C. J. (2024, February). Making Sense of Fractions. Presented at the The 38th Annual Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference - Southern Section.
Cullen, C. J., Martin, T. S., Chávez, O. (2024, March) Developing geometric concept definitions for tangent and secant. Presented at the 51st Annual Conference of the Research Council on Mathematics Learning (RCML).
Cullen, C. J., Ssebaggala, L, & Cullen, A. L., (2024, January 11). Constructing Models of Relationships. NCTM. Online.
Ssebaggala, L., & Cullen, C. J., (2024, March) Student Reasoning: Insights into Trigonometric Relationships. Presented at the 51st Annual Conference of the Research Council on Mathematics Learning (RCML).
Cullen, C. J. (2023, April) Does this Look Random? Presented at the 69th Annual Western Illinois University Mathematics Teacher's Conference.
Cullen, C. J. (2023, February). Sine, Cosine, Tangent → Sine, Secant, Tangent. Presented at the The 37th Annual Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference - Southern Section.
Cullen, C. J. (2023, October) Does this Look Random? Presented at the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics 73rd Annual Meeting.
Cullen, C. J., & Hertel, J. T. (2023). Using Technology Strategically in the Mathematics Classroom (Part 1). NCTM. Online.
Cullen, C. J., & Hertel, J. T. (2023, June 1). Using Technology Strategically in the Mathematics Classroom (Part 2). NCTM. Online.

Grants & Contracts

Learning Trajectories to Support the Growth of Measurement Knowledge: Pre-K through Middle School. National Science Foundation: Discovery Research K-12. Federal. (2014)
Mathematical Concept Development through Measurement for teachers of Grades 1 through 5. Illinois Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program. (2012)
Formative Assessment Improving Teachers' Instructional Practices. Mathematics and Science Partnerships (Illinois State Board of Education). Illinois State University.
Illinois Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program- Mathematical Concept Development through Measurement for teachers of Grades 1 through 5 stage II. Department of Education. State.
Illinois Mathematics and Science Partnerships Program-Mathematical Concept Development through Measurement for teachers of Grades 1 through 5. Department of Education. State.