Education

Master of Mathematics for Teachers                                                                          In progress
University of Waterloo

Master of Science, Applied Geoscience, GPA: 3.97/4.00                                            Aug 2012
University of Pennsylvania

Bachelor of Science, Geochemistry, GPA: 4.22/5.00                                                    Jun 2009
Nanjing University

Teaching Experience

Shanghai Hangzhou-Bay Bilingual School, China                                             Mar.2017-Jul.2021
One of the 7 Founding Members of the School
Math Teacher & Team Leader

• Taught mathematics to students ranging from 6th to 9th grade, across two levels: standard and honors.
• Built the mathematics team and developed the bilingual curriculum.
• Succeeded in math competitions and the Shanghai High School Entrance Exam (Zhongkao): 2021 Continental Mathematics League Global School Award; students also achieved outstanding results (Top 1%) in American Mathematics Competition 8 and other global competitions; Top 3 in Zhongkao mathematics in Jinshan school district (Top 1 as a bilingual school).

Director of Teaching & Learning

• Established a collaborative lesson preparation mechanism for teachers, allowing teachers to share ideas and discuss on specific topics, so that each lesson plan along with the course material is of high quality.
• Introduced a two-way breakdown table in making test papers so that the questions meet the requirements of the curriculum; Optimized the analysis of test papers statistically: the quartiles of each class and scoring rate of each knowledge point with analysis.
• Performed longitudinal analysis of the effect of the teaching strategies in each grade and across different grades using the evaluation results of Measure of Academic Progress.

Shanghai High School International Division, China                                    Aug.2012-Dec.2014
Math & Physics Teacher

• Taught Pre-Algebra, Algebra, and Geometry using the American-based curriculum to students at all levels, from standard level to standard plus to honors.
• Taught physics to the 8th graders at two levels: standard and honors.

Research Experience

A Middle School Mathematics Curriculum Integrating the Advantages of Shanghai Mathematics and the US Common Core Standards
Shanghai Institute for International Curriculum Research  Mar.2017-Jul.2021

• Compared the Shanghai Middle School Mathematics Curriculum G6-G9 (Textbook and High School Entrance Examination) to the US Common Core Standards (Pearson Textbook: Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry, and SAT) in the following aspects: selection and organization of curriculum contents, ways to boost students’ conceptual understanding, difficulty levels of problems, and unit activities. (Series of books are in progress)
• Created and applied the first version of such a middle school mathematics curriculum for bilingual schools as a team leader.
• Designed the supporting practices and assessments associated with the curriculum.

Enhancing Students’ Mathematical Literacy in Spatial Reasoning and Deductive Reasoning
Shanghai Ministry of Education (Jinshan School District) Sep.2020-Jan.2021

• Implemented the use of “GeoGebra” as an intervention to teach geometric proof, aiming to investigate how dynamic technology can enhance students’ spatial reasoning and deductive reasoning skills in solving high-cognitive geometric problems encountered in Zhongkao.
• Examined students’ difficulties in solving geometric problems that require the application of auxiliary lines and discovered that while GeoGebra aids students in recognizing geometric relationships, it offers limited assistance in facilitating subsequent deductive reasoning.

Exploring Interdisciplinary Cross-Case Analysis Responding to the Reform of the Shanghai Zhongkao
Shanghai Ministry of Education (Jinshan School District) Sep.2018-Jun.2019

• Lead the math team and designed projects such as creating tessellation through transformation, unfolding the geometric theorems of Chinese paper cut art, designing a lottery system using a spin wheel, comparing ancient methods of solving real-life problems in The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art with modern ones, and so on.

Publication

1. Xia Yang. (2022). Mind on Equations (book). Self-Published. https://www.amazon.ca/Mind-Equations-Xia-Yang-ebook/dp/B0B5JXB812/ref=sr_1_1?_encoding=UTF8&keywords=Mind+on+Equations&qid=1663136924&s=digital-text&sr=1-1
2. Xia Yang. (2023). Developing higher-order thinking skills through exploring the system of quadratic equations. BC Vector, 64(1), 12-19.

Certification & Awards

• 2019 Shanghai Outstanding Youth in Education
• British Columbia Independent School Subject-Restricted Teaching Certificate (2022)
• Shanghai Certified Middle School Math Teacher (Intermediate Level)
• National Scholarship for University Students (2007, 2008)
• Coursera Course Certificate: Statistical Inference, Python for Everybody Specialization, Applied Plotting, Charting & Data Representation in Python.

Volunteer and Service

University of Pennsylvania Alumni Interviewer  2019-Now
Conducted both face-to-face interviews in 2019 and virtual interviews since covid-19.
The Center for Education in Mathematics and Computing, University of Waterloo
2023 EFGH marking
Peace Portal Alliance Church  Mar.2023-Now
Kidshine program group lead