1959: Robert M. Berkman, BLTMath's founder, born in the small town of Jericho, New York, a Long Island town founded by Quakers in the 17th century.

1964: Berkman starts kindergarten where he distinguishes himself by ripping open a bag of potato chips which goes flying around the table, hitting Robert Futterman, the future real estate tycoon.

1966: Early in first grade, Berkman is placed in the bottom reading group. It is a memory that will follow him through graduate school and beyond

1977: Berkman graduates from Jericho High School. At the ceremony, he passes a note to the Assistant Principal Bausch informing him that someone is illegally parked in Lot C.

1977 - 82: Berkman attends Brown University. He majors in Urban Studies, takes way too many courses in semiotics and writes for the campus magazines and newspapers.

1982 - 83: Berkman disappears in Europe for a year. He returns ready to go to work. What he intends to work at, he has no idea.

1984: Berkman takes his first job as a middle school math-science teacher at Adelphi Academy. He falls in love with the profession of teaching.

1985: Berkman is hired to teach mathematics and science at The Berkeley Carroll School. He spends 7 years there. While at Berkeley Carroll, he meets Ihor Charischak, who becomes a frequent collaborator in the area of mathematics and technology.

1992: Berkman earns an M.S. in K - 6 education at Brooklyn College, where he specializes in mathematics. His masters project on de-tracking classrooms earns him honors. He also publishes his first article in an NCTM journal, "Teacher As Kimp." He leaves Berkeley Carroll to teach mathematics and science at the Bank Street School for Children.

1992 - 1995: Berkman continues to publish articles for the NCTM; he also organizes the first "Adventures in Math and Science" at the Mary McDowell Center for Learning, a Quaker school for children with learning disabilities in Brooklyn.

1995 - 96: Berkman becomes the science coordinator at Mary McDowell, as well as an adjunct professor of mathematics and science education at Brooklyn College.

1996 - 2000: Berkman works at MS 88, a public school in Brooklyn, NY, where he teaches chess and middle school mathematics. He continues to publish articles in the NCTM journals, including one about chess, and is invited to present at NCTM conferences.

2000 - 2007: Berkman takes up residence at Friends Seminary, a Quaker school in Manhattan, where he takes the position of Lower School Mathematics Coordinator. He starts to collaborate with the Whitney Museum of American Art, where he creates activities connecting mathematics with visual arts. He also sits on the educational advisory board at the MOMA. He continues to publish articles about mathematics and makes presentations for the NCTM and ASCD.

2002 : Berkman runs the first "Institute for Conceptual Mathematics," a two day program to train teachers on the use of concepts in teaching mathematics.

2005: Berkman runs the first conference on early childhood mathematics called "Early Childhood
Numeracy: Confronting the Myths, Understanding the Reality," a day-long workshop which prepared educators to become leaders of mathematics instruction in their schools by examining the fundamental concepts that develop in young children during their early years. Dr. Herbert Ginsburg, an early childhood specialist at Teachers' College, is our guest speaker.

2007 - 2009: Berkman assembles two new presentations for the New York State Association of Independent Schools. His topics include differentiating instruction in the mathematics classroom, as well as his current workshop, "Wiring the Brian for Mathematics," a full day presentation on using neuroscience to improve classroom mathematics.

2009: Berkman forms "Better Living Through Mathematics," a non-profit to improve mathematics instruction in schools using research based methodology.

2010: Street Math Investigations: Family Math debuts at PS 107 in Brooklyn. Over 200 parents, caregivers and children enjoy with our hands-on, interactive mathematics exhibits.