Math - Camera - Action!

Hey Middle School Math Teachers...have you heard about the MathCounts Video Challenge?  The Math Video Challenge empowers students to work together to take their math and problem-solving skills to the next level with a creative video project.  Students work together in teams of 4 to create a video that explains the solution to a MATHCOUNTS problem and demonstrates a real-world application of the mathematics in the problem.  This project integrates art, writing, mathematics, acting and technology, and allows students to have fun while learning content.    Click the photo below to view last year's winning video, and click here to see previous winners.

Ready to get started?  Click the image below!

Need more motivation?  There are prizes, and it's free to enter!

Thoughts On The Journey

I met Karen Economopoulos just before we began our district-wide journey toward conceptual math via Investigations at a TERC reception during an NCTM conference. (Thanks, Dr. Maria Blanton for scoring the JoCo attendees an invite!!)   We talked and laughed about the candy bar, drink tickets, and our accents, and she was so supportive as she brainstormed with me about our implementation plan.  She listened to my worries and wonderings about starting with the 2nd edition vs. delaying implementation to wait for the 3rd edition.  She encouraged me to "just get started."


Now, as our district is a little further along that journey toward conceptual mathematics education, I'm a little worn down by the sheer enormousness of it all...but the bumps and bruises are FAR outnumbered by the renewed excitement some teachers express about teaching mathematics; by the  amazing conversations happening in our math professional learning communities and throughout classrooms around the district.  I KNOW this was a step (or push, in some cases) in the right direction for us, even though it's not been easy.  We've all got a few scars to show for our hard work, but through it all, we've learned that we can do hard things.

As I read Karen's words in this blog post this morning, I am reminded why we started this journey in the first place.  That it's not about new and flashy mathematics at all.  It's about doing what's right.  It's about helping everyone (teachers, students, parents, community stakeholders) understand that mathematics is about a creative way of thinking and that it ought to make sense.

We were so excited to attend the NCTM "Investigations Sneak Peek Session!"
That's another of my edu-heroes, Amanda Gosek, pictured with Karen.
Amanda is amazing and deserves her own series of blog posts (stay tuned)!

I can't wait to see Karen again at the NCCTM State Conference in November!!  Join me (I'll be near the middle, on the end!) and we'll eat popcorn and learn together!  (Note to the program committee... please don't put my session opposite hers!!)

Week of Inspirational Math Challenge

How do we help students develop growth mindsets toward mathematics?  Check out this video, created by Sarah Holmes and Christen VanNewkirk, two of our Johnston County Public School high school math teachers, and their students.  

Will you accept their challenge and give it a try?  
Let us know how it goes!

For more information, visit Jo Boaler's Week of Inspirational Math at YouCubed.org. 

Blog 2.0!

Welcome!  I'm so glad you decided to check out this blog!  I'm excited about the possibilities of using this tool to share ideas and showcase the wonderful things happening in math classrooms across the Johnston County Public School District.  This is actually my second attempt to blog about math in Johnston.  I'm giving it another shot after stepping away from it for a couple of years, and I'm excited to share and learn with you!

Exciting Math Professional Development Opportunity

Jo Boaler is coming to North Carolina! 

NCCTM  Spring  Leadership  Seminar
Friday, March 27, 2015

The Mindset Revolution:  Teaching Mathematics for a Growth Mindset

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jo Boaler

Marriott Greensboro Airport Hotel
9:00 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.

Dr. Boaler’s keynote address will focus on what it means to teach math for a growth mindset. She will work with participants on different mathematics tasks, different forms of assessment and grading, grouping arrangements, encouragement and praise, and many other aspects of mathematics teaching, through the use of classroom videos and math tasks. There will also be four afternoon break-out sessions (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, 9-12), facilitated by the Department of Public Instruction Mathematics Consultants.

Have you registered yet?  It's sure to fill up fast, so register today!  Click here to register.

Check out this video as she shares the Good and Bad of Mathematics Education:

What Do I Need to Know About the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics?

There's a lot of misinformation out there regarding the Common Core State Standards for Math.  Want to know more about the CCSS?  How they were developed?  Which states adopted them?  Why is there a need to revise the old standards?  

1).  Click on the image below and check out this three-minute video, posted on the CCSS website:

2.)  Watch this 15 Minute Video Alan Maloney and Jere Confrey from the Friday Institute for Educational Innovation explain what we need to know about the CCSS.

3.)  Check out these resources from the National PTA 

3-5 Games have been posted to the Mathematics Wiki

http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Elementary 
Click on the grade level (3-5).  
Then scroll down and look for the link " Building Conceptual Understanding and Fluency Through Games"

Building Conceptual Understanding and Fluency Through Games

These games are aligned to The Common Core State Standards. The intent of this document is to provide students with an opportunity to develop conceptual understanding and computational proficiency.  Please feel free to adapt, tweak, or modify the games to meet the needs of your learners! K-2 Games coming soon!

Please send feedback:

Kitty Rutherford  kitty.rutherford@dpi.nc.gov  or

Denise Shculzdenise.schulz@dpi.nc.gov .

Elementary Webinar: READY, SET, REVIEW FOR CCSS MATHEMATICS

Are we prepared for this year's Math EOG?  What have we learned from last year's data?  What are we doing to prepare our students now?

I highly recommend this NC-DPI Elementary Math Webinar for 3-5 Teachers:

Join us to learn more about effective strategies that will foster mastery and retention of critical mathematics skills and concepts. Real teaching in the form of review, formative assessment, and re-teaching using released EOG items as a resource. Help raise achievement, improve instruction, and make a difference in mathematics instruction for students.

Elementary Math Update

Join us for a Webinar on April 2 Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/206056600 Title: Elementary Math Update Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2014 Time: 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM EDT After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

County-Wide K-12 Math PLC Opportunity

Interested in participating in a county-wide PLC through participation in an online course focused on multiplication and division of whole numbers and bridging the understanding to fraction understanding?

• One major concern we hear from middle and high school teachers is that students still struggle to understand multiplication and division.  
• What do we do when students are in Math I and still don't know basic multiplication facts?  How do we intervene?
• How do we help middle school students solve equations if they don't know what it means to divide?  
• Better yet, in elementary school, how can we teach these concepts so that students develop an understanding early on?  

This online course is for teachers who want to understand student multiplicative reasoning - how students make their own mathematical distinctions when reasoning with multiple contexts for multiplication and division - and how to help students move beyond repeated addition early, instead of too late.

The design of a Massive Online Open Course for Educators (MOOC-Ed) allows the flexibility to participate at times that work with your schedule.  If you want to participate with other Johnston County teachers in a county-wide PLC with face-to-face discussions, which will provide some structure and vertical conversations around the topics, we're offering that option.  

Our first meeting will be an information session, and we'll discuss the structure of our meetings.  This will be held March 20 from 3:30 - 5:00in the Glenn Building Team Room.  If you want to find out more about the MOOC-Ed and are interested in this face-to-face participation, please let Leanne Daughtry (leannedaughtry@johnston.k12.nc.us) know and plan on attending to find out more.  Please forward this to others you think may be interested in this opportunity.      

For more information and to register, you can visit the course site:  https://courses.mooc-ed.org/dvm1  

Update:  The course will now run from April 7, 2014 - May 26, 2014.  New content will be made available weekly (scroll down to the schedule after logging in to find the available course material).   

a) Schedule:  The course runs asynchronously which allows participation at any time and in any place where you have access to the internet.  Course content will remain available through June, in order to allow for greater flexibility in your schedule.

b) Available Now: Learning Trajectory and Common Core Background material is available now!  Feel free to peruse this background material if you would like to learn more about Learning Trajectories and/or the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.  

c) Forums: Log in to the course, introduce yourself in the Forum, and get connected to colleagues around the country.

Another MOOC, Anyone?

Here's another opportunity to participate in a Massive Open Online Course for Educators (MOOC) to better understand the mathematical concepts in the Common Core State Standards.  We're open to creating a Johnston County group to participate in this MOOC journey together.  If you are interested in participating in this group, let Leanne Daughtry know (leannedaughtry@johnston.k12.nc.us). 

Division and Multiplication of Whole Numbers: Bridging to Fraction Understanding is the second in the “Mathematics Learning Trajectories for the Common Core” MOOC-Ed series. This professional development series focuses on learning trajectories as a framework for interpreting and implementing the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSS-M). Funded by a grant from the Hewlett Foundation to provide free professional development to educators around the new CCSS, this is the first of four courses that will be released throughout the year.

Division and Multiplication was developed by the GISMO Research Group at the Friday Institute, led by Dr. Jere Confrey and Dr. Alan Maloney. Beginning March 17, the course will introduce a learning trajectory approach to students’ multiplicative reasoning, exploring a stronger conceptual basis for multiplicative reasoning, so that multiplication and division of fractions is an extension of multiplication and division of whole numbers. It is recommended for elementary and middle grades mathematics educators.

For more information about this course or to register, please click here.

Formative Instructional and Assessment Tasks for the Common Core State Standards in Mathematics

When teachers understand what students know and can do, and then use that knowledge to make more effective instructional decisions, the net result is greater learning for students and a greater sense of satisfaction for teachers.  George Bright and Jeane Joyner (2005)

Looking for Common Core Aligned instructional tasks, quick checks, or formative assessment tasks?  Check out this resource from NCDPI:  

3-5 Tasks:  http://3-5cctask.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/home (updated)

K-2 Tasks:  http://commoncoretasks.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/

In my experience, these wiki sites work best on a computer, rather than an iPad.  

There you'll find tasks aligned to the Common Core State Standard for Mathematics that are designed to be used to guide instruction.  It is recommended that you first read the Overview to learn more about how NCDPI suggests using these tasks in your classroom.  

As more information  is released about the CCSS for Math, these tasks will be updated.  The NC DPI appreciates suggestions and feedback to help improve this resource.  Please send feedback to Kitty Rutherford (kitty.rutherford@dpi.nc.gov) or Denise Schulz (denise.schulz@dpi.nc.gov) 

Math Talk

I've added a new tab to the JCS LiveBinder - Math Talk.  Here is a video clip sample - you can find this and other videos under the red Math Talk tab of the JCS Elementary LiveBinder.  There are also articles and other math talk resources there.  Check it out!

Let me know if you have any resources to share...I'll be happy to add them to the LiveBinder, too!

New K-5 Math Resources Linked to the JCS LiveBinder!

Happy Tuesday!  While I was searching for resources to support us in our math continuum development, I stumbled upon the Cleveland County, NC site.  They maintain LiveBinders for each grade level, and I've linked those on our LiveBinder.  To view, go to the JCS Elementary LiveBinder, click on either the K-2 Math Resources or 3-5 Math Resources Red Tab, and then click on your "__ Grade Resources" grey tab. Remember that their Instructional Guides may not be in the same sequence as our Scope and Sequence Documents, but check out the resources under the domain tabs. Happy searching!

Another Opportunity to Award Excellence in Math and Science Teaching

Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching 

Alright, y'all...Here's another opportunity to nominate yourself or a colleague.  Winners receive $10,000 (ahem...who couldn't use that?!?), a paid trip for two to Washington, D.C. to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities, and a certificate signed by the President of the United States.   Details follow...

What are the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching?

The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the highest honors bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 mathematics and science (including computer science) teaching. 

Awards are given to mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers from each of the 50 states and four U.S. jurisdictions and recognize those teachers who develop and implement a high-quality instructional program that is informed by content knowledge and enhances student learning. 

Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science (including computer science) education. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

Who is Eligible?

The following are eligibility criteria for nominees. They must:

• Teach mathematics or science (including computer science) at the K-6th grade level in a public or private school.
• Hold at least a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• Be a full-time employee of the school or school district as determined by state and district policies, and teach K-12 students at least 50% of the time.
• Have at least 5 years of full-time, K-12 mathematics or science (including computer science) teaching experience prior to the 2013-2014 academic school year.
• Teach in one of the 50 states or the four U.S. jurisdictions. The jurisdictions are Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Department of Defense Education Activity schools; and the U.S. territories as a group (American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Not have received the PAEMST award at the national level in any prior competition or category.

Nominations are Now Open

The 2014 Awards will honor mathematics and science (including computer science) teachers working in grades K-6. Nominations close on April 1, 2014.

What are you waiting for???  Go to https://www.paemst.org/ to start your application (or nominate a colleague) today! 

TAP Math Websites Closing

TAP Math Participants:

The TAP Math grant is about to "officially" close. The final report goes to DPI for the Department of Education on December 1 and the website will close. Jeane asked me to alert to the TAP Math participants in our district to get anything off the website you need before Thanksgiving.  

The URL for the summer PD materials is:  https://sites.google.com/site/tapmathsummer2012/home

The regular website is:  TAP Math Participants: http://tapmath.mrooms3.net/  

2014 SMT Center Awards

Would you consider nominating yourself or someone else today?  

Each year, the North Carolina Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center offers awards that recognize individuals and organizations whose extraordinary contributions to science, mathematics, and technology education in North Carolina are helping to advance education in NC.  Categories include K-8 teacher, 9-16 teacher, informal educator, administrator, student leadership as well as awards that recognize businesses and organizations that support STEM education.  Educator and student award recipients receive $1,000.  Recipients of the awards are honored in the spring at the Celebration of Science, Mathematics, and Technology.  View http://ncsmt.org/awards/overview/ for more information and to see videos of last year's winners.   Deadline to nominate is December 1.

To nominate, apply or for more details, visit: http://ncsmt.org/prog.awards.html. 

For more information, contact:

Lisa Rhoades

Program Associate

NC Science, Mathematics, and Technology Education Center  (SMT Center)

21 T.W. Alexander Drive

PO Box 13901

Research Triangle Park, NC 27709

919-991-5111

919-667-8864 - mobile

lrhoades@bwfund.org

www.ncsmt.org

NCDPI Elementary Webinar

Attention Elementary Teachers! 

Check out the upcoming webinar from NCDPI...

Computational Fluency, Algorithms, and Mathematical Proficiency

Learn what the experts say!

Join the DPI Elementary Mathematics Webinar on 

November 7 at 3:30 – 4:30

Space is limited.
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/724745569

For more information, contact:  Susan Hart Program Assistant V K-12 Mathematics 919-807-3846

What the heck is a trajectory?

Attention all life long learners (and math nerds like me)!  Want to learn more about the mathematics behind the Common Core State Standards?  Join me and enroll in this online course to learn more about Learning Trajectories and how equipartitioning in elementary grades builds a foundation for rational number reasoning.  It'll be fun!  Details listed below.

Registration is now open for the next Mathematics Learning Trajectory (MLT) MOOC-Ed (Massive Open Online Course for Educators)!  Running from October 7 through November 25, the seven-week course is designed as professional development for anyone involved in mathematics education and in implementing the K–8 Common Core Math Standards at the classroom, school, or district level. The first course, “The Equipartitioning Learning Trajectory: a K-5 Foundation for Rational Number Reasoning,” examines how equipartitioning, grounded in fair sharing activities that create equal-sized groups or parts, provides a robust foundation for students’ conceptual understanding of division, multiplication, fraction, and ratio.

To register, go to:https://courses.mooc-ed.org/EquipartitioningF13/preview

Oh, and to see some really cool things about trajectories in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, visit http://turnonccmath.net/.

Let's Talk Assessment for a Minute

Can you really just spend one minute discussing assessment?  Here are the highlights and what's newly available...

Want to know how the CCSS and the MAP DesCartes continuum align?  
Need help figuring out how to use MAP data with the CCSS?  The newly revised Johnston County Scope and Sequence documents list the DesCartes Goal and Sub-goal underneath each standard!  Visit the Johnston County Live Binders to download the latest version of these documents.

NCDPI, in conjunction with UNCC and Southwest Education Alliance, announce newly released Common Core Online Math Assessment Modules.  
If you are a K-2 or 9-12 teacher or coach interested in participating in an online module that focuses on Common Core Assessment in Mathematics, you may want to check out the webinar at  http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Webinars  The course is sponsored by UNC Charlotte College of Education and the Southwest Education Alliance and take approximately 10 hours per module to complete.  They envision these modules being used by math leaders at schools with groups of teachers during professional development (or Professional Learning Community) time.  To register for the course, contact Michelle Stephan at michelle.stephan@uncc.edu for more information.

K-2 Teachers

• We've got an opportunity to give feedback on the NCDPI K-2 Mid-year and Summative Assessments.  Let me know if you're interested in participating.  Now's the time for your input!

• NCDPI has an awesome webinar on the appropriate use of Calendar Time and it's place as we've transitioned into the Common Core.  This would be a great webinar for your Professional Learning Community to participate in together.  Check it out!  http://maccss.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Webinars

What I'm Doing Today

I've been attending some of the "Reinvention Convention" technology courses that our instructional technology folks are offering.  I highly recommend them if you're looking for a quick and very informative session - they're great!  I created this blog in one of their sessions, and today I'm working on the layout and am adding resources to make the blog more useful.

This afternoon I'm in the office alone (which NEVER happens!), and am also working on creating a Math Framework for us, which includes a structure for mathematics class time.  It's way too quiet in here (even with music playing), and I need some feedback.  I'd love to hear your thoughts about what you consider  critical components of a math block, and how to structure a 50, 60, and/or 90 minute class so that learning is optimized.  Leave a comment below!