Busy Busy Busy! We are all racing to the finish line of the school year, but here are some things that you might want to consider and make note of:
- Presidents' Report
- VCTM 2015 Fall Conference: Save the Date!
- Call for Proposals
- Math Morsels Round 3
- NCTM Boston
- Math Educators's Night at Fenway Park
- Looking Down the Road…(I-89): New Hampshire Teachers of Mathematics are starting to plan for the ATMNE 2016 Fall Conference
- Common Core Statistics for Secondary Educators
- Free Mathematics Teacher Magazines
Presidents' Report
Hello,
and Happy Spring!
Please
read this newsletter for information about our VCTM 2015 Fall Conference
(October 16th—mark your calendars!) and our presence at the NCTM
Annual Meeting in Boston last month.
VCTM
is collaborating with the Vermont Agency of Education to support their “Math
Morsels” series of workshops. Through our Liaison with the Vermont Agency of
Education, Lara White, VCTM is providing financial support throughout the
2014-2015 school year. These events are geared toward teachers of grades 6-12,
and typically take place from 4 to 6pm with ½ hour of socializing and snacking
followed by a workshop. The first round
of Math Morsels took place in November/December 2014, with a topic of
Proficiency Based Learning. The second round of Math Morsels took place in
January/February 2015, with a topic of SBAC summative assessment. Keep your
eyes and ears open (or contact Lara White at lara.white@state.vt.us) for the final
round of Math Morsels will be hosted in May/June 2015, around the topic of
assessment in a proficiency-based system.
It
was wonderful to have the NCTM Annual Meeting and Expo in the northeast this
spring. NCTM provided 60 complimentary
registrations to ATMIM (Association of Teachers of Mathematics in
Massachusetts); ATMIM then voted to share those equally across the ATMNE
affiliates. VCTM gladly gave away free
registrations to Sally Conway (Vergennes Union Elementary School), Marlene
Allen (Springfield High School), Jennifer Ericson (Riverside Middle School),
and VCTM board members: Jean McKenny, Harvie Porter, Sue Abrams, David Rome,
Mary Calder, Patty Kelly, Sean Sullivan.
Most
exciting is that we have been adding to our VCTM Board of Directors this
winter/spring and are still welcoming more members to join us. If you would
like to take on a leadership role and share in our work with math teachers
around Vermont, please reach out to us. Responsibilities large and small are
available, especially related to conference planning!
Best
wishes from your VCTM Co-Presidents,
Christine
Latulippe and Kate McCann
clatulip@norwich.edu,
kmccann@u32.org
____________________________________________________VCTM 2015 Fall Conference: Save the Date!
VCTM invites you to our Annual Mathematics Conference,
“Growing Math Minds”, which will be held on Friday, October 16 at
Vermont Technical College in Randolph. We will welcome Dr. Michael
Shaughnessy, NCTM Past President 2010-2012, as our keynote speaker.
“Growing Math Minds” will have presentations focused on
instructional strategies to promote the Common Core Mathematical Practices;
Growth mindset: mathematical discourse in the mathematics classroom; and
Proficiency Based Learning for career and college readiness.
What are YOU doing in your classroom today? Feel the energy
that comes with organizing your thoughts for others, getting feedback from
colleagues, and taking your professional development beyond the walls of your
school.
Join us for a day of conversation, presentations, idea sharing,
and resource gathering. Network with mathematics educators from across the
state and learn about what’s working well in other teachers’ classrooms.
______________________________________________
Call for Proposals
Volunteer to present at the VCTM conference, and share your
ideas with colleagues from across the state in a 60-minute session. Sessions
traditionally involve a speaker or speakers relating ideas to an audience, and
often include handouts and audience participation. Presentations might also
take the form of a panel discussion where multiple teachers share ideas and
experiences on a particular topic; VCTM welcomes groups of teachers to present
their ideas together.
All presenters are encouraged to share and utilize
manipulatives, curricula, and effective pedagogical strategies during their presentations.
However, conference presentations are not intended to be commercials or
promotions of particular products by individuals who may benefit financially
from sale of the products.
The deadline for proposals is July 15, 2015. Speakers will
be notified by August 15, 2015. Please complete the form linked here:
Multiple submissions are allowed, but priority will be given
to including a wide variety of presenters.
Email Kate McCann at kmccann@u32.org
with questions.
______________________________________________
Math Morsels Round 3
We want to develop
discussion networks for math educators in grades 6-12, regionally and
state-wide. Share what you are doing;
hear what is happening near you.
May/June Regional Meetings: Sharing Assessment Strategies,
Grading, Reporting and Retakes (link to registration) Join us for a conversation about assessment in a
proficiency-based system. Educators will share ideas about assessments
and discuss important issues around grading and reporting. How do you
know when a student is proficient? What is the retake philosophy? How are you
reporting proficiency to students and parents? (Check out our seven regional
venues and a virtual option as well!)
Find the place and date that work best for you.
May 20, South Burlington High School, 4-6 p.m.
May 21, North Country Career Center (Newport), 4-6 p.m.
May 28, Montpelier High School, 4-6 p.m.
June 4, Rutland Intermediate School, 4-6 p.m.
Would you rather join a virtual conversation? I will arrange a
GoTo Meeting option.
(Please place a checkmark on the virtual option within the
registration form.)
Lara White, M.Ed.; Secondary
Mathematics Program and School Effectiveness Coordinator
Vermont Agency of Education (802) 479-1364 – lara.white@state.vt.us
NCTM Boston
I had the pleasure of representing
the Vermont Council of Teachers of Mathematics at the National Council of
Teachers of Mathematics Annual Meeting & Exposition in Boston, MA from
April 15-18, 2015 . During this conference time I attended the Eastern Caucus
Meeting, the Delegate Assembly, and many conference workshops.
During the
Eastern Caucus Meeting we discussed several issues that NCTM is currently
navigating. These issues included affiliate (for example, VCTM) membership,
creating diverse affiliate and NCTM leadership, computer science and/or coding
courses replacing high school math courses, and high stakes testing across the
country. We brainstormed what our affiliates are doing to support these issues
within our areas. We also shared work that is going on in our affiliates and
new ways that we are bringing conferences and new learning to our geographic
areas.
The
conference itself was an amazing experience! Having the opportunity to be
among many math educators and national
leaders such as Jo Boaler, Dan Meyer, and Diana Briars provided me with
numerous opportunities for rich discussions and professional development. One
of the conference themes that was
overarching many sessions was using the resource, Principles to Actions (published by NCTM in 2014), within schools
and districts as a professional development tool to inform instructional
practices and drive the shifts in our teaching of mathematics. This resource is
available at nctm.org in either book or e-book formats.
Another
overarching theme of the workshops that I attended was the importance of making
use of teaching strategies that foster the student mathematical practices of
the CCSSM. This included providing students with open-ended tasks that can be
differentiated and that support deep mathematical discourse. The
student-centered practices of engaging in a mathematical task and then
expressing reasoning to others provides for a higher level of thinking and
embeds a student’s understanding into long-term memory. These tasks are also
often hands-on, use manipulatives, and provide students with an engaging
classroom experience.
I’m looking
forward to using the tools and resources that I gained from the conference and
thank VCTM for supporting our learning as math professionals in Vermont.
Patty Kelly
VCTM Board of Directors
K-5 Math Coach, Springfield School District, Springfield, VT
______________________________________________
Math Educators's Night at Fenway Park
New England Finalists for the 2014 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics Teaching were honored with certificates and small gifts from ATMIM and ATMNE on Friday April 17, 2015. Vermont was represented by Laura Botte Fretz (Edmunds Middle School, Burlington) and Tom Young (Waitsfield Elementary School) represented Vemont. Also honored were the 2014 Father Stanley J. Bezsuzka Award Winner from ATMIM (Lisa Mikus from Newton Public Schools) and from ATMNE Dr. Anne Collins from Lesley University. The night at Fenway coincided with the NCTM Conference that drew over 500 attendees to the game (...in which the Red Sox won 3-2 over the Orioles)
Looking Down the Road…(I-89): New Hampshire Teachers of Mathematics are
Planning the ATMNE 2016 Fall Conference
NHTM is beginning to plan and prepare for the conference and
are looking for some willing folks to assist on their committees. They are looking for an
individual who is willing to work on the program committee who would serve by identifying potential speakers from Vermont and
then to be available to review speaker proposals.
If you are interested in assisting, please send your name, grade
level(s) and email address to Harvie Porter at hporter@mail.ruhs.k12.vt.us,
your ATMNE Representative from VCTM.
If you would like to get involved in a different committee (Exhibits;
Hospitality and Special Events; NCTM Bookstore; Registration and Membership;
Session and Workshop Support; Signs and Printing; and Student Hosts), let Harvie know as well and he will pass along the information.
Common Core Statistics for Secondary Educators
Stacey Anthony of Essex HS is offering a 3-credit UVM course this summer designed for secondary math teachers desiring a thorough review of all standards included in the Probability and Statistics conceptual category of CCSS. The course will take place June 22-26, with pre- and post-class readings and discussions. For more information, contact: santhony@uvm.edu.
______________________________________________
Free Mathematics Teacher Magazines
Former Hartland Elementary teacher (and
VCTM Board Member) Mary-Anne Johnson Boyce has about twenty years’ worth of
Mathematics teacher and Middle School Math Teacher magazines that she would
like for someone to adopt them, as well as some math books as well. If you are interested in them, drop her a
line at doublesignprop@yahoo.com