Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Late September Announcements



VCTM would like to share with you two important announcements that came out
shortly after the release of our September eNewsletter.


University_of_Vermont

1) Relevant to any grade level: VCTM is pleased to announce that the Third Annual
Statewide Math Fair will be hosted again at The University of Vermont on Saturday
April 6, 2019. Whether or not your students have participated in the past, do save the
date! Fresh off the press, this event flyer will tell you all you need to know about how
to get your students involved in this highly accessible and authentic opportunity to
learn and explore mathematics. Our online registration form is already up and running
and can be accessed here on the event webpage. Be on the lookout for more
information coming your way in future VCTM announcements and newsletters.

2) Pertinent to Middle and High School educators: The Vermont State Mathematics
Coalition (VSMC) has just released the first Talent Search Problem Set of the 2018-19
school year. Here is a message from VSMC's Executive Director Bob Chaffee regarding
this exciting opportunity for mathematics students in our state:









The Vermont State Mathematics Coalition has sponsored a statewide "Mathematics Talent Search
Program" every year since 1993. The Talent Search is conducted in the following manner. Four times
during the school year a set of challenging math problems are posted on this website. Topics covered
on the tests are from arithmetic, Geometry, algebra, and pre-calculus. Copies of the test are given to
interested students at each of the schools. The students have approximately four weeks to solve the
problems and then each student submits his/her solutions to the director of the program for grading. If
students are only able to solve one or two problems, they are still encouraged to submit their
solutions. During the following two week period the tests are scored, statistics are gathered, results
are returned to the students, and solutions and top scorers are posted on this website. At the end of the
year the top students in the state are given prizes and are honored at a Coalition dinner along with
their parents. High school-aged winners are also provided full scholarships to attend the week-long
summer Governor's Institute in Mathematical Sciences in residence at the University of Vermont.
More information about and rules for the talent search may be found here.




In case you missed our last edition of the newsletter, check it out on our VCTM blog
here. There is tons of information in this edition about fall conferences (including
VCTM's own Fall Conference on October 19) for educators that teach mathematics (at
any level).


Friday, September 21, 2018

VCTM September eNewsletter



Now that we have settled into our roles in classrooms and learning communities around the state, VCTM would like to provide you with all that you need to know about the jam-packed lineup of professional learning opportunities in and around our region this fall. It’s math conference season, folks! You can count on us to give you the critical information you need to register and continue your professional growth as a mathematics educator. Regardless of your fall PD plans, we hope to see many new and familiar faces at our own conference next month at Norwich University!

In this edition of the VCTM eNewsletter, you will find:
  • Important Upcoming Dates for Math Educators and Students
  • The Best Reasons to Attend VCTM’s Annual Conference 
  • Announcements from the VCTM Board of Officers
  • Need-to-Knows for all that is ATMNE 2018
  • A Message from NCTM about the Upcoming NE Regional Conference
  • Some Convincing Reasons to Try the Expanding Horizons Program 




Important Upcoming Dates for Math Educators & Students
Local state events denoted with *

October 4, 2018 NCTM Northeast Regional Conference & Exposition (Hartford, CT)
October 19, 2018 VCTM Annual Fall Conference (Northfield, VT)*
December 6-7, 2018 ATMNE Fall Conference (Warwick, RI)
March 30, 2019 Vermont STEM Fair (Northfield, VT)*
Late March/Early April, 2019 (Date TBA) VCTM Statewide Math Fair (Burlington, VT)*



The Best Reasons to Attend VCTM’s Annual Conference
Norwich University - Northfield, VT - October 19


Whether or not you are a member of VCTM of past or present, we welcome your presence and contributions at our fall conference on October 19. This year we’ve returned central to the campus of Norwich University and hope to bring together voices in mathematics education from all corners, peaks and valleys of the state and across all grade bands. We’re excited to see many speakers addressing K-8 audiences this year to provide a more balanced perspective and relevant experience for all of those with us on this exciting full day of collaboration, including a mid-morning keynote from John Tapper of St. Michael’s College. In addition to some impactful ideas and practical methods in teaching and learning mathematics, every attendee will walk away with an official VCTM t-shirt! The deadline for early bird registration (at a discounted rate of $115) is September 28... and we are accepting PO’s this year! All you need at the time of registration is your PO # (and the PO-processing contact info).

If you wish to see the full conference program or are ready to register, that all can be found on our 2018 Fall Conference event page on the VCTM website.



Announcements from VCTM’s Board of Officers


A few members of our current VCTM Board are getting ready to move on and pass the torch to the next generation of leaders in math education in Vermont. Could this be you? Are you willing to join us in our mission to build a robust community of math educators and expand opportunity for our Vermont students to engage in and access mathematics?

At our conference in one month’s time, VCTM plans to present a new slate of officers at the business meeting. We anticipate potential vacancies in our president-elect, secretary, NCTM representative, and zone representative positions among others. We’re looking for dedicated volunteers that can commit to the one or two year terms of these positions. Duties and commitments vary by position and some come with perks. If you want to know more, don’t hesitate to contact our current leadership for more information by reaching out to our co-presidents at vctmpresident@gmail.com.

If joining the VCTM board at a full capacity sounds like too much to take on, we still welcome what you can contribute in support of our organization’s mission. Many hands make light work! Much of our event planning and yearly programming is comprised of small tasks that are simple and quick to accomplish but collectively consume much of our human resources and time. One of our new initiatives this year as an organization is to engage more of our math teaching community in ancillary ways that allows connections to form and professional collaboration to take place outside of school setting without the big commitment of being a board member. As such, the board is always looking for volunteers, whether this be a single event or a sustained helping hand with one aspect of what we do on regular basis. To get involved or get more information, please send a message to our VCTM co-presidents at vctmpresident@gmail.com.



Need-to-Knows for all that is ATMNE
Warwick, RI - December 6-7


As announced in our last couple editions of the eNewsletter, the Rhode Island Mathematics Teachers Association (RIMTA) is hosting this years ATMNE fall conference in what sure is to be a memorable event.

Currently, there is a call for volunteers. This push now includes pre-service educators!

If you haven’t registered yet and you would like to or if you wish to inquire about other event details including conference registration, hotel accomodations, or the full two-day program of speakers, visit the ATMNE 2018 webpage.

You can jump directly to online registration by visiting the RIMTA event page for ATMNE 2018.



NCTM Regional Conference
Hartford, CT - October 4-6

From NCTM:

The NCTM 2018 Regional Conference & Exposition in Hartford on October 4-6 is rapidly approaching. Don’t miss your opportunity to learn from fellow educators, discover new innovations and resources, and develop new skills to take back to your classroom.



Some Convincing Reasons to Try the Expanding Horizons Program


NOW is the time to consider bringing college and university level mathematics into your classroom this school year through the Expanding Horizons program produced by the Vermont State Math Coalition. It’s simple and costs nothing!

“But wait - I teach middle level students!”

The multitude of highly qualified presenters of the Expanding Horizons program cater to many different grade levels. Some presentations can even be adapted for elementary levels. Take a look yourself on the Expanding Horizons webpage. Simply choose a topic/presenter of interest and contact the presenter directly to set it up.

“This doesn’t fit perfectly in my curriculum this year.”

Open up the world to your students and allow them to wonder quantitatively and observe mathematics in its most classic, applied and even paradoxical forms! This project by VSMC is a wonderful intellectual opportunity for students to learn and access mathematics in a different way.

For further information, contact the EH Chair John Devino at devino13@comcast.net or 802-863-5403.