Improving Student Achievement in Kindergarten Math

Attention kindergarten teachers!

• How can we develop lessons and common assessments to ensure students are actively engaged and developing a deep understanding of mathematical concepts?
• How do we know what is the “right” stuff to teach?
  

Improving Student Achievement in Kindergarten Math is a two-day workshop series will focus on planning effective lessons and assessments using the 5E instructional model to improve student success in elementary mathematics. You will bring your textbooks and curriculum documents and you will leave with at least one lesson (and corresponding assessments) that focus on teaching for understanding. This series provides you with opportunities to carefully analyze corresponding GLCE, to use a model to develop lesson plans that include effective instructional strategies, to develop or select the activities and resources you need to implement your planned lessons, and to select formative and summative assessments to track your students’ progress.

Dates: October 15 and November 8, 2010
Audience: Kindergarten Teachers & Special Ed Teachers
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Place: Kalamazoo RESA
Fee: $55 PD Consortium Members; $68 Non-Consortium Members
SB-CEUs: 1.2 (additional $15.00 fee)

Canceled

Improving Student Achievement in 1st Grade Math

Attention 1st grade teachers!

• How can we develop lessons and common assessments to ensure students are actively engaged and developing a deep understanding of mathematical concepts?
• How do we know what is the “right” stuff to teach?
  

Improving Student Achievement in 1st Grade Math is a two-day workshop series will focus on planning effective lessons and assessments using the 5E instructional model to improve student success in elementary mathematics. You will bring your textbooks and curriculum documents and you will leave with at least one lesson (and corresponding assessments) that focus on teaching for understanding. This series provides you with opportunities to carefully analyze corresponding GLCE, to use a model to develop lesson plans that include effective instructional strategies, to develop or select the activities and resources you need to implement your planned lessons, and to select formative and summative assessments to track your students’ progress.

Dates: October 7 and November 2, 2010
Audience: First Grade Teachers & Special Ed Teachers
Time: 8:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Place: Kalamazoo RESA
Fee: $55 PD Consortium Members; $68 Non-Consortium Members
SB-CEUs: 1.2 (additional $15.00 fee)

Canceled

FREE Michigan Algebra II Moodle Course Available NOW

Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District is pleased to provide a free online Algebra II course aligned to the Michigan High School Content Expectations. It was created during the 2009-2010 school year with Federal Title II D Enhancing Education through Technology Grant funds in cooperation with the Michigan Department of Education.

The course is designed to provide an online educational experience that utilizes multi-media materials to develop a thorough understanding of Algebra II content. Michigan’s Algebra II students will gain understanding through text, audio, video lessons, interactive activities, and worksheets. Teachers will be able to monitor students’ progress through worksheets and assessments. In addition, they will have access to a multitude of quality resources aligned to the Algebra II High School Content Expectations in one easy to access location. The creators also used the Macomb Intermediate School District’s Algebra II EMATHS trainings as a springboard for content development.

If you want to know more about the course and its creation by Northern Michigan High School Math teachers, check out the Overview of the Michigan Algebra II Moodle Course

For future access to the overview document, you can link to it from the TBAISD website home page within the “Highlights” section: www.tbaisd.k12.mi.us

The course was created in Moodle and once downloaded onto your server, you have full editing permissions. We are currently in the process of completing a Michigan Algebra I Moodle Course to be shared with the state. You will be notified when it is available.

During the first year of implementation, the course may need adjustments. Remember that teachers will have full editing permissions to alter the course. If you have comments or suggestions, please use the embedded feedback option within the course.

[CANCELED] Private Universe: Following Children’s Ideas in Mathematics

DUE TO LOW REGISTRATION, THE FIRST SESSION HAS BEEN CANCELED.
Following Children’s Ideas in Mathematics is an unprecedented long-term study conducted by researchers at Rutgers University followed the development of mathematical thinking in a randomly selected group of students for 12 years – from 1st grade through high school – with surprising results. In an overview of the study, we look at some of the conditions that made their math achievement possible. We will also take part in several of the mathematical tasks that the children were asked to do and analyze them from a math-educator's point of view.

October 5, 2010
4:30 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo RESA
$10 PD Consortium Members
$12 Non-Consortium Members

This is Session #1 of a 6 Part Workshop Series.
Each Session is a Stand Alone Session.

Instruction in the Era of the Common Core State Standards

from MIEM Online by Brooke Clay

Four locations to choose from:

October 25, 2010 • DeVos Place, Grand Rapids
October 27, 2010 • Boyne Mountain, Boyne Falls
October 29, 2010 • Horizon Conference Center, Saginaw
November 4, 2010 • Cobo Hall, Detroit

Now that Michigan has joined more than 30 other states in adopting the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and English Language Arts, what next?

Please join the Michigan Department of Education as we begin to interpret the "instructional blueprint" to ensure that ALL students have access to effective instruction for meeting the Common Core State Standards. Participate in discussions on systems and instructional strategies necessary to support the learning of all students so they leave high school prepared for college and career.

Register by fax.

Register online.

Open for Questions: Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Education with Dr. Sally Ride

rom White House Blog: Education by Katelyn Sabochik

Today at 4 PM EDT, the White House is hosting a special live chat with former NASA astronaut and first American woman in space Dr. Sally Ride. Dr. Ride will be taking questions from students across the country on the importance of getting a strong education in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) subjects and discussing how her education helped her in her career.

If you’re a student, be sure to submit your questions for Dr. Ride via our webform and tune in today at 4 PM EDT to watch the discussion on WhiteHouse.gov/live.

Math Templates

Using math templates during instruction keeps each student actively involved and allows the teacher to informally assess each student's proficiency with the skills and concepts addressed in the day's lesson. Check out Mathwire's Math Templates

Teaching Algebra: opportunity and resources

Michigan's Algebra for All Project seeks to help teachers transition to teaching algebra from a functions-based approach to help ensure that ALL students are successful in Algebra.
This year, the project is offering a combination teacher-training and resource-sharing initiative: Algebra for All Online.
What is Algebra for All Online?
An online professional development course preparing middle and high school mathematics teachers for teaching Algebra 1 using the function-based approach.
An opportunity to learn today and use tomorrow.

Dates
Fall 2010: Oct. 4 - Dec. 5
Spring 2011: Feb. 14 - April 17

Features

• Entirely online – learn on your own time
• Eight one-week modules corresponding to the 8 days of the original Algebra for All training
• Activities and strategies for implementing the functions-based approach in Algebra classrooms
• Interactive graphing calculator tutorials
• Original online interactive tools and lessons for use with students
• Video from live Algebra for All training sessions
• Taught by a trained Algebra for All facilitator
• Opportunities for discussion, collaboration and feedback with peers and the instructor
• Access to the Algebra for All Social Network including interaction with 800+ Michigan math teachers, lesson plan repository, and additional resources for students
• Over 25 practical lessons and activities for immediate implementation with students

Registration Information
Cost: $200 per teacher with 50 available scholarships for free registration
Credit: SB-CEU credit granted through Michigan LearnPort®. Graduate credit may be available.
To Enroll/Apply for a Scholarship
Send the following information via email to Dr. Peggy Gaskill, pgaskill@mivu.org before Friday, Sept. 17, 2010: Name, school, city, email address you will use for the course, telephone number (for the facilitator’s use only).

An Enrollment Form / Scholarship Application will be emailed to you.

Preventing math anxiety in middle school students

Register today to attend a free math webinar on the results of research into triggers and best practices for preventing math anxiety in middle level students. You will hear the voices of the students as they relate what works and what doesn't in developing positive dispositions towards mathematics. Bonnstetter will share findings related to teachers' characteristics, instructional strategies, and positive interventions.

Critical Incidents in the Development of
Mathematics Anxiety in Grades 4-8
Wednesday September 15th, 2010
3:30 P.M. EST

Middle School Lesson: Where is Everybody?

What do Michael J. Fox, basketball and Justin Bieber all have in common? They're all from Canada!

In Where is Everybody?, students will not only familiarize themselves with Canada's culture, geography and trivia, but will also learn the Rough Rule of Ten, create box-and-whisker plots and become more comfortable with fractions, decimals and percents.

In this lesson, students will:

• Make estimates about real-life data
• Work flexibly with fractions, decimals and percents to solve problems and make comparisons
• Develop number sense
• Find, use and interpret measures of center and spread
• Discuss and understand the correspondence between data sets and their graphical representations

Closing the gap: it's being done. How?

 How It's Being Done: Urgent Lessons from Unexpected Schools is a must-read for everyone committed to the goal of education equity. It provides valuable insight into the impressive achievements of eight high-minority and high-poverty schools from various settings across the country—schools that defy the ill-conceived notion that achievement gaps are inevitable.
The author doesn’t simply identify campuses with strong results for low-income students and students of color. She shares concrete details about how educators helped their students reach exceptional levels of academic success. Among them is Norfork Elementary School in Arkansas, which is located in a community known as the methamphetamine capital of the Ozarks. The results of the intentional strategies adopted by the school’s administrators and teachers speak for themselves: Despite high rates of poverty—both in the school and throughout the community—88 percent of Norfork’s sixth-grade students read at a “proficient” or “advanced” level.
The stories are inspiring, but How It’s Being Done does far more than inspire. This book outlines the road map each school followed to reach extraordinary heights. After all, success is no fluke. These schools earned positive results by using practical and concrete strategies to help students learn at the highest levels.
~Katie Haycock; President, The Education Trust

Showcase your school improvement successes

Request for Presentation Proposals!
Showcase your school improvement successes by presenting at the Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) Fall School Improvement Conference! Presentations should emphasize hands-on, practical information that is directly related to improving student achievement. National speakers will be featured, along with selected outstanding concurrent sessions conducted by practitioners, featuring innovative practices that you have implemented in y our school. If your school has experience with any school improvement topic that supports “Effective School Improvement Practices,” and you want to share your experiences with others, please complete this form and return by Thurs day, September 30, 2010.
The form may be faxed (517.327.0771), emailed (ddick@gomasa.org), or mailed (MIEM, 1001 Centennial Way, Suite 300, Lansing, MI 48917). The Fall Request for proposals (RFP) for the School Improvement Conference is attached. Please use the following link.
http://www.gomiem.org/pdfs/si2010_rfp.pdf

September 2010 PD Offerings in Math

September's offerings include:

National Math Standards: The Common Core– 9/22
1 day workshop will provide district teams or teachers, specialists, curriculum directors, and principals with the opportunity to explore the new Common Core Standards for Mathematics. Download Flier
RtI Resources in Math– 9/30 Day 1 of 2
2 day workshop series will focus on Response to Intervention as an overall instructional model for K-8 mathematics. Download Flier
Check out the complete listing of Kalamazoo RESA's PD opportunities in mathematics.

October 2010 PD Offerings in Math

October's offerings include:

Private Universe Project in Mathematics (afterschool)-10/5
This workshop series provides an interactive context for teachers, administrators, and other interested adults to explore issues about learning and teaching mathematics. Individual registrations for each, separate date. This month: Following Children's Ideas in Mathematics K-12

Improving Student Achievement in First Grade Math– 10/7 Day 1 of 2
2 day workshop series will focus on planning effective lessons to improve student success in mathematics.

Improving Student Achievement in Kindergarten Math– 10/15 Day 1 of 2
2 day workshop series will focus on planning effective lessons to improve student success in mathematics.RtI Resources in Math–10/27 Day 2 of 22 day workshop series will focus on Response to Intervention as an overall instructional model for K-8 mathematics.
Math Workgroups-10/26Lean new strategies for teaching elementary math and connect with your K-5 teaching colleagues.
Check out the complete listing of Kalamazoo RESA's PD opportunities in mathematics.

7 tips for making students feel comfortable at school

Social and Emotional Learning expert Maurice Elias offers up seven ideas to keep in mind at the start of the school year.
From a Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) point of view, the most important consideration at the start of the new school year is to create positive feelings and optimism about school. This has many practical implications for both educators and parents. Here are seven ideas to keep in mind:
Number One: Make a special effort to greet children in a positive and uplifting way at the start of school. Create a festive atmosphere, not a "get down to business" factory atmosphere.
Number Two: Highlight all the good and exciting things that will be happening at the beginning of the school year, as well as throughout the year.
Number Three:Give students a chance to share good memories about the summer, what they are looking forward to for the new school year, and something about themselves that they would like classmates to know. Time spent helping the students in a class bond in positive ways will bring large dividend later in the year as students work together in pairs, teams, and groups.
Number Four: Allow students to have input into setting the rules for the classroom, in terms of both "do's" and "don'ts."
Number Five: Give students an opportunity each day to reflect on what they are learning. Ask them to keep a journal and write down, at the end of the day, three things they are taking with them from the school day. Have them keep daily journals in one or some or all subject areas where, at the end of a class period or unit or project, they write down three things they are taking away from that unit of work.
Number Six: Parents, the parallel of all these apply to you. Keep the first days of school very positive. Allow time for routines to kick in. Don't get upset if your child is running late, or forgets things. Make it clear that you understand and expect by the end of the first week of school, routines will be set and work well. Ask your child for suggestions about ways to modify the routines that are not going well.

Also, after school, ask your child to share the best parts of the school day. Later, ask your child what they are looking forward to most the next day. Please note the words, "best" and "most." These are relative terms, so there will be a "best" part of a bad day and something to look forward to "most" even where the day is dreaded. In that way, you keep the focus positive. Remember, school is much more than classes. Asking about hallways, announcements, and things other than academic classes may garner special conversations.
Number Seven: Teachers and parents should share what the school is doing around social-emotional and character development, health, and such key areas as prevention of harassment, intimidation, and bullying. Parents, if you are not given this information proactively, seek it out. Teachers, your best hope for continuity and reinforcement of school messages out of school is if parents know what it is that their children are being taught! The essence of SEL is to be sure that the adults dealing with children understand that the gateway to learning is through children's social and emotional skills and experiences. Opening that gateway at the start of the school year will lead to a smoother path during all subsequent days.

Source URL: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/social-emotional-learning-tips-school-starts

This article originally published on 8/27/2010

Does your district use the CMP2 math curriculum?

YES? Join the new “CMP and ASSISTments WPI Collaborative.” Be a part of developing and piloting computer based interventions to improve an already fantastic curriculum. You and your students can be a part of finding out what works and what does not. ASSISTments and the training you will receive are all free of charge.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), along with a handful of other universities,were just awarded a $10 million grant to make an improved version of the middle school math curriculum, Connected Mathematics Project (CMP2).

Apply Now for the Summer 2011 Teacher Academy

Founded in 2005 by the ExxonMobil Foundation and professional golfer Phil Mickelson, the Mickelson ExxonMobil Teachers Academy provides third- through fifth-grade teachers a one-week all-expenses-paid intensive professional development program designed to give them the knowledge and hands-on skills they need to inspire their students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. More than 2,600 U.S. grade-school teachers have attended the Academy since it was founded. The 2011 Academy will take place at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City, New Jersey. To learn more about the Academy and to apply online for the program, visit www.sendmyteacher.com. The application deadline is October 31, 2010.
A panel of teachers from the NSTA and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics will review the applications and select the 100 teachers who will attend the summer 2011 Academy.
For those who attend, it's an experience they'll never forget. From learning fun, hands-on activities and proven classroom management strategies to networking with other teachers from around the United States, the program prepares them to ignite student passion for math and science. Teachers return to their schools energized, eager to implement the ideas they've learned in their classrooms, and enthusiastic about sharing best practices with their colleagues.

MDE announces 4 roll-out sessions for Common Core

On Monday, October 25, I will be attending the first of four roll-out sessions offered by MDE on the Common Core. These four regional roll-outs are being designed for district/ISD leadership individuals and teams to learn more about the CCSS and MDE’s transition plans.
Kalamazoo County (and surrounding) districts do not need to attend. I plan to represent Kalamazoo County mathematics and bring back to you all relevant, important information. However, if some of you wish to attend (for information on the ELA Common Core or for other reasons), I will post the link to session registration as soon as it becomes available. Stayed tuned for more information.

The four roll-out sessions are being planned for:

• October 25 - Grand Rapids
• October 27 - Boyne Mountain (Boyne Falls)
• October 29 - Saginaw
• November 4 - Detroit