Share your thoughts and receive $10

Do you teach math grades 6-9? Want to earn $10 in 10 minutes? Complete a brief survey about the terms you are most familiar with for describing math teaching. First 100 teachers to respond will receive a $10 Amazon gift card. Others will be entered in a raffle for 20 additional $10 gift cards. http://bit.ly/2ftuVSE

PD Opportunity: Principal's STEM Institute for Quality Instruction

Principal's STEM Institute The Principal’s STEM Institute is a three-day workshop series designed to build principal’s capacity as an instructional leader in the areas of mathematics and science. You may select to attend any of the three sessions. Because the Institute is supported by funds from the Michigan Department of Education Math and  Science Partnership Grant, Kalamazoo RESA is able to offer registration for $20 per session. PLEASE NOTE: The first 40 principals registered will receive FREE registration for each session. LOCATION: West Main Professional Development Center Day 1: August 15 – Providing Actionable Feedback Presenters: Amber Landward Day 2: August 16 – Observing Effective Math Instruction Presenters: Dr. Diane Owen-Rogers and Danielle Seabold Day 3: August 17 – Observing Effective Science Instruction Presenters: Dr. Michael Tanoff and Mary Burke TIMES: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm each day (lunch included) REGISTER HERE

Apply for a MCTM conference scholarship

New Scholarship for Teachers

Want to attend the MCTM Annual Conference and Institute this year in Traverse City to hear Dan Meyer, Cathy Williams, and many others but finances are an issue?  With cutbacks in school/district professional development monies, many more teachers are paying for PD opportunities from their own funds. The MCTM Scholarship Committee is excited to offer a new opportunity to MCTM members: $500 Teacher Conference Scholarships for the MCTM Annual Institute and Conference! 

Any teacher who is an Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) member is eligible to apply for the scholarship (except for current MCTM Board Members).  Scholarship applications and guidelines can be found below.   Applications are due on May 20, 2016, with recipients notified by June 10, 2016. Up to five $500 scholarships will be awarded.
 
The application is made up of an information form as well as a brief, typed proposal (two pages maximum), a letter of support that describes your role in mathematics education (preferably from your current administrator), and confirmation that you are a current member.  Details are available at the link above.
 
Applications are due no later than May 20, 2016, and are to be emailed with attachments to info@mictm.org.

Questions about the scholarship?  Please contact Scholarship Selection Committee Chair, Christine Kincaid Dewey at dewey@wcskids.net.

Will Michigan toss out Common Core?

Information and Talking Points Regarding:  Senate Bill 0826 (SB 0826)

Opposed by Leaders from Several Michigan Mathematics Education Organizations

DACTM ~ MCTM ~ M²C² ~ MI-AMTE

Leaders of several Michigan mathematics education organizations met during the week of April 24, 2016, to discuss the potential ramifications of Michigan Senate Bill 0826 (SB 0826). Many of the proposed actions from that bill are presented below as they are stated in the Senate fiscal analysis document. 

“The bill would amend the Revised School Code to do the following:

·       Terminate all plans, programs, efforts, and expenditures relating to the implementation

of Common Core standards.

·       Prohibit the State Board of Education and the Department of Education from adopting or implementing any other national or multistate consortium standard, or the use of any assessments aligned with such a standard, that would cede control of Michigan educational standards.

·       Require the State Board and the Department to adopt for all grades State academic content standards in English language arts, math, and social science, and require the standards to be substantially the same as those used in Massachusetts during the 2008 - 2009 school year.

·       Require the State Board to develop academic content standards independently, instead of as part of a multistate consortium.”

*We ask that you take action today and contact your state representative and state senator to express your thoughts and any concerns you may have regarding this proposed action. And, please share this information, your thoughts, and your concerns with colleagues in other content areas.  Ultimately, ALL content areas are likely to be affected by this bill, should it pass.

Find your Michigan senator: http://www.senate.michigan.gov/fysbyaddress.html

Find your Michigan representative: http://www.house.mi.gov/mhrpublic/

In addition, Representative Amanda Price is the Chair of the House Education Committee.  Her contact information is:

Email:  AmandaPrice@house.mi.gov       
Phone: (517) 373-0838  or   
Toll Free: (888) 238-1008
http://www.corestandards.org/other-resources/statements-of-support/


Other initiatives and programs would also be affected:  MTSS, School Improvement, educator evaluation, STEM courses and grants, K-3 early literacy efforts, and more!
Kathy Berry, President, Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM)
Karen Reister, President, Michigan Mathematics Consultants and Coordinators (M²C²)
Dr. Shari Stockero, President, Michigan Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators (MI-AMTE)

Key talking points you may wish to consider addressing:

1.        The high quality of our Michigan Academic Standards, including the ELA and Mathematics standards adopted in 2010 and the K-12 Science Standards adopted just this year (2016), has already been established. These standards have been supported by a number of respected professional organizations.  See a listing of many diverse organizations supporting the 2010 Michigan Academic Standards for ELA and Mathematics at:

2.       The 2010 Michigan Academic Standards for English Language Arts and Mathematics are just now reaching the full-implementation stage.  Very limited data is available from state assessments from spring 2015, and the structure of the spring 2016 assessment has been altered from that 2015 version, complicating any attempts to try to draw conclusions about the standards, their implementation, and students’ performance and growth.  Change to another set of standards would be highly disruptive to teaching and learning, curriculum, and assessment.

3.       Aside from state assessment, many local schools and districts have only recently created or purchased resources designed to align to these state standards.  Across the state, this cost is likely in the hundreds of millions of dollars. These costs include software supports and tools, textbooks, revised and redesigned courses and units of study, collaborative efforts to connect Career and Technical Education with the core academic standards, teacher and administrator training, and more. The MAISA ELA and Mathematics units across K-12 are excellent examples of thousands of hours of collaborative work by hundreds of educators across Michigan. You are likely to be able to readily name several other examples of expenses – including time - your school and district have incurred to be able to best support teachers and students in learning the content in our state standard.

We thank you for considering these urgent issues.  Please know that – on past advice from state representatives and senators – direct communication with constituents via telephone or email truly does affect how these legislators think about and ultimately act upon proposed legislation.  Your voice does have power to effect change to move mathematics education forward in Michigan.  Please take just a very few minutes of your time to call or email your state legislator elected officials.

Sincerely,

Scot Acre, President, Detroit Area Council of Teachers of Mathematics (DACTM)

With support from Valerie Mills, Past-President, National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM)

Full text of SB 0826 as well as its associated fiscal analysis may be found at:

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(z2exw1ebm5eg2ziebxhaexhd))/mileg.aspx?page=getobject&objectname=2016-SB-0826

A Fact Sheet from the Michigan Department of Education regarding the 2010 ELA and Mathematics Standards:

http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/FAQ_4.10.13_418299_7.pdf

SEEING AS UNDERSTANDING: The Importance of Visual Mathematics for our Brain and Learning

As Thomas West, author, states, there is a centuries-old belief that words and mathematical symbols are “for serious professionals – whereas pictures and diagrams” are “for the lay public and children” (2004). This idea is an example of a damaging myth in education, and this paper will present compelling brain evidence to help dispel the myth. We will also provide examples of ways that visual mathematics may be integrated into curriculum materials and teaching ideas across grades K-16. 

Read the recently published paper by Jo Boaler and Lang Chen Seeing as Understanding: The Importance of Visual Mathematics for our Brain and Learning. If it interests you, use the corresponding activities A Range of Visual Activities and Representations in your classroom.

MATH 6540 Secondary School Mathematics Curriculum Studies: Geometry

Western Michigan University
Dr. Jon Davis
Online
Summer II 2016
Enroll in a course to learn what students know and are able to do in the areas of geometry and measurement as described in mathematics education research studies and the recent administration of the National Assessment of Educational Progress. In the United States and other countries, school geometry has often been the repository of proof. Consequently, you will also learn about students’ proof capabilities in the area of geometry. You will also learn about the van Hiele Levels of Geometric Understanding. We will also explore geometry in the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics as well as students’ use of and understanding as a result of interactive geometry environments (e.g., Geometer’s Sketchpad). These research findings and the frameworks that they use will be marshaled to analyze different middle school and high school curricula. A number of different activities, such as online discussions, will be used during the course. All students will be asked to complete a culminating project geared toward their particular interests.
Practicing teachers who are not currently students at WMU may apply for Graduate Non Degree Admission to take the course. Prospective teachers who are WMU undergraduate students may take the course using the course number Math 5990 – Geometry in Curriculum.
For more information, contact Jon Davis.

PD Opportunity for MS Math Teachers: Number Sense Routines in the Middle Grades

For middle school math teachers...

Number Sense Routines in the Middle Grades

. . . . . . Wednesday, February 17, 2016 Explore basic fact fluency progressions and high-impact teaching strategies for developing number sense in the middle grades. Click the Register button for more details...

February 17 Number Sense

To see all IC services and PD offerings click this address link or type it into your browser's address bar: www.kresa.org/PD Registration help: Linda Bussema @ linda.bussema@kresa.org or 269-250-9210

Conversations Among Colleagues Early Registration Ending Soon

MI-AMTE Conversations Among Colleagues

Bringing the Standards for Mathematical Practice to Life

Join colleagues involved in the preparation and professional development of P-12 mathematics teachers for engaging and stimulating conversations related to preparing and supporting teachers mathematically and pedagogically.

March 19, 2016
Sangren Hall, Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo

Registration Information

Student registration: $10 early registration; $15 early registration plus one year membership in MI-AMTE $20 late, $25 late registration plus one year membership in MI-AMTE

Non-Student: $40 early registration; $55 early plus one year membership in MI-AMTE
$60 late; $75 late plus one year membership in MI-AMTE

Early Registration ends January 31, 2016

If you have questions, please contact Christine Browning or Laura Van Zoest at:
math-cac2016@wmich.edu.

Save the date! Math in Action 2016 will be held on Saturday, February 27, 2016 at Grand Valley State University, Allendale, MI

Conference REGISTRATION  is OPEN!

Conference Highlights

Math in Action presents lively and informative discussions of current issues in mathematics education while providing an opportunity for practicing PreK – 12 teachers, prospective teachers, curriculum directors, and college and university faculty to share ideas, concerns, and resources. SCECH credits are available for most sessions. The conference consists of six hour long sessions with eight separate interactive presentations during each. 

Presentations are focused on specific mathematics topics at a variety of grade levels.

Keynote Speakers

Questions: For further information, please email conference co-chairs Charlene Beckmann at beckmannc21@aol.com or Firas Hindeleh at hindelef@gvsu.edu.

Play this video for your students

Everyone can learn math at the highest levels.
If you work harder, you'll get smarter.
Play this in class today and then support your students in living by these messages.

PD Opportunity: SAT Assessment Overview

Opportunity for Kalamazoo county educators

The INSPIRE Conference

Be sure to join the Learning Network for Greater Kalamazoo for the educators conference of the year on August 19th! Be among the first 1,000 people to register by Saturday, August 1st to receive a $25 gift card. 

Now in its second year, the Inspire 2015-2016 conference takes place on Wednesday, August 19th from 9 am to 12:15 pm. at Miller Auditorium in Kalamazoo. The event is open to anyone involved in education in Kalamazoo County; teachers, custodians, secretaries, tutors, the home-school community, volunteers and more. 

Register now.

PD opportunity: A High School Probability Course with REAL answers

Create a new mindset for mathematics teaching and learning that is applications-based & problem-driven. Experience the standards for mathematical practices as they come to life with probabilistic decision models.

When will we ever use this?

Probabilistic Models of Complex Decisions for High School Mathematics

Professional Development Workshop – 3 days

Probabilistic models are critical for improving decision making in the uncertain environment

faced by businesses, government, and each of us on a personal level. This workshop provides a

wide array of contexts that involve the development and interpretation of probabilistic decision

models. Probabilistic reasoning is emphasized and technology is employed to represent

randomness. Participants will learn to use probabilistic models to assess risk and explore options.

The curriculum is applications-based and problem-driven. These include applications from

medical testing, investment, scheduling, the hospitality industry, health care management, sports,

personal life, and emergency services. We say that it is problem-driven because the problems are

stated up front and drive the development of the mathematical ideas. In this way, we hope to

improve students’ ability to solve multi-step problems and interpret the results. Through this

approach, we demonstrate the broad applicability of mathematics. This obviates a common

student question and complaint: When will we ever use this stuff?

The workshop materials are currently in use in high schools in Michigan, North Carolina,

Georgia, California, New York and Indiana.

For more information visit our website. 

Register now for the MCTM annual conference - supporting assessment

The MCTM annual conference offers numerous opportunities to learn about upcoming assessments.  The conference is being held in beautiful Traverse City on July 29-30.  Additional information, including a schedule of sessions, registration, and lodging, can be found at the MCTM website.
 
*Are you looking for the latest information on the M-STEP?
On Thursday, Pat King, Assistant Director of the Office of Standards and Assessment for Michigan’s Department of Education, will be delivering a keynote titled “Next Steps with M-STEP”.
 
She will then be joined by Ruth Anne Hodges and Kyle Ward for grade-banded breakout sessions on Thursday.  This will be a great opportunity to ask questions as well as offer feedack.
 
*Are you looking for the latest information on the SAT?
On Wednesday, Kathy Berry, MCTM’s President-Elect as well as the Coordinator of Research, Evaluation, and Assessment for the Monroe County ISD, will be presenting a session titled “New SAT/PSAT- Preparing for the Mathematics Portion”
 
*Are you looking for ideas and strategies for Formative Assessment?
There are several sessions throughout the conference focusing on this including:

• “Tips for Incorporating Formative Assessment Activities in Your Classroom” presented by Joanne Philhower on Thursday
• “JumpStart Formative Assessment Modules- an NCSM Resource” presented by Denise Brady on Wednesday
• “Stress-free Formative Assessment: Concept Development and Re-engagement” presented by Diane Rogers and Danielle Seabold on Wednesday

Questions can be directed to Kevin Dykema.

Memorizers are the lowest achievers and other Common Core math surprises

It’s time to debunk the myths about who is good in math, and Common Core state standards move us toward this worthy goal. Mathematics and technology leaders support the standards because they are rooted in the new brain and learning sciences.
All children are different in their thinking, strength and interests. Mathematics classes of the past decade have valued one type of math learner, one who can memorize well and calculate fast.
Yet data from the 13 million students who took PISA tests showed that the lowest achieving students worldwide were those who used a memorization strategy – those who thought of math as a set of methods to remember and who approached math by trying to memorize steps. The highest achieving students were those who thought of math as a set of connected, big ideas.
The U.S. has more memorizers than most other countries in the world. Perhaps not surprisingly as math teachers, ...

...read more from Jo Boaler's Op Ed in The Hechinger Report.

PD opportunity: 2015 KRESA Administrator Academy

Click the flyer to download full Administrator Academy details When: June 16-17, 2015 | 8:00am-9:00pm Where: John E. Fetzer Center, 2350 Business Court, Kalamazoo, MI Registration Fee: Consortium: $250 | Non-Consortium: $400 (Fee includes light breakfast, lunch and dinner both days) Credits: 50 SCECHs or 2 WMU graduate credits available (CHs fee $15 | grad credit @ WMU tuition rate) Presenters: Dr. Kevin Feldman, Emeritus Director of Reading and Intervention with the Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) Lisa Swem, Attorney with Thrun Law Firm, P.C., specializing in school, labor and employment law Wendy Zdeb-Roper, Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) Dr. Grant Chandler, Dean of the Arcadia Commons Campus of Kalamazoo Valley Community College and the Director of KVCC's Center for New Media ** Deadline June 9 **

©2015 Kalamazoo Regional Educational Service Agency | 1819 E. Milham Ave. Portage, MI 49002

NCTM and Hunt Institute Math Video Series

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the Hunt Institute have produced a series of videos to enhance understanding of the mathematics that students need to succeed in college, life, and careers. The series also covers the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Standards for Mathematical Practice and examines why developing conceptual understanding requires a different approach to teaching and learning. You will also find a useful video for parents wishing to support their child’s mathematics learning. Please view the videos on the NCTM Teaching and Learning Mathematics with the Common Core Web page. 

• Building Conceptual Understanding for Mathematics  
• Mathematics in the Early Grades  
• Developing Mathematical Skills in Upper Elementary Grades  
• Mathematical Foundations for Success in Algebra  
• Preparation for Higher Level Mathematics  
• Standards for Mathematical Practice  
• Parents Supporting Mathematics Learning 

Michigan Awards Future Assessment System for Spring 2016 and Beyond

(Excerpt from Official Press Release)

Michigan has awarded a three-year contract to both Data Recognition Corporation (DRC) and Measurement, Inc. for the future Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP) system beginning with the 2015-2016 school year. The recommendation of award was made jointly by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), and Department of Technology, Management, and Budget (DTMB), which runs the state procurement process. “Data Recognition Corporation and Measurement, Inc. were the two highest scoring bidders and are among the most experienced education service and test administration providers in the nation,” said State Superintendent Mike Flanagan. “This now allows Michigan schools and teachers to move forward and fully transition from the 40-year-old MEAP to M-STEP, a 21st Century assessment system.” DRC and Measurement, Inc. are the same vendors that are being used for the 2015 M-STEP statewide assessment, providing a seamless transition to the statewide assessments for the foreseeable future. “This fortunate outcome will give this year’s tests greater significance and be a foundation from which to build,” Flanagan said. To learn more, read the full MDE press release.

Spotlight: March 5, 2015

Tip of the week (grades 6-11):

M-STEP Online Calculator Practice: Have your students practice using the M-STEP online calculators using the Google Chrome browser.

Updates and info:

Rate your textbook (or help find a new one)

EdReports.org, an independent non-profit, has released free, web-based reviews of current K-8 math instructional materials.  The teacher-led process raised good questions for textbook consumers about the alignment of current options, reviewing popular textbooks to see whether the math content aligned to the Common Core.

Check out the reports for their analysis and as you approach the process of choosing or adapting instructional materials in your school and district for the coming year, consider using an alignment-focused tool such as the Instructional Materials Evaluation Tool.