Slice of the Pi
February Edition
To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work.
Sister Mary Lauretta
Loving our time together!
With so many wonderful teachers to work with across the district, it isn't often that I get to spend several consecutive days in one class and the Mathematician Project allowed for that; I have thoroughly enjoyed it! If you missed this cycle, be on the lookout for opportunities in the fall!
By the month's end we will have the common experience of working through a three act task at a faculty meeting together (PES date is 2/25) and explored how this formative assessment can be used to give us actionable data while also being very engaging. I am organizing follow up times in the coming weeks for teachers who want to give one a try together and also compiling some resources for those who were ready to give one a go on their own!
I have shared some IAB resources with you that can be leveraged as a powerful formative assessment with your current content. Want to get together and dig into the data? Send me a time!
One of my favorite recent collaborations was using the screeners to plan whole group and tier 1 instruction for unit 4. As a reminder- every grade level has changes to the Bridges scope and sequence for 20-21 in Unit 4 (and other units).
If you are interested in exploring other formative assessment tools, or anything else, email me and let's connect!
Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood . . .
Make big plans; aim high in hope and work.
Daniel Burnham
Girl Power
Sign up here to bring R15 mathematicians to meet Joan Higginbotham!
Celebrate "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day" and join us for a live Q&A with Joan, an electrical engineer and astronaut whose job took her out of this world!
At noon on February 25th students can ask Joan questions, hear her stories, and get an inside look at how she is making the world a better place!
Many of us have created lives that give very little support for experimentation.
We believe that answers already exist out there, independent of us.
What if we invested more time and attention to our own experimentation?
We could focus our efforts on discovering solutions that work uniquely for us.
Margaret Wheatley
Culturally Relevant Math Literature
Life is like a box of chocolates...
If you move the top left chocolate you'll see my name underneath. You can add your classroom names to randomize calling on students, ensure everyone gets a turn, pick a "mathematician of the day" etc.
Professional Growth Opportunities
Sample Sessions:
Glow-in-the-Dark Geometry: Grades 3-4
Off the Charts + Measure Up: Grades K-2
Scruffy's Tic-Tac-Snacks : Grades 3-4
Smarter Balanced is currently recruiting educators for the State Network of Educators (SNE) summer virtual workshops being held on June 14-18 and July 12-16, 2021. More information is available on the Smarter Balanced web site (https://sne.smartertoolsforteachers.org/recruit/).
Dear Family,
"In 1977, with just four months left, NASA struggles to recruit scientists, engineers and astronauts for their new Space Shuttle Program. That is when Nichelle Nichols, Star Trek’s Lt. Uhura, challenges them by asking the question: Where are my people?. She embarks on a national blitz, recruiting 8,000 of the nation’s best and brightest, including the trailblazing astronauts who became the first African American, Asian and Latino men and women to fly in space."
Share this link with families!
Miss a previous issue?
January 20-21: Slice of the Pi
December 20-21: Slice of the Pi
November 20-21: Slice of the Pi
October 20-21: Slice of the Pi
September 20-21: Slice of the Pi
Questions? Comments? Curiosities?
Email: asmith@region15.org
Phone: 203-947-3446
Twitter: @anniesmith821