Mathematics Updates
October 2016
Principles of High-Quality Math Education
From NCTM's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics
- Equity. Excellence in mathematics education requires equity—high expectations and strong support for all students.
- Curriculum. A curriculum is more than a collection of activities: it must be coherent, focused on important mathematics, and well articulated across the grades
- Teaching. Effective mathematics teaching requires understanding what students know and need to learn and then challenging and supporting them to learn it well.
- Learning. Students must learn mathematics with understanding, actively building new knowledge from experience and prior knowledge.
- Assessment. Assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students.
- Technology. Technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students' learning.
A Top Ten List for Mathematics Teaching
- My attitude toward mathematics matters. If I don’t like it, the students won’t either. If I love it, they will, too.
- Every child can learn math.
- Concepts need to be developed beginning with concrete materials (manipulatives).
- It is important to use many kinds of visual/pictorial representations regularly.
- My students need my help to learn how to “talk math” and need time in my lessons to do it.
- There really are many ways to solve a problem, not just one “right way” (that was demonstrated by me, the teacher).
- It is better to do one problem five ways than five problems one way (Polya).
- Students need to develop strategies for solving problems, strategies that they understand and can explain.
- Adults use mathematical estimation daily. Kids need to practice it often.
- Doing algorithms requires no mathematical understanding, just a knowledge of how to follow rules.
Google Slides: Class Baseball Game
Progressions for Operations in Elementary
Making the Most of Going Over Homework
By Samuel Otten, Michelle Cirillo, and Beth A. Herbel-Eisenmann
Mathematics in the Middle School
Awareness of common patterns that exist within the GOHW activity can help to capitalize on alternative ways of spending class time. These alternative ways emphasize that math homework - and by extension, math itself - is not about correct answers, but rather, about reasoning, making connections, and understanding big ideas. (Read article ...)
Blending High School Math Instruction with Khan Academy
By Lori A. Cargile
Mathematics Teacher
Many parents and school administrators believe that technology will aid in school improvement efforts because of its potential to produce self-paced and differentiated learning. Despite its popularity, research on the effectiveness of blended learning is only beginning to surface. A 2013 meta-analysis of forty-five research studies on online and blended instruction concluded that students in fully online classes achieved at about the same levels as students in face-to-face classes, but students in blended classes performed slightly better than students in their face-to-face comparison group. These early results inspired the use of blended learning and the plethora of available online tutoring programs to support it.
Khan Academy is a free resource that can be used in blended learning. Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, envisioned four components in its use as a tool for blending mathematics instruction. Teachers can use these tenets as a checklist to know whether they are indeed using the program as envisioned. Instruction with KA should include these four components:
- Formative assessment data
- Goal setting
- "Playlists,” or task lists
- Active and collaborative learning
(Read the entire article for more information each component.)
Math and Move On When Ready
There are no MOWR equivalents for the required high school courses.
MOWR College Algebra is not an equivalent for Advanced Algebra or Algebra 2.
MOWR options for mathematics are not relevant to NCAA requirements.
Fourth math options related to post-secondary options
College Readiness Mathematics has been approved for USG admissions and has been added to the HOPE Rigor List.
Foundations of Algebra (plus Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2) is accepted by a few USG colleges, but contact colleges to confirm that they will accept it.
October Math Professional Learning Opportunities
Oct. 6, 2016 - Western Elementary School
Developing Understanding of the Standards for Proficiency and More
This session is part of a monthly series of professional learning. It will focus on diving deep into the current and/or upcoming content standards by examining aligned assessment items and engaging in tasks that will help students construct conceptual and procedural understanding. Although participation in the face-to-face sessions is limited to Western Elementary teachers, resources will be made available to all Coweta teachers through the K-2 Math and 3-5 Math Google classrooms after the presentations.
Oct. 13, 2016 - K-2 Math Webinar - 2:45pm - 3:45pm
Games Using Ten-Frames (Part II)
This is the second of a two-part series of sessions. Participants will learn about more games using ten-frames to develop number sense and strengthen concepts related to addition and subtraction in this session designed for teachers of Kindergarten through Grade 2. Register by 4 p.m. on Oct. 12 at https://goo.gl/forms/96pBEBAzOuTl7WJ42 to receive an invitation to join this session.
Oct. 18, 2016 - 3-5 Math Webinar - 2:45pm - 3:45pm
Fractions and Decimals (Part I)
In this first of a series of sessions, a collection of high-leverage tasks to assist in building conceptual understanding of fractions will be examined. This session is designed for teachers in Grades 3-5. Register by 4 p.m. on Oct. 17 at https://goo.gl/forms/X73pyiSWLoHcc0Br1 to receive an invitation to join this session.
Oct. 25, 2016 - East Coweta Middle School - 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Practical Tips for Making Fractions Come Alive and Make Sense
Suggestions based on research and classroom practice that make fractions make sense for middle school students will be explored in this face-to-face session. Participants are asked to bring their Chromebooks. No registration is required.
Research base
Cargile, L.A. (2015). Blending instruction with Khan Academy. Mathematics Teacher, 109(1), 35-39.
Fletcher, G. (2016). Math progressions: Making sense series. Questioning my metacognition blog. Retrieved from https://gfletchy.com/
Georgia Department of Education. (2016, August 29). Move On When Ready updates. Webinar. Retrieved from http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Curriculum-and-Instruction/Pages/Mathematics.aspx
Keeler, A. (2016). Google Slides: Class baseball game review game. Teacher Tech blog. Retrieved from http://alicekeeler.com/2016/09/26/google-slides-class-baseball-review-activity/
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. (2000). Principles and standards for school mathematics. Reston, VA: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Norris, C. (2015). Ten things about teaching math I wish I had known as a new teacher. Focus on Math blog. Retrieved from https://focusonmath.wordpress.com/2015/09/22/ten-things-about-teaching-math-i-wish-i-had-known-as-a-new-teacher/
Otten, S. , Cirillo, M., & Herbel-Eisenmann, B.A. (2015). Making the most of going over homework. Mathematics Teaching in the Middle School, 21(2), 98-105.