Rose Ferrero School
Week Of: January 10-21, 2022
QUOTES OF THE WEEK WE SHARED WITH OUR STUDENTS
LCAP GOAL 2: PROFICIENCY FOR ALL – The Power of Mental Math
Ideally, students should have ready mental recall of single-digit addition and multiplication facts to help them solve problems. Beyond facts, students should know how to multiply numbers by ten, one hundred, or one thousand. Additionally, students should know the pairs of whole numbers that add up to ten – realizing that both 6 + 4 and 4 + 6 represent the same thing, but also that these two expressions mean the same as 1 + 9. And, when presented with a two-digit number like thirty-seven, students should be able to think of its “hundred partner,” in this case sixty-three. Number Talks can strengthen students’ mental math tool kits as teachers and students alike share tips and mental shortcuts with one another as they share their solutions to problems posed to them during this time.
Mental math provides both tools for solving problems and filters for evaluating answers. When a student has strong mental math skills, he/she can quickly test different approaches to a problem and determine whether the resulting path will lead to a viable solution. Using estimation skills – those that require both a sense of numbers and facility with mental computation – a student can generate a ballpark answer to a problem before solving it. Estimation also offers a comparison point by which to judge whether a result is reasonable for the given situation, which is another reason why estimation is an important part of students’ mental tool kits.
Though not all students develop mental number skills with the same speed or to the same degree, Mental math has a clear place in school mathematics – a reason why Number Talks are a daily routine, here at Rose Ferrero. Moreover, mental math need not depend on rote memorization. In fact, the development of mental models for numbers and operations is greatly facilitated by engaging students in purposeful experiences with concrete objects and number patterns. As students develop number sense and operation sense, they can connect this understanding to help them add, subtract, multiply, and divide, both mentally, and in writing.
In today’s world of standards and standardized tests, mental math seems to have taken a backseat to other aspects of mathematics. Maybe this is because the development of mental techniques is not always explicitly identified in state standards. Whatever the reason, the time has come to invest in helping students build mental math skills as part of their comprehensive mathematical understanding. The payoff for this investment can be tremendous, both in improving students’ mathematical abilities and in sending a visible signal to parents and our community that we are committed to preparing students with the kind of mathematical proficiency that can serve students throughout their lives.
LCAP GOAL 2: PROFICIENCY FOR ALL – Defending the Truth Regarding the Proposed Mathematics Framework
As 2022 approaches we draw nearer to the release of the Proposed New Mathematics Framework in California. Some of you may have read stories and opinion pieces about this framework. Recently, esteemed author and educator, Jo Boler stated that she was “baffled by the number of inaccurate statements swirling around in the media, and deeply concerned about the organized campaign to misrepresent the proposed changes”. She also said that she was working hard to clarify and educate. On November 30, Boaler was interviewed by Mina Kim at KQED Forum, San Francisco. That interview allowed her to share current and accurate information about the framework and to correct the inaccuracies that are being circulated in the news. It also included many parents and educators phoning in and offering their support. If you would like to listen to the interview, the link is below this line.
https://www.kqed.org/forum/2010101886679/stanford-professor-jo-boaler-explains-californias-proposed-math-instruction-guidelines
In her latest blog, Boaler spoke of a letter being circulated, claiming that mathematics should never help with equity. This was followed by an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal. These articles claim the authors of the CA Mathematics Framework are making mathematics “trendy”, “shallow” and will discourage students from taking calculus because of an “equity” approach. Boaler is adamant that this is far from the truth. She believes in challenging mathematics that is accessible to all students and supports deep mathematics learning, so students see the beauty of mathematics and are able to think mathematically and use mathematics as a problem-solving tool throughout their lives. Boaler emphasizes how educators have learned from research that this approach inspires more students to take more mathematics courses, including calculus and other advanced courses, and the goal is always to increase the participation of all students in STEM pathways.
Finally, Boaler would appreciate you offering your support in what has now become a fight for the future of 21st century mathematics, with the anti-equity perspective being overrepresented in the media. She says that all educators need to stand up and be counted. If you would like to sign the educators’ letter of support you can find it here: https://www.cmc-math.org/framework-support-letter.
Three Reminders:
1). To the entire staff at Rose Ferrero – Please take this time to sit back and relax, spend time with your family and loved ones, and enjoy your holiday break. Here is wishing each and every one of you the happiest of holiday seasons.
2). Please keep in mind that all (Gen Edu) teachers will be meeting in Room #26 on the morning of Monday, January 10th at 8:00 AM (I will provide snacks!) We will take part in the early morning activities as a group, take a break at 9:30, and reconvene for a RF Professional Learning session up to the lunch break at 12:00.
3). Please remember to log into Sched and sign up for the sessions of your preference during the 1:00 & 2:15 time slots. 3rd – 6th grade teachers should select one of the sessions where Mr. Collins and I will walk you through the CAASPP site and re-familiarize you with everything you will need to know to access the Interims and have your students ready for testing this spring.