Math served up one small bite at a time!
Over the next three months, we are serving up small, bite-sized virtual professional learning sessions covering a variety of topics. These complimentary sessions are 45 minutes each and are offered at two different times to accommodate your schedule. Look below to see our calendar of topics for the series!
Register for these virtual sessions using the links below (all times are Eastern, US and Canada).
Language and Discourse as Access to Rich Mathematics:
Essential Foundations and Practical Suggestions for Supporting All Learners
February 10, 2021
In this session, leaders and teachers will learn about important research and practical suggestions for strengthening language & discourse in the mathematics classroom. This is essential to providing each and every student access to and success with rich mathematics. We will include strategies for building vocabulary, sharing and critiquing reasoning, and developing multiple representations of mathematics. We will also discuss common unintentional barriers to access. By removing these barriers, we maximize each child’s opportunity to leave elementary school ready for success in middle grades mathematics.
Mathematics Made Visual: Engaging Students with Multiple Representations
February 18, 2021
This session highlights the importance of using multiple models to develop a strong conceptual understanding of Mathematics. Participants will explore the features of various visual representations and consider the strengths and weaknesses of each. Different mathematical ideas lend themselves to different models and support student understanding differently. Learn about new visuals and new ways of using familiar tools to help your students master mathematics.
Let’s Start at the Very Beginning
March 4, 2021
Early mathematics learning is essential for student success. In this session, participants will explore five beginning processes that are at the core of early childhood mathematics. They will participate in activities to engage young children of many different developmental levels in these processes that provide a pathway to mathematical success for young learners.
What a Concept!
Using Purposeful Talk to Foster Understanding of Mathematical Concepts
March 18, 2021
Language and discourse are integral components to building an initial understanding of mathematical concepts. They can also serve to extend and deepen understanding. In this session, participants will explore practical strategies to use language and discourse in all teaching environments to support all students in understanding mathematical concepts.
Let’s Get ‘Thinkering:’ Encouraging Reasoning and Problem Solving
April 1, 2021
Rich, open-ended mathematical tasks are the starting point for encouraging students to think deeply about the mathematics they are learning. We will explore the use of a ‘thinkering’ map as a visual tool to support students in solving these tasks. The map also can be used by teachers to monitor student progress and make instructional decisions.
That’s a Fact: Developing Fact Fluency
April 15, 2021
Students retain their math facts when they form a strong conceptual foundation of the operations. This session will focus on the approach in developing fact fluency so that students access their math facts using thinking strategies. This means they retain their facts and can extend the strategies to greater values, fractions, and decimals.
What’s in a Fraction?
Establishing a Solid Foundation for Fraction Understanding
April 29, 2021
This session focuses early ideas of fractions that are essential for students fractional understanding and beyond. Participants explore key fractions ideas and strategies to support learning in young students before they begin formal work with symbols. We will also explore the progression from these early ideas to deeper fraction understanding and success.