Saturday, July 16th
8:30 – 9:00 am
9:00 – 9:25 am
Registration, Foss Chapel Lobby
Opening Session, Foss Chapel
9:30 – 11:30 am
Morning Sessions
Demystifying Calculus and Its Teaching - Bruce Cohen, Foss 19b
(High School (Grades 9-12), Post Secondary; Calculus, Curriculum / Lesson Planning, student-centered
approach, problem solving, fun)
What is Calculus? In this morning session, we will use the three key “hooks” that succinctly summarize
Calculus to explore what Calculus is and how to help students to learn it with understanding. The session is
targeted at two audiences: math teachers who don't currently teach Calculus but who want a better
understanding of this beautiful topic; and math teachers who do currently teach Calculus and who are
interested in sharing and expanding ideas on how to teach it. Having taught Calculus for the past 20 out of 24
years, I have developed a detailed map of this journey through the first year of Calculus, and while the map
changes every year, I have developed a powerful but transferable way of approaching this subject with high
school students.
The three “hooks” we will use are:
1. What is the meaning of "instantaneous rate of change"?
2. How can we compute distance when the given rate is a non-constant function of time?
3. How might a calculator compute a good approximation for a number (e.g. cube-root of 19) using only
addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division?
Bring a laptop or tablet that runs a browser and we will explore together. No prerequisite work is required.
Tessellation Nation - Christopher Danielson, Old Main 206
(General Interest; Geometry, Inquiry)
Our guiding question for this morning session is, What is tessellation and how can we help empower each
other to make sense of it and explore it? Over our time together, we will focus on learning, doing, and making
tessellations. We will also focus on the art, geometry, symmetry, physical aspects, cultural anthropology, and
historical aspects of tilings, as well as the production processes.
Along the way, we'll reflect on what our learning in this session can teach us about learning and exploring in
mathematics more generally.
This is a “pure joy in doing” session, rather than a “how to teach transformational geometry” session. Our
intention is that participants will bring a personal idea or project in mind that they wish to pursue with support
and we will help each other manifest our ideas. (Don't be scared off, though! Your project could be as simple
as "explore new math ideas".) We hope to build a sub-community of mathematical tessellation-explorers
within the MTBoS who continue to explore tessellation even after #TMC16 is concluded.
Mathematically, we seek to broaden our experience with tessellations from what has historically been
contained in textbooks, and to build connections between the ideas and images of tessellations and other
areas of mathematical thinking and reasoning, including proof, number, patterns and more.
9:30 – 11:30 am
Morning Sessions
Book Study Boot Camp - Norma Gordon, Foss 21a
(Beginner Level; General Interest; Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Discussion / Debate, Questioning, Social
Justice, Book study)
Have a math/math ed book you want to read and discuss? I know I do! There are at least 4 math books I've
been meaning to read (or re-read) and discuss. Each morning we can discuss a different book OR we can dive
deeply into one for the 3 days or 2-3books on the same theme (e.g. instructional [math] coaching).
Here are some books on my list: Teaching Mathematics for Social Justice, Conversations with Educators
(NCTM); Mathematical Mindset (Jo Boaler); Coaching Books (math and general, e.g. Jim Knight, Small Steps Big
Changes) which might be more of a "books share" session. If there is interest we might try to get authors to
join in virtually as well.
Talk Less, Smile More: Getting Students to Discuss and Debate Math - Chris Luzniak and Matt Baker, Music 24
(General Interest; Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Discussion / Debate)
Are you interested in reducing your own talk time and increasing student talk? Do you want to know what
students are thinking? Would you like to see and hear your students reason through and defend their
arguments?
In this workshop we will explore a variety of structures and techniques that can be implemented in any
classroom to help create a culture of thinking, where reasoning and arguments are visible and valued. We will
immerse ourselves in activities that promote student discussion and debate in and about mathematics. Over
the course of three mornings, we will explore methods for increasing student talk, developing student to
student conversations, and getting students on their feet excitedly debating math problems and procedures.
We will draw from multiple sources and experiences, presenting activities small and large that will help to
create a culture of mathematical discussion. Time will be given each day to assess and evaluate the various
ideas and develop ways of implementing appropriate structures into your own classroom.
Technology in a Math Classroom: App Smackdown AND 1:1 Sites/Apps/Extensions Smackdown - Sarah
Martin and Kathryn Freed, Foss 42
(Elementary (Grades K-4), Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 912); Technology)
Do you find that during the school year you hear about all these GREAT ideas for technology but never have
time to sit down and play? Well, here is your chance to play and bounce ideas off others. We will dedicate an
hour to sharing ideas with the rest of each morning session as time to PLAY!!
Day1: App Smack Down
Day2: 1:1 Sites/Apps/Extensions Smack Down
Day3: Final Smack Down with anything else technology people want to share
9:30 – 11:30 am
Morning Sessions
A "just enough" approach to intervention for students with gaps in their mathematical understandings. Michelle Naidu, Foss 43
(Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12), General Interest;
Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning)
This 3-day session is geared to help teachers plan real time interventions for their students, while still
attending to their own course curriculum requirements.
Day 1: I don't have time to teach my curriculum, let alone fill gaps!
We'll take a look at collaborative planning processes that help you gain deep understanding of your
curriculum, as well as what your students need to know. Be prepared to unpack your standards and look at
vertical alignment to help hone in on which gaps need immediate attention and which (while important) are
for another time.
Day 2: Not all pre-assessments are created equal
There are as many ways to pre-assess your students as there are to assess them. Pre-assessments can also
serve several different purposes. We'll discuss how to design quick pre-assessments that identify gaps based
on what your students need to be successful with your curriculum. We'll also get started at making preassessments for the upcoming year.
Day 3: Now I know there's a problem, what do I do?
Alternate Title: Oh shit, they can’t add!
Quick, effective ways to offer "just enough" intervention that will make your new instruction more effective.
We'll look at possible structures for managing individualized interventions and enrichments and start planning
for your classroom.
Don’t Plan a Lesson, Design an Experience – Jonathan Osters, Chris Robinson, Ole Rapson, and Nicole Bridge,
OGC 200
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level; Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12), Post Secondary;
Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Questioning)
Experience-First Mathematics (EFM) is a term we adopted to describe all approaches of instruction that
encourage students to take ownership of their learning. This includes problem-based, inquiry-based, and
project-based learning. All these techniques require the teacher to carefully design an experience – a chance
for students to immerse themselves into the math and create new mathematics for themselves. These
sessions are designed for all teachers looking to increase their use of student-centered learning, and both
beginners and intermediates can learn so much from hearing a variety of voices.
Day 1 activities will have participants exploring a fun math topic instructed in an EFM style. We will then
dissect the experience: what worked well and why? We’ll identify the intention behind every teacher choice
and what you as a teacher might have done differently. We will also discuss how current research supports
this approach.
Day 2 will begin with a discussion about overcoming challenges within the classroom and school community.
Participants will then investigate a traditional lesson (or two) and make it Experience-First. Small groups will
tackle different parts of the lesson, constantly focusing on what the student experience is. Each group will
share ideas, and participants can share stories from their own practice - which lessons do you have that are
Experience-First style lessons, and which lessons would you like to modify?
Day 3 will give participants an opportunity to partner up and intensively work on making an EFM lesson for
your classroom, spending time on each partner’s lesson.
9:30 – 11:30 am
Morning Sessions
Advanced Transformations - Henri Picciotto, OGC 201
(Intermediate Level; High School (Grades 9-12); Common Core State Standards, Geometry, Pre-Calculus,
Technology)
The Common Core State Standards call for a complete rethinking of geometry in grades 8-11. Instead of basing
everything on congruence and similarity postulates, as is traditional, the idea is to build on a foundation of
geometric transformations: translation, rotation, reflection, and dilation.
I believe this has implications beyond the standard Geometry class. I have been teaching transformational
geometry in a post-Algebra 2 elective for twenty years, and have a lot to share. In this three-morning
workshop, I will assume familiarity with the basics of transformational geometry, and present a selection of
content for possible use in grades 11-12. Here are the key ideas I hope to cover:
- Composition of transformations. Definition and properties of glide reflections. Epic proof that a figure can be
transformed into any congruent figure in a single translation, rotation, reflection, or glide reflection.
- Symmetry in depth -- around a point, along a strip, in the plane. Connections to tiling, and to high-schoolappropriate introductory lessons in group theory.
- Computing geometric transformations with the help of complex numbers at first, then matrices -- this is the
mathematics that underlies all computer graphics.
This will work best if (most) participants bring laptops with GeoGebra already loaded.
Instant Relevance: Day by Day Statistics for Non-AP Courses - Denis Sheeran, Music 23
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12), General Interest; Questioning, Statistics, Technology)
The three day morning session would discuss the level of statistical knowledge needed in non-AP courses and
dive into how to create activities and lessons for those classes "on the fly" based on current events, data, and
questions. On the third day, the participants will bring their own activities to share and workshop with the
group. The focus is very much on Non-AP Statistics. Questions like "Did that commercial I saw yesterday lie to
me?" and "How come I didn't win the free Coke?" bring instant relevance to our day by day mathematical
experiences.
Rehearsing Instructional Activities Together - David Wees, Jasper DeAntonio and Kaitlin Ruggiero,
Old Main 202
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level, Advanced Level; General Interest; Common Core State Standards,
Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Inquiry-based learning)
The goal of this workshop is to enable participants to be able talk about their teaching practices in specific and
concrete ways after the conference by first developing and then leveraging a shared understanding of an
instructional activity called Contemplate then Calculate.
Participants will first experience Contemplate then Calculate together as learners a few times. This will help
participants understand what part of the routine stays the same and what part of the routine changes. Next
participants will prepare to rehearse an instructional activitiy together by planning (or unpacking previously
designed) tasks through doing the math themselves, anticipating and discussing possible student approaches,
and then considering how they can support students with a specific mathematical focus for the task.
We will then rehearse the instructional activity together a couple of times with different volunteers playing
the role of the teacher while all of us focus on understanding the elements of the instructional activity and
why those elements support students. Through this rehearsal participants will both be better prepared to plan
and enact this instructional activity with their students and develop a stronger set of shared language to talk
about teaching.
Finally we will make an agreement to try out this instructional activity with our own students and share with
each other the tasks we create and what we learn about teaching practice.
9:30 – 11:30 am
Morning Sessions
Using online collaboration and dynamic math to focus on thinking, rather than thoughts - Steve Weimar,
Anderson Hall 101
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level, Advanced Level; Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades
7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Common Core State Standards, Discussion / Debate, Geometry, Technology,
Accountable Talk; Collaborative learning;)
Many of us are working to have classrooms in which the Mathematical Practices are as important as content
knowledge, but it is challenging to organize a learning environment in which we focus on thinking, rather than
thoughts. How do we design math education so that students and teachers can focus on how we are thinking
and what it means to get better at these Practices? I will draw on the work of the Math Forum in the Virtual
Math Teams project, where we have built a multi-user GeoGebra environment, and on our work in online
problem solving more generally. Over the course of the morning sessions we will dive deep into rich geometry
tasks (and encounter some new ways to think about big ideas like construction and proof), get to know the
freely available VMT GeoGebra environment, talk about how people have used it with students, and explore
the difference between focusing on thinking and focusing on thoughts, by focusing on thinking in actual
student work.
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
1:00 – 1:30 pm
Lunch (on your own)
Afternoon My Favorites, Foss Chapel
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Keynote, Foss Chapel
Race, Math, and What We're Not Talking About – José Luis Vilson
Mathematics reform has become a major topic in the last few years, from Nicholson Baker to Andrew Hacker.
What's often absent from the conversation is the voice of educators, specifically those working with the most
marginalized students. How do we address these intersections so all students can learn?
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3... - Meg Craig and Sarah Martin, Music 23
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning)
Tests are: (A) difficult to create (B) difficult to share online (C) difficult to make more exciting (D) all of the
above. If you think D is the correct answer, join us in this testing session. First, Sarah will present about the
success she’s had with partner tests. Then we’ll all share some of our favorite questions, brainstorm in topic
groups to develop more, trade them to give feedback, and come back together to reflect on what we’ve
created. Questions that were developed will be compiled into one document and emailed to participants after
TMC.
Getting Triggy With It: Interactive Trig - Kristen Fouss, Old Main 206
(High School (Grades 9-12); Pre-Calculus)
I've been lucky enough to teach Trigonometry in my Precalculus classes (and now Math 3) for many years.
Throughout that time I've collected a lot of different activities that help make trig more than just paper, pencil,
and sohcahtoa. In this session we'll play with different ways to teach radians, the unit circle, graphing, and
other odds and ends that make Trig the best semester ever!
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Art for Math - John Golden, Foss 21a
(General Interest; Curriculum / Lesson Planning)
Attendees will consider art as a context for mathematics and mathematical representation as art. We will try
an activity, and think about instructional purpose for bringing art into math class: ways to engage students,
connections in processes and ways of thinking. How can art spur inquiry? We will collaborate on answers.
Mathematics and Music - Bob Janes, Foss 19b
(General Interest; Cross Curricular)
There are many strong connections between mathematics and music that can be adapted to fit classrooms
from elementary through secondary education. In this talk, we will focus on three key aspects. First, we will
look at sound as a sine wave and discuss how complex sounds are created through function addition. Next, we
will discuss how various musical scales possess both rational and irrational qualities. Finally, we will explore
how composers can use translations to create variations on a theme. Throughout the talk, we will link all of
these topics back to Common Core Standards and do a little bit of math along the way. If you teach within a
music, arts, or physics themed environment; want a new angle to approach concepts; need an independent
study for a particular student; or just like music and math then this is for you! The session will be adapted to fit
the audience, so elementary, middle, and high school teachers are all invited.
Student-Created GeoGebras - Audrey McLaren, Foss 42
(High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Technology)
I am a BIG fan of GeoGebra and the Desmos activity builder, not only because of what I can make, but what
my students can make. I'd like to share: 1. my students' creations made with GeoGebra (which range from
"sticky points", detailed studies of functions, to virtual projectiles), 2. my rationale for getting the students to
create them, 3. how I introduce the projects to them (using Desmos activity builder), and 4. how we all end up
learning together. If time permits, participants will create their own virtual projectile using Ggb or Desmos.
Differentiation, not just for students - Michelle Naidu, Foss 43
(General Interest; Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Leadership/Advocacy, Supporting Teachers)
Are you facilitating PD? A little concerned participants will leave not having taken anything away from your
session because of the diversity of experience in the room? It’s rare you know who will be attending in
advance when you’re facilitating professional development, so how can you plan for all the possibilities? We’ll
look at different structures and ways to facilitate that allow you to differentiate your session within whatever
time constraints you may face. If possible, bring a planned or partially planned session to work on throughout
the session.
Bring Social Issues Alive in your Math Classroom through PBL - Sheila Orr, Anderson Hall 101
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level; High School (Grades 9-12); Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Social Justice,
Technology)
In this interactive session, participants will engage with a mathematical task, which has a real world
mathematical social justice focus. The presenter will share the work she did with her students over the course
of the year in geometry and how she brought a social justice lens to the course. Then the participants will
discuss how to structure PBL in a mathematics class, focusing on bring social issues into the classroom.
Participants will also have the opportunity to look find opportunities to discuss social issues in their classroom
through PBL. Upon leaving this session, participants should have ideas for projects that could bring social
justice into their classroom.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Games and Activities for Integer Addition and Subtraction - Christy Pettis and Aran Glancy, Old Main 202
(Beginner Level; Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6); Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Number)
We've developed a fun game and follow-up activities for introducing integer addition and subtraction to
students. The game combines a context, a vertical number line, and the chip model. We'll explore why we
think introducing integers with these three models *together* makes a difference by looking at sixth grade
student work. The session will begin by looking at sixth grade student-generated stories and responses to
simple integer computation problems. We'll use these to talk about how the student work gives insight into
the key aspects of integer understanding that need to be addressed in initial instruction and how to build on
student understandings. Then we'll introduce "Floats and Anchors" and give some time to play the game.
We'll also show some variations on the game and follow-up activities that we've made and used with students
to better support their understanding. The game and follow-up activities are all available for free at this
website: https://sites.google.com/a/umn.edu/integer-games/home
Pear Deck 101 - Julie Reulbach (Pear Deck certified coach) and Julia Finneyfrock, OGC 200
(Beginner Level; Elementary (Grades K-4), Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8), High
School (Grades 9-12), Post Secondary, General Interest; Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning,
Technology)
Pear Deck is an interactive software that allows students to actively participate in each aspect of your lesson.
Learn how to Pear Deck existing powerpoint or google slides presentations as well as create Pear Decks from
scratch from a Pear Deck certified coach. By the end of the session, you will have a finished Pear Deck lesson
you can use!
Using Talking Points to Create a Culture of Exploratory Talk - Elizabeth Statmore, Music 24
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Common Core State Standards, Discussion / Debate,
Social Justice)
If you want your students’ peer-to-peer talk to rise out of the swamp of mumbling and into the level of truly
“exploratory talk,” then you are going to need some structures and tools to get this going. In this workshop
session, participants will experience and learn efficient, evidence-based techniques for introducing and
improving the quality of student-to-student talk. Immersive segments will be followed by reflective, “master
class” segments in which we will analyze the techniques and ideas we’ve just experienced. All levels of
teachers and learners are welcome in this session, and any math we do during the workshop will be accessible
to all who wish to participate.
Backwards Bikes & Productive Struggle - Sara VanDerWerf, OGC 201
(General Interest; Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Leadership/Advocacy)
I'm on a journey to create a classroom where students are excited, curious and engaged in mathematics. Not
some students, all students. In 2015-16 I learned to ride a backwards bike (note: as of 1.16.16, I am still
learning, but by summer 2016 I hope to have learnED). Everyday, in our school hallways, I practice riding the
bike in an effort to model persistence for my students. Ultimately my journey to ride this bike taught me more
about my own teaching and my beliefs about students and how they learn math. Join me in trying to ride my
backwards bike. More importantly, I will share the things I use in my own classroom to create a desire for
productive struggle in my math students. (Google 'backwards brain bicycle' & watch an 8 minute video if you
want to see why I am trying to learn to ride this bike)
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Playing with Math and Getting Published - Sue VanHattum, Old Main 104
(Beginner Level; High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, math circles, playing)
Putting together the book Playing with Math: Stories from Math Circles, Homeschoolers, and Passionate
Teachers was a 6 1/2 year long labor of love. It's done. It's published. It's a very cool book. Maybe it will inspire
you.
I'll present about some of what I learned while working on it, and how the work provided me inspiration for
my college teaching (even though the book has nothing to do with my college courses). I'll be thinking,
together with the group, about how our online participation enriches our teaching. And we can talk about how
to get published.
4:00 – 4:30 pm
Afternoon Sessions
I'm Blogging With The Man In The Mirror - Justin Aion, Foss 19b
(Beginner Level; General Interest; Supporting Teachers)
If you want to make the world a better place, you'd better look at yourself and then write a blog! "But, Justin,"
you say! "What would I write about? Why would anyone read it?" Come join us as we discuss why and how
spreading your brain jelly onto Internet toast can help you become the best teacher ever!
Balancing on the Block - Allyn Davis, Old Main 104
(Beginner Level; High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Supporting Teachers)
It won't be 90 minutes of lecture! Strategies and lesson planning "must haves" when teaching math on the
block schedule. How to use every minute to ensure an environment that balances the ownership of learning
for teachers and students.
Building a MTBoS at Home - Jim Doherty, Music 23
(General Interest; Supporting Teachers, Creating Community)
Our wonderful, supportive community helps us to help improve our students’ lives. Wouldn’t it be great if we
could cultivate this type of enthusiasm and support at our own schools or in our own districts? I would love for
you to join me in a roundtable discussion to share ideas about how to build our own local MTBoS
communities.
What is Mathematical Modelling? - Edmund Harriss and Chris Shore, Foss 42
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level; Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School
(Grades 9-12); Common Core State Standards, Curriculum / Lesson Planning)
Mathematical modelling is often talked about, but what is it? We will start with numbers and talk about how
we really use them, from there we will move to more complicated models balancing between the
mathematical world and the so called "real" world (or sufficiently interesting imaginary ones).
4:00 – 4:30 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Using the Box (Area) Method to Create Coherence and Connections - Anna Hester, Old Main 202
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Pre-Calculus)
Many of us have abandoned FOIL and teach the Box (or Area) Method for multiplying polynomials, but if that
is all you are using it for come check out this session to learn how using this model extends to factoring (not
just trinomials!), completing the square, and dividing polynomials. Forget about the arduous long division and
students not remembering the extra steps in synthetic division. Using the the same area method you can
divide any polynomials with ease. By using this method for multiple operations it cements their understanding
of the algebra underneath it and helps us "nix the tricks" in one more way to foster conceptual understanding.
Connections to earlier math classes will also be made to help emphasize the coherence of math throughout
school to students.
The Animated Equation - Paula Krieg, Foss 21a
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Linear Equation, quadratic equations,
transformations, flip-books)
Hands-on Math! Here's an analog way to put "play" and "pause" right into your students hands to help them
make sense of the transformations of graphs of equations. The technology is old-fashioned flip-books. The
books we'll construct will show visual behaviors of graphs of linear and quadratic equations but once you get
the concept you see that these can be created with all sorts of content. The goal is to lead teachers through
the process of how to make these books simply in the classroom, and we will do it within the time constraints
of a typical class period. Templates and hand-outs will be provided. After constructing the the books we'll
discuss how to use them as discovery tools for deciphering the patterns behind the changing equations.
Some of what we will be doing can be seen at https://bookzoompa.wordpress.com/2015/05/03/theanimated-equation-book/.
Problem Solving: A Self-Differentiating Class - Wendy Menard, OGC 201
(High School (Grades 9-12); Curriculum / Lesson Planning)
Using a curriculum focused on problem-solving techniques, we can engage students at all levels and
demonstrate for them how they can think like mathematicians. This elective course, based on the book
Crossing the River with Dogs, was designed originally for off-track upper level students. However, it can be
modified for a wide range of ages and abilities, and parts of the course could be synthesized with any class. In
this workshop, we will examine some of the strategies and problem sets used for the course, and also explore
the classroom culture that best supports success for all.
Every kid, Every Day - Becca Phillips, Music 24
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Leadership/Advocacy, Social Justice, Supporting
Teachers)
Every classroom has Those Kids - kids who are hard to engage, hard to understand, and sometimes hard to
like. Whether you have a full room of them, or a handfull on the back row, please come talk about how
positive behavior intervention can help stem the school-to-prison pipeline and give every child an opportunity.
You'll leave armed with things to try, things to consider, and things to motivate you to reach every kid, every
day.
4:00 – 4:30 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Quilting with Geometry - Jonathan Schoolcraft, Old Main 206
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level; Middle School (Grades 6-8), High School (Grades 9-12), General Interest;
Geometry)
What do quilting and geometry have in common? They actually go hand and hand! This session will discuss
and describe how geometry students at one high school applied their knowledge using translations, reflections
and rotations to create their own personal quilt blocks. These were then assembled together to create a quilt,
which allowed for cross-curricular involvement. During this session, participants will sketch their own quilt
blocks and discuss how to implement this project in their own schools. This activity supports both the
Common Core State Standards and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards.
Domain and Range - Lane Walker, Anderson Hall 101
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level, Advanced Level; High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Common Core State
Standards, Technology)
Students often have a difficult time visualizing and describing domain and range. Several cognitively engaging
strategies are explored including Kagan, Desmos, Dan Meyer, and others.
Promoting Low-Stress Learning with Detailed, Written, Unscored “Feedback Quizzes” - Julie Wright, OGC 200
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Assessment, Technology, Classroom Culture)
According to research, students benefit from individualized feedback on formative assessments, but their
learning gains are highest when these assessments are not scored or graded. But what implications does this
research have for our secondary math classrooms, where most of us teach over 100 students and evaluate
their math performance with letter grades? I will describe practical and technological strategies I’ve
developed and used to give detailed, written feedback to dozens of students at a time on mid-unit quizzes
without losing my sanity, and we will brainstorm together about how to adapt these strategies for different
courses and school settings. I will also share what I learned about how non-graded quizzes and detailed
feedback affected my classroom culture and my students' attitude about math assessments.
4:30 – 5:00 pm
Speed Dating, Foss Chapel
Sunday, July 17th
9:00 – 9:30 am
Morning My Favorites and Announcements, Foss Chapel
9:30 – 11:30 am
Morning Sessions (same as Saturday)
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
1:00 – 1:30 pm
Lunch (on your own)
Afternoon My Favorites, Foss Chapel
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Keynote, Foss Chapel
What Do We Have to Learn from Each Other? – Tracy Zager
One of the most unusual features of the MathTwitterBlogoSphere is that elementary, middle, and high school
teachers interact regularly, along with mathematicians and mathematics education researchers. There is no
corresponding community in the brick-and-mortar world, where we work on different campuses and hardly
know each other's names. I believe the vertical mash-up of the #MTBoS is one of our greatest strengths, and
it's worth exploring just what we get out of collaborating with people a little outside our specialization.
Throughout, I'll draw on what I've noticed and experienced as a female, elementary coach who does
mathematics and talks about teaching in our public, shared space. Together, we'll think about how we can
effect positive changes in our larger professional communities--both on and offline--inspired by the ways we
mix it up in the #MTBoS.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
"I'm Not a Math Person" - Identity and Its Impact on Math Success - Nicole Bridge, OGC 200
(General Interest; Social Justice)
So often we hear people say things like "I am not a math person," or "I just don't have the math gene." How
are these identities formed? How can we help to students to develop positive identity around learning and
doing math? Why does it matter? This session is meant to be the beginning of a conversation for teachers to
think about their own identity around mathematics and the identities of their students. The goal is for
participants to leave with a deeper understanding of how to examine their own instructional practices, and
strategies to help their students create a positive math identity.
Making Math Class Accessible For All - Andrew Gael and Melynee Naegele, OGC 201
(Beginner Level; General Interest; Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Leadership/Advocacy, Social Justice, Special
Education)
Lesson planning is hard. Planning a math lesson which provides access for all the learners in your room is even
harder. During this session participants will be introduced to two lesson planning practices (EDC Accessibility
Strategies and Universal Design for Learning) which will allow participants to investigate what they already do
in their classes and ways to increase access for students with learning needs and disabilities.
Participants will be exposed to practical examples of these lesson planning strategies currently in use as well
as given the opportunity to explore implementation in their own practice and get feedback from others in
attendance.
Going beyond simple differentiation by creating an equitable environment of accessibility for students with
learning needs and disabilities will truly benefit all the learners in any math class!
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Fostering Algebraic Reasoning in the K-5 Classroom - Kristin Gray, Anderson Hall 101
(Elementary (Grades K-4), Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6); Algebra, Arithmetic)
What do we do after students notice? Through many of our classroom routines and activities, students begin
to notice things. They recognize patterns and use repeated reasoning to begin generalizing their
understandings. While there are so many important ideas we want students to notice within the mathematics,
sometimes it is difficult to know where to go with them.
In this session, we will discuss specific structures, planning considerations, and questions that can help foster
algebraic reasoning and prepare students for middle school. Through looking at student work samples and
watching classroom video, participants will learn how to create classroom experiences to support algebraic
reasoning and prepare students for future mathematical work.
Building Flexible, Connected Knowledge: Look For and Make Use of Structure - Nicole Hansen and
Dylan Kane, Foss 42
(Middle School (Grades 7-8); Common Core State Standards)
When students are simply following rules and using strategies dictated by the teacher, they are missing out on
developing and using deeper understanding of content. When students use Math Practice 7, look for and
make use of structure, they build a capacity to work deeply and flexibly with content in order to apply their
knowledge in the future. This session will explore a framework for categorizing different types of structural
thinking by solving and analyzing tasks that span sixth grade through Algebra I.
Make it Stick: Applications in the Classroom - Anna Hester, Foss 43
(General Interest; Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning)
You know that blank stare during exam review when you put up a problem you taught so well in August, that
they knew how to do...but have now completely forgotten? Have students who say "I knew it so well, but
forget it on the test"? Have students who say "I studied this for hours" - and you believe them - but they still
bomb the test? Do you wonder how you can make that valuable learning in your classroom stick for the long
haul? Then this session is for you!
In summer 2015, many of us on #eduread read through "Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning."
Come hear how I have been implementing ideas from the book based on the latest research about how we
learn and retain information, and the way it has transformed the learning in my classroom. If you've read the
book, come share your insights! If you haven't, then come to hear what the hype is about and leave with ways
to immediately start helping students deeply learn the material you teach so they remember it at the end of
the semester - and next year!
Practices, Claims, and Targets ~ Oh Shifts! - Donna Lione, Old Main 206
(Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8), General Interest; Common Core State Standards,
Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Supporting Teachers)
Trying to navigate through the layers of the Common Core? Stop the Madness! It’s time to work smarter NOT
harder and change math instruction from a MILE WIDE and an INCH DEEP to a MILE DEEP and an INCH WIDE!
Bridge the gap between Instruction and Assessment to create targeted classroom lessons and tasks that
seamlessly integrate the Standards for Mathematical Practice, CA Content Standards, and the SBAC Claims &
Targets. It’s time to empower our students to Think, Communicate, and Make Sense of Mathematics while
connecting the fundamental pieces of the Common Core Puzzle.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Debate That! An Introduction to Debate in Math Class - Chris Luzniak, Music 24
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level, Advanced Level; General Interest; Discussion / Debate)
Want to get your students more engaged in the classroom? Want to increase their literacy, logic and
argumentation?! Studies have shown that incorporating debate into the curriculum can significantly increase
student achievement and engagement, increasing grades, standardized test scores, attendance and college
attrition. Debate has often been a staple in the humanities classroom, and now you can learn how to make it
an integral part of your math or science class. Join Chris Luzniak (@pispeak) as he introduces several
techniques for creating a healthy math-debating classroom at any level.
Mathematical modeling of qualitative attributes and experiences - Brian Miller and Alex Wilson, Music 23
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Common Core State Standards, Geometry)
Where does the thrill factor of a roller coaster lie on the boring vs. people die scale?
Come join us as we show you how to quantify qualitative attributes and experiences. With a focus on MP.4 we will design a math model for ranking the desirability of a roller coaster.
Let us explore how a modeling mindset improves student discourse and forms the basis for students engaging
in “conversations that matter” in the classroom. Our intentions are to leave you with ways to use this
modeling practice to improve your activities by adding interesting thinking moments, finding open middles
where they couldn’t exist before, and naturally creating a need to define the question.
The Individually Paced Classroom - Andy Pethan, Foss 21a
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning,
Technology, Remediation)
Students learn at different rates, especially in remediation. Example videos, mastery-based re-quizzes, and a
few structural changes made it possible to make all of my classes individually paced this school year, both in
traditional and computer-based courses. In this session, I will share my experiences trying to integrate the
best of the digital tools that make it possible for students to study different content simultaneously and the
richer experiences that are typically shared with a full classroom and teacher. I will also facilitate discussion
on the value and challenges with this kind of learning environment.
Problem-Based Geometry: Reflections After One Year - Danielle Reycer, Old Main 202
(High School (Grades 9-12); Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Geometry, Problem-Based Learning)
After a Summer workshop at Phillips Exeter Academy, a colleague and I (with admin support) decided to fully
adopt a PBL curriculum in our Geometry Honors course (coming from a very traditional model). We learned a
lot through our collaboration and experience (and will continue to learn for the remainder of the school
year!). Come join us to talk about what went wrong, what successes we had, and how we plan to change
things to make them better for next year. On the agenda: giving feedback instead of grades on a test,
differentiating between skills and conceptual understanding, how to effectively (we think!) lead a PBL
lesson/classroom.
Productive Teacher Moves to Enhance Game Play - Joe Schwartz, Old Main 104
(Elementary (Grades K-4), Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6); Common Core State Standards, Discussion /
Debate, Games)
Games are a feature of most elementary math curricula, but are often relegated to second class status. Using
the game "Factor Captor" as a template, we will explore ways teachers can reimagine and repurpose math
games to promote problem solving and cover multiple content and practice standards.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Teacher Leader and Admin Roundtable - Jasmine Walker and Bob Janes, Foss 19b
(General Interest; Discussion / Debate, Leadership/Advocacy, Supporting Teachers, Transition, Administration)
There are many ways to lead both in and out of the classroom. Come join a round table discussion to share
strategies, ask questions, and hear tips from both the teacher leader side (grade level leaders, committee
chairs, school department chairs), the administrative side (assistant heads of school, district curriculum
coordinators), and everything in between.
Depending on the size of the group, we may split into smaller discussion circles around specific issues, such as:
Should I take on a leadership role? What happens when my colleagues start reporting to me? What if my
district and school disagree on curriculum? How do I approach a teacher with more perceived experience?
What about budgets? Final exams? Professional development?
Towards the end, we will reflect back and give advice to both ends of the leadership spectrum in an effort to
understand that the role of teachers and administrators is never mutually exclusive.
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Warm up Routines: Developing Class Culture, Mindset, and Number Sense - Lisa Bejarano and Jessica Bogie,
Foss 42
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Discussion / Debate,
Questioning)
Warm up activities can maximize class time, set a class culture, develop growth mindset in students and fill
gaps in, or extend, student understanding. Participants will engage in a collection of high leverage warm-up
routines, understand the research supporting warm ups and learn how to use them to grow their students and
their teaching practice. All activities encase the Math Practice Standards, use technology, promote student
ownership, and can be applied to your classroom tomorrow!
Participants will:
-Adapt warm ups and routines to meet the needs of their secondary math classes by engaging in a variety of
warm up activities from a student's perspective and considering the benefits & weaknesses of each structure.
-Apply research supporting the implementation of warm up activities to maximize their effectiveness through
a brief presentation of brain research and executive function skill development in adolescents.
-Engage in a variety of warm up activities from the position of a student. They will discuss their solutions with
small groups and identifying teacher and student learning that develops through each activity.
-Consider examples of weekly routines and leave the session with a plan for warm up implementation that
meet their students needs and a collection of resources for effective implementation.
Pythagorean Theorem Technology Investigations - Joel Bezaire, Old Main 104
(Intermediate Level; Middle School (Grades 7-8); Algebra, Curriculum / Lesson Planning)
An introductory investigation of the Pythagorean Theorem for use in a Middle School classroom featuring
easy-to-differentiate activities using Geogebra, Microsoft Excel (or Google Sheets), and TI-83/84 Programming.
Attendees who want to "play along" should bring a laptop and calculator.
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Journaling and Writing in Mathematics - Anna Blinstein, Anderson Hall 101
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Assessment)
Writing about their math learning helps students develop deeper content understanding, improves their
ability to communicate and critique the reasoning of others, and builds metacognition and positive disposition
towards the subject. In this session, we will explore different classroom structures and assessment models
that support and teach students how to write more effectively in mathematics and how to include more
writing in your curriculum, including specific prompts, activities, and assessment rubrics, as well as problem
solving around possible stumbling blocks.
Breaking out of Ourselves - Tina Cardone and Sam Shah, Old Main 202
(General Interest; Leadership/Advocacy, Supporting Teachers)
Our community rocks. If you’re reading this you already know that. But do you remember what it was like
teaching before you discovered the MTBoS? I (Tina) was on Twitter and blogging before I started teaching, but
it never occurred to me to look in those places for math teachers. Luckily I was only a few years into my
teaching career when I met some awesome people (Sam) at a math conference who told me about their
global math department. How can we reach out to more people so they join in? How can we give people who
don't have the time to follow blogs or tweet easy access to some of our ideas?
In this session we will present a few ideas we have in mind (organizing tweet ups, connecting with NCTM and
local organizations, publishing our collaborative projects) and open the floor to anyone with another idea.
Then we’ll break up into groups to work on a few of these ideas and start organizing how to make these
projects a reality! And of course, we hope that anyone who attends this session will continue their project
post-TMC.
Hack It To Pieces - Jonathan Claydon, Foss 20a
(Intermediate Level; High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Calculus, Pre-Calculus)
Rewriting curriculum to create a better flow and focus on bigger pictures. The first part of the session will be a
demonstration of what this could look like in Algebra II and Calculus. The second part is a discussion of how
you could modify any course to flow better, especially Pre-Calculus. Geared towards upper level teachers.
Bridging the Function Gap - Graham Fletcher, OGC 200
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level; Elementary (Grades K-4), Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6); Algebra,
Number Sense)
In this session, we'll explore function tables in the elementary and middle school grades by looking at a way to
conceptually tackle them. We'll look at the difference between recursive and explicit formulas, and what we
can do as teachers to demystify growing patterns. Elementary and middle school students are expected to
reason algebraically and function tables are a home run, each and every time.
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Making Middle School Statistics Meaningful - Aran Glancy, Music 23
(Beginner Level; Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8); Statistics)
Basic statistics such as mean, median, IQR or standard deviation are easy enough to calculate, but
understanding what these values tell us about our data is much harder. Typically students learn formulas for
these statistics in late elementary or middle school but are not really asked to interpret them or to use them
to make decisions until much later. In this session I will share two classroom activities geared towards middle
school students that allow students to engage with these ideas intuitively. One activity is a simple discussion
question that can be used to start a deeper conversation about measures of center in only a few minutes. The
other is a more involved modeling problem that engages students in realistic data analysis and measurement
tasks.
3D Printing in Math Class - Heather Kohn, Old Main 206
(General Interest; Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Technology, 3D Printing)
Do you want to bring 3D printing into your math classroom? Maybe your school already has a 3D printer, but
no one uses it? Or you want to convince your admin team they need to buy one?
Come learn about 3D printing logistics, such as machine and software options, and about actual math projects
you can do with your students. Spend some time brainstorming about other math concepts that you can make
come to life using a 3D printer. Participants should bring a laptop or tablet to this session as they will be
introduced to beginner 3D printing software skills so they can start implementing projects in their classroom
right away.
Racially Relevant Pedagogy - How Do We Get There? - Wendy Menard and Jose Vilson, OGC 201
(General Interest; Social Justice)
Many of us teach in diverse classrooms with students who may be racially different from each other and from
us. How do we acknowledge and celebrate these differences, deal with privilege, and create safe classroom
communities? There are no one-size-fits-all answers, but we can begin a conversation that is critical for our
classrooms, now and in the future.
“The issue with only focusing on math is that some kids get to use a calculator and some can calculate their
life's trajectory.” Jose Vilson
Turn That Lesson Upside Down - Kate Nowak, Music 24
(High School (Grades 9-12); Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Productive Struggle)
Chances are, there are lessons that you dread teaching because they're just boring. Perhaps they are
uninspiring, required, or hard to connect to something concrete, or perhaps they live at the intersection of
these three. Perhaps you are saddled with a crummy curriculum or textbook that thinks your job is to do a
dramatic performance of five worked examples. I'll show a general way to think about making over boring
lessons that require students to do more of the cognitive lifting and that won't overburden your limited
planning time.
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Afternoon Sessions
A Demonstration of the “5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Math Discussions” – Tony Riehl and Kerry
Gruizenga, Foss 43
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level; Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra, Common
Core State Standards, Questioning)
We will demonstrate and discuss the “5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Math Discussions” *Margaret S.
Smith & Mary Kay Stein, NCTM & Corwin Press, 2011.
This transformative process can take your classroom from the ordinary to the extraordinary by using inquirybased, student-centered instructional tasks. Students learn to analyze and synthesize the material with
guidance from the instructor rather than being force fed new material. The five practices can be used with any
task or project based material and incorporated into your classroom immediately. A hidden benefit is that
students use all Eight Mathematical Practice Standards on most tasks as you “orchestrate” your classroom.
Participants will simulate a classroom where the 5 practices are used and then will discuss how to break down
and incorporate the practices in their classroom.
We will also discuss the use of Mathematics Vision Project (www.mathematicsvisionproject.org/) lessons as
rich tasks.
We have attended 2-day workshops by both Margaret Smith (co-author of the 5 practices) and MVP Travis
Lemon and Janet Sutorius (co-authors of MVP and practitioners of the 5 practices) as they demonstrated and
strategized the use of the 5 practices.
Teaching Math to Students with Disabilities Roundtable - Mark Sanford, Foss 21a
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Supporting Teachers)
Are you a general education math teacher who has been teaching students with disabilities in collaborative or
self-contained classes for years, or have you just been told you’ll be teaching a collaborative or self-contained
class in the fall, or somewhere in between? In this session, teachers in any of these groups will have a
roundtable discussion on practices that have helped students with disabilities succeed in their math classes .
The intended takeaways are 1) teachers experienced in teaching in a collaborative or self-contained settings
will have some new ideas, techniques, and strategies to approach their classes with and 2) teachers new to
teaching in these settings will have some ideas on how to structure their classes to better support the
educational needs of students with disabilities.
Unique 3D Box Design, for 3-6 Grade Students: Engaging and Expanding Student Problem-Solving Through
Box Design based on Consumer Boxes - Peter Wilson, Foss 19b
(Elementary (Grades K-4), Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6); Curriculum / Lesson Planning, Geometry,
Integration)
Mid-upper elementary students are asked to become well-versed in finding perimeter, area, surface area and
also work with various polygons and their formulas. Taking those topics and making them relevant and useful
to students can be a challenge. By looking at consumer boxes, and using flat geometric nets, starting with
flattened cubes and pyramids and leading to pentagonal dodecahedrons and much more, this ongoing 3D Box
project lets students be creative, while at the same time engages them in challenging problem-solving, visual
literacy & geometry, and measurement skills. They love it and will keep asking for more.
Participants in this workshop will obtain a workable guide on setting up this project in their classrooms. The
session includes observations of student-created boxes and other visuals, along with a chance for participants
to make their own box designs. All the materials students normally use to create their designs will be put to
good use by the participants. The session also includes an interactive discussion to help all participants gain
inspiration from others as they brainstorm how this project can be used in their classrooms.
Monday, July 18th
9:00 – 9:30 am
Morning My Favorites and Announcements, Foss Chapel
9:30 – 11:30 am
Morning Sessions (same as Saturday and Sunday)
11:30 am – 1:00 pm
1:00 – 1:30 pm
Lunch (on your own)
Afternoon My Favorites, Foss Chapel
1:30 – 2:30 pm
Keynote, Foss Chapel
More Than Resources - Dylan Kane
This little community has become more impactful for more teachers -- as a source of friendship and support,
an inspiration for what math teaching can be, a bank of ideas, and a huge volume of resources that make
teachers' lives easier. It's made a huge difference for me over the past few years. What's next?
I think the MathTwitterBlogoSphere is uniquely positioned get even better at facilitating professional learning.
Research on expertise provides some useful guidance, and I'll share some ideas that go beyond community
and resource sharing, focusing on ways we can improve meaningfully as teachers.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Card Sorts - Kathryn Belmonte, Foss 42
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning,
Questioning)
Card sorts are some of my favorite lessons to teach because they inspire rich mathematical discourse among
students. In this session, we will learn what a card sort is, share sources of quality card sorts, discuss how to
create card sorts, brainstorm standards to teach with card sorts, and delve into strategies for implementing
these activities in your classes. You’ll leave with examples of card sorts that you can use immediately with
middle or high school level students.
If You Build It, They Will Respond… - Jessica Breur, Music 24
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Rich Tasks, Equitable Group-Work, Questioning)
Are you looking to improve the access and equity to rich mathematics learning for all students? Do you want
your students to communicate and problem solve collaboratively? Do you envision a classroom where
students question and critique the reasoning of others? Are you wishing to build a classroom culture of
collaboration and trust? Come and experience low-floor yet high-ceiling tasks specifically geared for the
middle level or secondary student that lay the foundation for this type of learning experience. References will
be made to the 8 CCSS for Mathematical Practice and the 8 High Leverage Teaching Practices.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
(Not) Just Here to Teach Math - Andrew Browning-Couch, Old Main 202
(High School (Grades 9-12), General Interest; Social Justice)
Throughout the past few years, there has been no shortage of news stories about race, religion, and
intolerance. As teachers, we have the opportunity to honor the whole child by incorporating these important
events into the math curriculum. By doing so, we help empower students not only to make sense of the world
around them, but to challenge their beliefs about themselves and others. We will look at multiple strategies
from leading discussions that focus on building the Standards for Mathematical Practice to full-scale ProjectBased Learning.
Let’s Be Reasonable: Fostering Fraction Sense to Support Fraction Computation - Brian Bushart, Foss 43
(Beginner Level, Intermediate Level; Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6), Middle School (Grades 7-8); Supporting
Teachers, Fractions)
Have you ever had students who can do just fine adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing...unless there’s
a fraction in the problem? Then all of a sudden you’d think they’d never used these operations before? What
is it about fraction computation that throws so many students for a loop? Why can’t they tell when answers
are nowhere near reasonable? In this session, we’ll explore a critical understanding many students haven’t
grasped despite years of instruction in elementary school: fractions are numbers! Without an understanding
of fractions as numbers, students have a difficult time comparing fractions, which in turn affects their ability to
estimate and verify reasonableness when computing with fractions. This session is for both elementary
teachers introducing these concepts and middle school teachers looking for ways to revisit them. You’ll have a
chance to try out activities to help your students build stronger fraction sense that can lead to greater success
in fraction computation.
Go with the Flow - Alex Overwijk, Anderson Hall 101
(Intermediate Level; Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Thinking Classrooms)
In our classes we strive for emotional, physical and mental engagement. Based on the research by Peter
Liljedahl we have embraced the ideas of vertical non-permanent surfaces (VNPS) and visibly random groupings
(VRG) to create thinking classrooms. Our rooms have turned into spaces that are conducive to students
thinking individually and collectively. Students and teachers learn together by constructing knowledge and
understanding through activity and discussion. By using engaging activities we have learned to create flow- a
state of heightened focus. During this session you will experience flow while you engage with VNPS and VRG.
Learn to go with the flow.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Common Core: We Need to Talk! - Henri Picciotto, OGC 201
(General Interest); Common Core State Standards, Discussion / Debate, Leadership/Advocacy, Social Justice,
Supporting Teachers)
Many in the math education community appreciate that the Common Core State Standards for Math (CCSSM)
reflect a partial truce in the math wars, emphasize mathematical practices, and present a serious attempt at
coherence across the grades. Still, the CCSSM are not perfect. While many leaders in math education are fully
aware of CCSSM shortcomings, few have spoken out. Moreover, there are no nuanced discussions of this topic
in professional publications, or at professional conferences. Our leaders apparently fear that any thoughtful
discussion of the CCSSM would undermine the whole enterprise. The consequence is that we are learning little
about the changes that will be needed if NCTM's call for periodic updates is ever heeded.
If CCSSM v.2 is to represent a step forward, it will require teacher involvement. But we should not and need
not wait for someone to ask us. The discussion needs to start now. It needs to be respectful, and address both
the needs of students and the needs of the discipline. TMC16 is an excellent venue to launch that
conversation.
In this session, I will present a few ideas towards a constructive critique of the standards, and what I would
like to see in v.2, especially the idea that we need to divorce the standards from the testing regime, and the
idea that we need fewer, really "core" standards. And of course, since this is about launching a conversation, I
will leave plenty of time for discussion.
Hunting the Elusive Rational Functions and other Minds-On Rational Function Activities - Max Ray-Riek
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Algebra), Foss 19b
I am on a quest to bring what I love about the best elementary math classrooms to high-school math:
specifically, the way students' intuitions and existing ideas are elicited and become the center of the learning
process, and the way students review and consolidate past learning in the process of learning new things
(example: long division is used as a tool to help students make their knowledge of place value in subtraction
much more flexible).
We'll tackle those beloved rational functions by engaging in 2 or 3 activities that are designed to get highschool students noticing, wondering, conjecturing, confirming, and sharing their thinking. We'll integrate
review of fraction concepts into high-school math topics, become graph naturalists, and change the scale of
our work to see if it changes our thinking and perspective.
If there's interest, we'll keep in touch after the session through blogs, Twitter, or Google, sharing other topics
that we're struggling with, ways to elicit and work with more of students' current thinking, and ways to
integrate reviewing prior concepts into the main work of Algebra 1, Algebra 2, or Pre-Calc classes.
Google your Feedback to Students - Jessica Rice, Foss 21a
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Assessment, Technology)
Prepare to participate and be the students in this interactive session designed to give you strategies for
utilizing Google Apps for Education (GAFE) to send feedback to your students. GAFE are a powerful set of
tools that provide endless opportunities for summative assessments, gathering formative data, engaging
students in self reflection and streamlining how you manage it all. It is suggested you have a Google Apps for
Education account and computer. Tools used will include Google Classroom, Docs, Sheets, Forms and Add-ons
like Autocrat and Flubaroo.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Assessing What We Value - Chris Robinson and Jonathan Osters, OGC 200
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12), Post Secondary; Assessment)
What does a grade in your course represent? How does the way you calculate your students’ grades describe
what you value?
Most of us think about two types of assessment on a daily basis. Formative Assessment should give students
feedback on how close they are to meeting class expectations of knowledge and skill. Summative Assessment
is a measure of what they know at the end of the learning process.
Another two pieces of the assessment picture that we often think about is the balance between a student
knowing the skills of mathematics and students being able to solve novel problems. In the past, Mathematics
education movements have swung far in each direction, at times over emphasizing skills and at times
sacrificing skills practice.
We will discuss our comprehensive assessment package inspired and modified by the skills quiz systems of
Anna Maria Gaylord and Dan Meyer with the addition of novel problem solving assessments. Digital materials
to modify for your own use will be provided.
Desmos for Elementary Math - Denis Sheeran, Foss 20a
(Elementary (Grades K-4), Upper Elementary (Grades 5-6); Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson Planning,
Supporting Teachers, Technology)
This session will show ways to use existing Desmos activities and the activity builder, polygraph, and Desmos
explorations in the late elementary grades. Elementary teachers are encouraged to bring current paper based
activities for discussion and conversion to Desmos activities.
Lessons without Lectures: My Approach for "Directed Discovery" - Andre Verner, Music 23
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12), Post Secondary, General Interest; Algebra, Curriculum
/ Lesson Planning, Pre-Calculus, Discovery learning, problem sets)
Three years ago, I asked the following question: Is it possible to write problem sets that develop mathematical
ideas in a discovery oriented manner without requiring any lecture and without leaving any students behind?
Today, my answer is an emphatic, "I think so!" In this presentation, I will share the approach I've used in
writing these problem sets. In particular, I will focus on the following questions:
• What are the advantages (and disadvantages) of teaching a math class with minimal or no lectures?
• How can we implement the principles of Experience First Mathematics while ensuring that our struggling
learners are highly supported? (Discovery learning is great when it works. But what if some of the students
don't reach the intended conclusions?)
• What are the best questions for engaging students? What are the pitfalls that can cause students to become
disengaged?
In my talk, I will offer one possible set of answers to these questions. (There are many "right" answers, of
course!) I will focus on the way I've used problem sets that guide students to key mathematical ideas, an
approach that I refer to as "Directed Discovery." I will share what's worked well for me, as well as what hasn't
worked so well. Hopefully, this will help spark the type of discussions that we are all interested in having at
TMC16!
And of course, I will share the problem sets themselves with anyone who's interested in having electronic
copies.
2:45 – 3:45 pm
Afternoon Sessions
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall - Pam Wilson, Old Main 206
(Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12), General Interest; Assessment, Curriculum / Lesson
Planning, Questioning)
Reflective practices for students and teachers. Experience tried and true strategies for review. Participate in a
lesson utilizing student work samples to drive learning. Walk away with easy-to-implement structures that
encourage student reflection.
New To Teaching: The Good, the Bad and the Truth (you can change it if you want) – Amy Zimmer, Wendy
Menard and Glenn Waddell, Old Main 104
(Beginner Level; Middle School (Grades 7-8), High School (Grades 9-12); Discussion / Debate, Questioning,
Supporting Teachers)
Teaching has personal, social and academic stressors. Glenn, Amy and Wendy will share why they LOVE
working with new teachers and examine the upside to being a new teacher. They will share specific strategies
to support your needs as well as offer their their insights into how to successfully integrate into teaching,
share their best practices for making your job easier and more satisfying, and demystify anything puzzling you
about the profession.
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Flex Sessions, TBD
Tuesday, July 19th
9:00 – 11:00 am
My Favorites and Closing, Foss Chapel