Give Back to Mathematics Education – Support the Math Ed Trust
By Richard Seitz
May 16, 2017
After many years of involvement in mathematics education, I know that it is time to support a new generation. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics relies of the
generosity of members to continue the charge of:
- Inspiring teachers,
- Engaging students, and
- Building the future.
MET grants, scholarships, and awards are designed to do just that. By funding first-time conference attendance, research in mathematics education, professional development, action research, classroom projects, and collaborative materials development, we all work to ensure that
the innovation and excitement continues.
Many fond memories of building stronger skills for an understanding of mathematics teaching come from the experiences in professional development I have experienced. One of my favorites is an early modern math lecture on how to teach first-grade kids to subtract in base 2. The
speaker (from another country speaking with a European accent) described how the children could use red (negative) and black (positive) beans on a rectangular base 2 array to line up the black and red beans in the same squares. Once they were matched up, the subtraction process consisted of removing
the matched red and black beans in each place value square while shouting “Kill” every time the subtraction occurred. The sounds of the audience’s laughter as she shouted “Kill, Kill, Kill” in a class of first graders let us all know that sometimes students just don’t
like beans even though the idea of killing even beans may have appeared a bit drastic.
Share one of your favorite memories of mathematics professional development with this blog and take the time to
donate some of your resources back to the Mathematics Education Trust.