If you are selected to make a presentation, you are required to follow the guidelines provided in these FAQs.
Who will attend and what types of presentations will be offered?
Our audience includes educators ranging in level from pre-kindergarten through college, supervisors and administrators. Attendees will be provided with a wide variety of presentations, including Focus of the Year/ Learn↔Reflect Strand, sessions, and gallery workshops.
The program will include mathematics based topics ranging from algebra and applications to professional development and technology. This includes focuses on such things as Principles and Standards, Teacher Research, and timely national topics.
What topics of mathematics can I choose from when writing a proposal?
The topics of mathematics that may be presented at the 2012 Regional Conference and Exposition are:
- Algebra, Algebraic Thinking, Patterns, Functions
- Assessment, High-Stakes Testing, Instructional Strategies, Classroom and Large-Scale Assessment, Formal and Informal Questioning,
- Calculus, Precalculus
- Communication, Representations, Connections - History, Literature, Science, Art, Music
- Curriculum, Integrated Mathematics
- Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability
- Discrete Mathematics, Symbolic Logic, Sets or Set Theory, Graph Theory
- Equity, Diversity, Alternative Schools, Multilingual, Special Needs, Gifted,
- Geometry, Measurement Systems and Processes, Constructions, Transformations
- Number and Operations
- Number Sense,Computation, Estimation
- Policy Decisions, Program Evaluation, Community Relations, State and Federal Legislation, Outreach and Advocacy, Accountability, Funding
- Professional Development, Coaching, Mentoring, Learning Communities, Lesson Study, Induction Programs
- Problem Solving, Critical Thinking, Modeling, Mathematics Applications
- Reasoning, Sense Making and Proof
- Technology
What types of presentation formats are offered?
The standard presentation formats Session and Gallery Workshops. View examples of Session and Gallery Workshop room sets.
Session (60 minutes)
Rooms are set theater style and vary in size.
Gallery Workshops (90 minutes)
Rooms are set with round tables for hands- on work and additional gallery seating around the perimeter of the room. The attendees seated at tables will perform hands-on activities. Attendees not seated at the tables will receive the printed materials and observe the workshop in a fashion similar to a classroom observer. Room capacities range from 100 to 250.
What are grade bands?
Speakers choose which grade band(s) best fit the audience of their presentation. The primary grade band is the grade band in which the proposal will be submitted and reviewed. two additional grade bands may be chosen for inclusion in the program book and is chosen in the Grade Band Audience section of the proposal form. The following are the grade band audience options:
- Pre-K–2 – Pre-school and Pre-kindergarten through grade 2 topics.
- Grades 3-5 – grades 3 through 5 topics.
- Grades 6-8 – grades 6 through 8 topics.
- Grades 9-12 – grades 9 through 12 topics.
- Higher Education – university and college level issues and topics including both two-year and four-year institutions.
- Preservice and Inservice – content and techniques for providers of pre-service teacher education and professional development for practicing teachers, supervisors, specialists, coaches and mathematics educators.
- General Interest – applicable to multiple grades and audiences. If General Interest is the grade band chosen, General Interest will be the only grade band listed in the program book.
How do I submit a proposal?
An electronic proposal form can be found at: http://www.nctm.org/speak. You may complete and submit your proposal online using this form. Once completed you will receive a confirmation email. Please keep this email for your records. If no email confirmation is received please contact regconf@nctm.org to ensure your presentation was submitted.
Before submitting a proposal please be sure that you can present anytime during the conference for which you are submitting a proposal. We will make exceptions for religious considerations if they are communicated in advance when submitting the speaker proposal form.
How do I submit to more than one Regional Conference?
The option is available to submit an exact copy of a proposal to more than one regional conference. You may also submit different proposals to each conference by submitting them separately to each conference’s proposal site. To submit an exact copy of a proposal, follow the instructions on the “Additional Information” page of the proposal site.
Before submitting an exact copy of a proposal to more than one conference please make note of the following information:
- An exact copy of the proposal will be submitted to the Regional Conferences you indicate, including speaker names, preferred days for scheduling, etc. To individualize your proposal for a conference, you must submit a new proposal separately to each regional conference’s proposal site.
- Your copied submission(s) will be made on your behalf after November 1, 2011.Until that time you may revisit your original proposal on this site.
Each Regional Conference Program Committee reviews proposals separately. Acceptance to one conference does not guarantee your proposal’s acceptance to any other conference. Among many items, each program committee considers the overall balance of topics and grade bands for their conference program.
When is the deadline for submission?
The deadline for receipt of proposals is midnight, Eastern Standard Time on September 30, 2012. If you submit your proposal online after this deadline it will not be considered for review.
Are there any restrictions in submitting a proposal?
Restrictions due to NCTM policy include the following:
- Proposal information cannot be changed after the deadline submission.
- Cospeakers cannot be added or changed once the proposal form has been submitted for review.
- There is a limit of two (2) Cospeakers per proposal.
- Selling or promoting products is not allowed in NCTM presentations. You may describe how materials, etc. are used in classrooms but your presentation focus cannot be on selling the product. If you wish to promote or sell a product at the Regional Conference, please contact our sales and marketing team at sales@nctm.org.
- Please observe copyright and trademark rules. If you plan to use copyrighted or trademarked resources or songs, you must obtain appropriate permissions prior to submitting your proposal.
What should I consider when writing my title and description?
- Most attendees decide whether to attend a presentation by looking at the title and description in the Program Book.
- A description that is engaging and tells briefly and specifically what you plan to do during your presentation is most helpful to the Program Committee and the conference attendees.
- The Program Book listing includes the title, description, presentation format, grade band audience, day,time, location,name, and professional affiliation of each speaker.
- There is a limit to the amount of information you may provide on your proposal form.
- The title is limited to ten words.
- The description is limited to 350 characters, including spaces.
- The objectives are limited to 500 characters, including spaces.
- Please note: NCTM reserves the right to edit presentation titles and descriptions for length and content.
All proposals are subjected to a rigorous peer review process conducted by a committee of volunteers. When the Program Committee reviews your proposal, they will consider the following:
Title and description
- Do the title and description accurately describe the presentation?
- Is it clear what the attendees will learn from the presentation?
- Do the title and description convey the core content that make the presentation appropriate for a mathematics education audience?
Objectives
- Is the focus of the presentation appropriate for the conference?
- Is it clear what specific content will be addressed during the presentation?
- Is the presentation’s content up to date?
Appropriate grade band
- Is the selected topic appropriate for the audience (grade band)?
- Will attendees from the selected grade band audience benefit directly from the presentation?
Appropriate presentation type
- Is it clear how the presentation will be developed to communicate its core ideas?
- For gallery workshops, is it clear how this presentation will actively engage attendees in interactive, hands-on activities?
Appropriate topic
- Is the selected topic appropriate for the presentation?
Usefulness of what attendees will learn/do
- Will the knowledge gained in this presentation be useful to the attendee?
- What tangible mathematics will this presentation showcase?
Interest of Presentation
- How interested is the target audience in the topic/information presented?
- How important is this topic to teaching/mathematics education community?
Prior speaking experience
- Is the prior speaking experience listed relevant to the proposal’s content?
- Does the speaker have experience at the state (large groups), regional, or national level?
Commercial presentations
- Does the presentation center on the content and pedagogy related to the product and not act as a promotional demonstration of the product?
- Is this presentation suited for the conference program and not an exhibitor workshop?
How do I request audio visual equipment?
Audio visual equipment can be requested when filling out the speaker proposal form. Select only the items that are essential for your presentation. Any equipment requested after the proposal deadline will be at the speaker’s expense. Information for ordering additional equipment will be provided to speakers three months prior to the conference start date.
What audio visual equipment is available?
NCTM provides only the audio visual equipment listed on the proposal form. In striving to be as comprehensive as possible, we created audio visual “packages” to best accommodate the majority of our speakers. One audio visual package may be chosen. Available packages are:
- No Equipment (no equipment needed and none provided)
- One LCD projector (PC) with one screen
- One LCD projector (MAC) with one screen
- One overhead projector with one screen
- One overhead and one LCD (PC) with one screen
- One overhead and one LCD (MAC) with one screen
- Document Camera
There will be no Internet connections for speakers in session or gallery workshop rooms. If you are requesting an LCD projector please note that you will be responsible for providing a laptop to connect to it. If you will be using a MAC, please bring your adaptor.
Presentation rooms set for more than 60 attendees will be pre-set set with a lavaliere microphone and sound for your use during the presentation.
If you are requesting an LCD projector please note that you will be responsible for providing your own laptop computer. If you will be using a MAC, please bring your own adaptors.
What if my presentation requires additional audio/visual equipment?
Speakers who require alternative A/V equipment are responsible for ordering and paying for the additional equipment. Information for ordering additional equipment will be provided to speakers three months prior to the conference start date.
Who sets up the audio visual equipment?
Audio visual equipment confirmed for your presentation will be set up for you by the hired audio visual company before your presentation begins. Please arrive at your assigned presentation room early to set-up and check that your audio visual needs have been met.
Are all proposals accepted?
We receive many more proposals than we can schedule on the program and therefore we cannot accept every proposal due to space limitations. All proposals are peer reviewed based on specific criteria and our program committees strive to ensure a balance of topics in order to offer a comprehensive experience for all attendees.
When will I know if my proposal is accepted?
You will receive an email notification no later than February 2013 whether or not your proposal has been accepted. If you have not received an email notification by the first week of February, please check your spam filters and then contact us at regconf@nctm.org to verify the status of your proposal.
What do I do if I receive notice that my presentation was accepted?
- Check the facts. Please take this final opportunity to review your proposal for typographical errors. If you have co-speakers, are they listed accurately? No additional cospeakers may be added at this time, but affiliation and contact information may be updated.
- Meet the deadline. You must accept the invitation to speak by the deadline listed on your acceptance email. If the acceptance steps are not completed by deadline, your presentation will not be included on the program for the Regional Conferences.
What if I have to withdraw my proposal?
NCTM must recieve your request in writing in to withdraw your proposal.Contact Regional Conferences at regconf@nctm.org
What happens if my contact information has changed?
You may either access the personal information on your proposal form via the proposal submission site, or you may notify us of changes at regconf@nctm.org. It is your responsibility to keep your contact information up to date; your presentation may be rejected if we are unable to contact you.
What are the Lead Speaker and Cospeaker registration fees?
The Lead Speaker for each presentation is automatically registered free of charge by NCTM. Cospeakers must register separately at the member/nonmember rate.
Are my expenses covered?
NCTM does not pay an honorarium, travel, nor subsistence expenses for a Regional Conference. Travel and hotel information can be found on our web site at www.nctm.org. Check back regularly for updates.
Am I reimbursed for my handouts?
Gallery workshop speakers are reimbursed for a maximum of $2.00 per participant based on the total capacity of your assigned room. An expense form is available on the Speaker Information Page for gallery workshop speakers only. Session presenters are not eligible for reimbursement. All lead speakers will have the opportunity to upload handouts to the online conference planner and conference app in 2013.
Additional questions or for a PDF version of this document please contact:
Regional Conferences
Email: regconf@nctm.org
Phone: 703-620-9840, x2184; Fax: 703-295-0956
Mail: 1906 Association Drive, Reston, VA 20191