My Mathematics Playlist
October 2024
September 22 marked the start of fall in the
northern hemisphere. As a child in Louisiana, the onset of autumn signaled a
new school year and the rare chance to encounter temperatures below 90 degrees.
As an adult, I see the start of the season as the beginning of a new school
year and the return of Pumpkin Spice in everything! Autumn is often thought of
as the harvest season; many people regard this as a time to reflect on their
hard work, accomplishments, milestones, and events and activities.
For me, this fall brings several changes and
new opportunities. I recently retired from my school district after serving for
32 years, working with students, parents, teachers, and teacher leaders. I am
very fortunate to have had the opportunity to serve my community as an educator
in multiple roles during this time and to share my love for mathematics, and to
serve as a champion for high-quality mathematics teaching and learning for all
students.
The beginning of my term as President of NCTM signifies
the start of a new and exciting chapter! I’m excited and grateful for the
opportunity to work closely with members, Affiliates, the Board of Directors,
and NCTM staff. This fall, as I reflect on NCTM’s work and accomplishments, I
would like to bring your attention to a few items on my mathematics playlist:
- This year marks the 10th
anniversary of our landmark publication, Principles
to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All. Since 2014, Principles to Actions has been the
foundation for all of us who advocate for high-quality mathematics teaching and
learning. It serves as a blueprint for districts, states, and provinces on the implementation
of effective teaching practices to promote access to grade-level mathematics
for all students and position students as “doers” of mathematics. As a teacher
leader, the eight effective teaching practices and the five essential elements
of effective school mathematics programs are integral components of my work as
I support teachers, coaches, administrators, and parents. The language of
unproductive and productive beliefs about teaching mathematics and the
effective teaching practices has become part of the vernacular for the
mathematics community. Principles to
Actions is at the top of my playlist because it is my go-to resource.
- To successfully implement the
effective teaching practices and the five essential elements of effective
school mathematics programs from Principles
to Actions, we must engage all stakeholders in critical conversations. The Catalyzing
Change series articulates four key recommendations (Broaden the Purposes of
Learning Mathematics, Create Equitable Structures in Mathematics, Implement
Equitable Mathematics Instruction, and Develop Deep Mathematical Understanding)
to help facilitate the initiation of critical conversations in Pre-K–12
learning environments. The Catalyzing
Change series goes beyond the eight effective teaching practices to promote
equitable mathematics instruction. It offers strategies for developing
students’ mathematical identities and sense of agency, supporting teachers to implement
equitable instruction and ensuring equitable learning opportunities for all
students.
- The last resource I want to share
from my mathematics playlist is our newest publication, High School Mathematics Reimagined, Revitalized, and Relevant. This
publication builds on the key recommendations and critical conversations from Catalyzing Change and provides a
framework for reimagining high school mathematics to make it more relevant,
useful, and engaging for students. This publication also introduces five
cross-cutting concepts that are designed to guide the organization and teaching
of high school mathematics to ensure it remains relevant to students' lives. To
ensure coherence, the cross-cutting concepts are integrated throughout all
mathematics lessons and courses. There is a huge focus on mathematical and
statistical modeling where students actively engage in 11 mathematical and
statistical modeling processes organized around four themes designed to promote
sense making and critical thinking. We want students to have mathematics
experiences that allow them to make connections and see how mathematics is
relevant to the real world, resulting in lasting learning experiences for
students.
Stay tuned to future President’s messages as I
continue to share resources on my mathematics playlist. Please feel free to
share your mathematics playlists with me. Let me know
how you enhance your learning environment and use effective teaching practices
to help students make connections, and experience engaging and relevant
mathematics experiences. I am very excited about the opportunity to roll
up my sleeves and work with you to continue to support our mission of
advocating for high-quality mathematics teaching and learning for each and
every student.
Latrenda Knighten
NCTM President
X: @LatrendaK