Preconference Workshops

The Math Pact: A Team Approach to Supporting All Students (Elementary) 

Have you ever considered all the inconsistencies and confusion K-12 students experience throughout their mathematics journey as they move from unit to unit, grade to grade, and school to school? Never has it been more important to align mathematics instruction across grades or courses rather than repeating or mismatching mathematics instruction from one class to the next – it is time to collectively agree to move away from mathematics appearing to be a set of mysterious and disconnected tricks and tips! When students instead experience consistent messaging and see familiar concepts, tools, and strategies, they move gracefully into more sophisticated ideas.

We'll discuss how embarking on a mathematics whole-school agreement provides an organizational frame for enhancing students’ strengths and addressing learning needs, and we’ll brainstorm together to jumpstart your journey. Join in making the dream of a high-quality cohesive and collaborative approach to mathematics teaching and learning a reality!  

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Goal: Provide strategies to support the development of a Mathematics Whole School Agreement  

Outcomes: Participants will  

  • Examine the components of a Mathematics Whole School Agreement 

  • Engage in tasks that focus on language, representations, notations, rules that expire, and generalizations 

  • Consider plans to initiate a Mathematics Whole School Agreement  

Facilitators: Karen Karp and Sarah Bush   

Schedule  

9:00–9:15 AM                                  

What is a Mathematics Whole School Agreement? 

9:15–10:00 AM

Mathematical language

10:00–10:45 AM 

Notation and representations 

10:45–11:30 AM 

Rules and generalizations   

11:30 AM–12:00 PM 

Planning for a Mathematics Whole School Agreement    


The Math Pact: A Team Approach to Supporting All Students (Middle/High School)  

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 

Goal: Provide strategies to support the development of a Mathematics Whole School Agreement  

Outcomes: Participants will  

  • Examine the components of a Mathematics Whole School Agreement 

  • Engage in tasks that focus on language, representations, notations, rules that expire, and generalizations 

  • Consider plans to initiate a Mathematics Whole School Agreement  

Facilitators: Sarah Bush and Karen Karp  

Schedule  

1:00–1:15 PM   

What is a Mathematics Whole School Agreement?     

1:15–2:00 PM    

Mathematical language     

2:00–2:45 PM 

Notation and representations    

2:45–3:30 PM   

Rules and generalizations    

3:30–4:00 PM 

Planning for a Mathematics Whole School Agreement  

Revealing the Brilliance of Students Through Mathematical Modeling 

The joint committee of NCTM-SIAM-COMAP is pleased to provide this workshop, where participants will learn about mathematical modeling as a mathematical practice they can draw on in their classroom practices. Participants will experience modeling tasks as learners and discuss teaching moves and pedagogical practices embedded in the modeling cycle. Through the workshop, participants will consider how modeling tasks can foster opportunities to build students’ mathematical identity and agency and foster connections across mathematical grade bands. We welcome people with all levels of experience in mathematical modeling. 

Facilitators: Karen Bryant, Benjamin Galluzo, Joleigh Honey 

Goal: Our goal in this workshop is to support teachers in learning about mathematical modeling and drawing on this powerful practice as a tool to connect mathematics with students’ lived experiences. 

Outcomes:  

  • Engage in mathematical modeling problems and explore the components of the modeling process. 

  • Reflect on pedagogical practices embedded in the modeling cycle and how to foster students’ mathematical modeling competencies.  

  • Examine ways to use math modeling as a vehicle for promoting math identity and fostering curiosity in collaborative group settings. 

Participants will leave with: 

  • An understanding of what modeling is and examples of modeling tasks that are relevant and empowering for students.  

  • Ideas on the teacher’s role while students are working on a modeling problem and how to facilitate modeling tasks.  

  • Strategies to assess modeling tasks and ways to fit modeling into a curriculum 

Schedule 
9:00–9:30 AM 

What is Math Modeling? 
9:30–10:30 AM

Modeling Task: Breakouts by grade bands and experience (participants as students) 
10:30–11:30 AM 

Jigsaw/Share out/Logistics of Modeling in your classroom 
11:30 AM–12:00 PM 

Resources and next steps 

High Yield Routines- High Impact- High Connections

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Goal: Participants will learn several mathematical routines that may be used purposefully across grade levels to assess students’ understanding of mathematical concepts and to identify and address misconceptions. Participants will experience routines and examine student work as the basis for collaborative professional learning.

Outcomes: Participants will 

  • Engage in routines shared from High Yield Routines, Second Edition
  • Examine student work and focus on language, representations, and common misconceptions
  • Explore common trends within and across grade levels, encouraging deep conversation about content/pedagogy among veteran and novice teachers

Facilitators: Ann McCoy, Joann Barnett, and Emily Combs

Schedule

9:00–9:15 AM Intro to Vignettes and the Stories of Content across grade levels
9:15–10:00 AM Would You Rather Routine Examples & Strategies
10:00–10:45 AM Find and Fix Routine Examples and Strategies
10:45–11:15 AM What’s My Number Routine Examples and Strategies
 11:15–11:45 AM Stations/ Gallery Walk: Explore Remaining Routines in HYR
  11:45 AM–12:00 PM   Closing and Wrap Up- Encourage K-8 Conversations


Catalyzing Change Through Proactive Mathematics Coaching: Empowering Leaders to Transform Teaching and Learning

A leader's decision-making about designing and delivering professional learning is a key lever in instructional improvement. Regardless of your role, it is crucial to understand how your choices can help transform the culture of teaching and learning mathematics, ensuring that all learners have opportunities to engage in rich and relevant mathematics. This workshop addresses activities and practices that result in improved teaching practices that have the potential to enhance student learning.

In this workshop, participants will delve into cases about coaches who have faced similar challenges and found practical solutions centered on seven Mathematics Coaching Practices (adapted from Baker and Knapp 2019; Gibbons and Cobb 2017; Teachers Development Group 2010) that are at the heart of the Proactive Coaching Framework (PCF). The PCF is a tool that guides mathematics coaches' and leaders' goal setting, advocating for research-informed practices and facilitating critical conversations and actions that sustain change within schools and promote equitable and ambitious mathematics teaching. Participants will also examine how mathematics leaders in formal and informal positions enact the four key recommendations from the Catalyzing Change series (NCTM, 2018, 2020a, 2020b).

This workshop offers a unique opportunity for participants to collaborate, network, and gain valuable insights into transforming mathematics education through proactive coaching and leadership.

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Goals:

By the end of this workshop, participants will:

  • Analyze the PCF, which recognizes a range of coaching contexts, focuses on math content, and empowers school communities to overcome obstacles.
  • Explore the impact of the PCF's guiding questions to purposefully bridge content and high-leverage coaching and teaching practices.
  • Use the PCF with peers to evaluate contexts, define a content focus, establish goals, select appropriate practices, and engage in collaborative debriefs to inform future actions.
  • Acknowledge their critical role in catalyzing change and explore how the PCF can empower mathematics coaches and teacher leaders to surmount obstacles.
  • Develop a course of action using the PCF to support high-quality mathematics instruction specific to your context.
  • Network and collaborate with peers to share common problems of practice and engage in debriefs that will inform goal setting within your context.

Facilitators: Courtney Baker and Melinda Knapp 

Schedule 

9:00–9:30 AM  Welcome and introductions
9:30–10:00 AM Understanding coaches’ critical role in building teacher capacity 
10:00–10:50 AM PCF overview; Explore the 33 guiding questions
10:50–11:00 AM Break
11:00 AM–12:15 PM  Unpack coaching practices embedded in PCF (e.g. co-teaching, rehearsals)
12:15–1:00 PM Lunch 
1:00–2:30 PM Explore cases; Dig deep into Catalyzing Change
2:30–2:45 PM Break
2:45–4:30 PM Develop an action plan

Using Children's Literature to Foster Learners' Mathematical Brilliance (K–8)

In this workshop, participants will explore underrepresented mathematicians in the Powerful Mathematicians Who Changed the World series and engage in strategies for using the books to center learners’ mathematical brilliance. Through the stories, participants will gain insight into the mathematicians, their mathematical contributions, and how the stories build upon students’ agencies and mathematical identities as learners and doers of mathematics.

Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Goal: Provide strategies for using children’s literature, particularly the Powerful Mathematicians Who Changed the World series, to explore and connect mathematics to learners and their mathematical brilliance.

Outcomes: Participants will

  • Examine the importance of including underrepresented mathematicians when learning and doing mathematics
  • Explore underrepresented mathematicians and their mathematical contributions
  • Engage in grade-level mathematical tasks of each mathematician
  • Consider plans to continue to exude the mathematical brilliance of learners in the classroom

Facilitators: Christa Jackson, Kelley Buchheister, Amy Napoli, Eva Thanheiser, Naomi Jessup, and Kari Jurgenson

Schedule

1:00–1:30 PM Representation Matters: Learners Mathematical Brilliance
1:30–1:45 PM Powerful Mathematicians Who Changed the World Book series purpose and overview
1:45–3:45 PM Mathematicians, their mathematical contributions, grade band tasks (K-2, 3-5, and 6-8)
3:45–4:00 PM Wrap-up and next steps