CAMT 2018

My thanks to all who came to my sessions.  Keep me posted on ways in which you end up using some of these ideas either in your planning or in your actual classrooms in the fall.  Good luck!

The Power of Ideas, Grades 3-5, Monday, 10-12

Slides [PDF]

Historically, the teaching of mathematics is particularly guilty of giving students the message that their ideas aren’t important and that they only need to memorize and regurgitate the ideas of others.  If students are to become critical thinkers, they need to realize that the ideas they bring to the classroom are worthwhile.  They should also have opportunities to express and refine those ideas, as well as to learn to listen critically to the ideas of others.  We’ll talk about some examples of ways in which we as mathematics teachers ignore students’ ideas, then explore different routines and strategies for making students’ ideas play a more central role in the classroom.

Sense Making: Is It at the Core of Your Classroom?, Grades 6-8, Monday, 3-5

Slides [PDF]

The National Research Council points to a “productive disposition” as one of the key strands of mathematical proficiency.  A major part of this strand is viewing mathematics as something that makes sense.  Are your students making sense of the mathematics they explore? Do they feel that mathematics is an inherently sensible endeavor?  We’ll look at ways in which students don’t make sense of mathematics, consider why, and discuss strategies for making it a larger part of the expectations in your classroom.