Hosting A Family Math Night ‘Inspiring Your Child to Learn and Love Math’ Saturday, November 12, 2016 Clarke Road Secondary School

Our Time Together … We will explore: How mathematics has and has not changed Proficiency in mathematics The role of sense-making and rule-following Important ways you can help Connect to skills of a 21st Century learner Look at the Parent Tool Kit

Link to Parent Resource Kit -PDF

Parent Partnerships are Important “When parents are engaged and involved, everyone benefits, and our schools become increasingly rich and positive places to teach, learn and grow.” (Supporting the Ontario Leadership Strategy, 2012, p. 1)

“Schools have an important role in helping parents learn the language of schooling so that the parents can provide every possible assistance to their children in terms of developing the child’s learning and love of learning and in creating the highest possible shared expectations for learning.” (Hattie, 2009, p. 33)

Inspiring Your Child to Love and Learn Math

What has not changed in math Numeration remains a focus Right answers are still important Practice still matters

Math in the 21st Century “When students understand mathematics, they are equipped with knowledge they can bring to every aspect of their lives. Math is an essential skill in today’s society” (CODE, Inspiring Your Child to Learn and Love Math, 2016).

5 Attributes = Success in Mathematics Procedural Fluency Skill in carrying out procedures flexibly, accurately, efficiently, and appropriately Conceptual Understanding Comprehension of mathematical concepts, operations, and relations Strategic Competence Ability to formulate, represent, and solve mathematical problems Productive Disposition Habitual inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and one’s own efficacy Adaptive Reasoning Capacity for logical thought, reflection, explanation, and justification Chris The NCR inquired as to what it is to be proficient in mathematics …it is much more than knowing our facts, which is important but not nearly enough The National Council of Research has identified 5 attributes associated w/ success in math. Conceptual understanding involves modelling and making connections to big ideas Procedural fluency involves computing and performing math skills like using a protractor with comfort Strategic competence involves students comfort processing a problem and attacking it Adaptive reasoning involves students facing challenging work to build persistence and increase flexibility Adaptive reasoning “refers to the capacity to think logically about the relationships among concepts and situations.” (p.129) (Adding it Up: Helping Children Learn Mathematics, 2001) Productive disposition involves promoting the student as a mathematician and the work as useful (attitude)

What has changed in math Increased use of math tools and virtual models Decreased emphasis on speed (unimportant and damaging) Increased emphasis on processes (thinking, communicating, representing, problem solving)

What has changed in math Increasing recognition of different ways of thinking Increasing emphasis on understanding rather than on procedures or rote memory More focus on DOING than WATCHING Recognition that flexibility is important

Example of Thinking & Applying See where Ontario children struggle …

Our collective disposition Ontario children in significant numbers indicate that a) they do not like mathematics; and B) they do not believe they are good at it We must continue to celebrate different ways to solve problems and make math meaningful in ‘everyday life’ for kids. Linda Colgan, Professor of Math Education at Queen’s suggests that before we see an upswing in mathematics achievement in Ontario, we will need to witness an upswing in these dispositions toward seeing the subject as useful and feeling stronger self-efficacy in the subject

What can we do? Value the study and use of mathematics at school and in the world Support your child’s sense-making and invented strategies Praise effort and risk-taking rather than performance …intelligence is cultivated Boaler (2009); Schoenfeld (2002), Ross (2012) have added to the mound of evidence around the efficacy of having students do more math and watch less …no major study shows student achievement is greater in a traditional mathematics classroom than a student-centred one in which students are exploring regularly and consolidating learning.

What can we do? Support your child’s teacher in his/her efforts to use math tools, value different ways of thinking, and the DOING of math Wonder aloud (“What would our answer look like if the rectangle was twice as wide?”) Look for connections (“how is this like …?)

What Can We Do?

Skills Our Children Need Perseverance, Collaboration, Communication, Innovation …why do they matter? shares 2 slides on Tony Wagner’s Play, Passion, Purpose message

Parent Tool Kit CODE (Council of Ontario Directors of Education) have created this excellent resource and each school in Thames Valley has received 6 kits.

What is in the kit? Link to Scavenger Hunt Link to Scavenger Hunt Answers

Scavenger Hunt Working in groups, please use the kits to answer the Scavenger Hunt questions. Answers will be provided at the end.

Running a Math Night The workshops require no prior knowledge of mathematics or specialized content-they can be implemented by anyone who has an interest in learning and sharing. School administrators and school teachers can assist with the specialized content. And be sure to have snacks!

“The mathematics that people need is not the sort of math learned in most classrooms. People do not need to regurgitate hundreds of standard methods. They need to reason and problem solve, flexibly applying methods in new situations” (Jo Boaler, What’s Math Got to Do With It?, p. 7).

A Great Resource! www.youcubed.org

You Are Important! You play a highly valuable role in supporting your children’s learning. Thank you so much for coming out today to connect with other parents and learn about ways in which you can work with your parent community to support the learning in your schools.

Thank You! Above all, communicate positive messages about mathematics and enjoy Inspiring Your Child to Learn and Love Math!