Feb. 10, 2009 Math Resource Review Day Moving Math Forward in SD71 Charles Schilling, Highland

Agenda 9 to 10 am Introductions, Review of Jan., Where to Start? 10 to 11am Pearson Presentation 11 to 12 McGraw Hill Presentation 12 to 12:45 lunch Afternoon session - analyze resources, discuss choices, decide next steps, start work on scope and sequence 8 and 9

From January’s Meeting - $$$ There was a clear need expressed to have budget resources targeted to Math $$$ to buy new resources $$$ for senior numeracy support I put in a proposal to Sherry Elwood on Jan. 19 th asking for a 1.0 FTE senior numeracy support person for 09/10

From Jan. – In-service Needs It was clear from January that there will be significant in-service needs for teachers to implement this new CCF (as was the case in Elementary with the K-7 program) I put in a proposal to Sherry Elwood for 09/10 for 2 sets of in-service sessions coming up – 1 later on this spring and 1 in the early fall when we start implementation

Where to Start? What should we be looking for when new resources become available? What are the most important factors to consider when looking at new resources? Take a few minutes with a partner to discuss and write down what you think is most important for us to consider today.

What does the WNCP say? Students are curious, active learners with individual interests, abilities, needs and career goals. They come to school with varying knowledge, life experiences, expectations and backgrounds. A key component in developing mathematical literacy in students is making connections to these backgrounds, experiences, goals and aspirations. Students construct their understanding of mathematics by developing meaning based on a variety of learning experiences.

What should we consider? There is a WNCP research document available that summarizes the current state of Mathematics in BC and Canada It makes the following recommendations for what we should consider for the future of Math. The next slides form part of the basis for the new CCF

Meaning and Structure Meaning - All learning theories conclude in some way that an understanding of a concept can only be achieved through a student’s active work with that concept Structure - If understanding means seeing structure, then the connections between concepts already learned and new concepts being introduced MUST be an integral part of the curriculum and instruction

Repetitive Action If we wish students to reflect on the processes of mathematics, they must first have a certain mastery of those processes. Children without a reasonable ability to perform basic algorithms may have nothing with which to build their further mathematics This does not mean a focus on rote repetition Rather, it should be a process of reflective practice, where mastery of the action leads to reflection on the meaning of that action which leads to further understanding and learning.

Difficulty & Significance/Relevance Difficulty - The goal of learning is to advance a student from abilities she now possesses to those she has not yet developed. The best way to do this is to present tasks that are challenging but still within reach of the student. Significance - is the ability to understand and appreciate the place and importance of what is to be learned within the system of concepts that are already known (it is an awareness of the way in which existing knowledge generates a problem and its solution)

Social & Verbal/Symbolic Interactions Social - The importance of social interaction in the mathematics class has been reported by many researchers and collaboration that generates productive instructional dialog promotes joint problem solving and discourages competition among students Verbal & Symbols - Interaction in learning means communication that includes using both language (speech) and symbols (written language as well as special mathematics symbols) to convey thoughts.

Discourse Discourse - refers to all communication practices of the classroom - both written and verbal. Researchers now recommend that classroom conventions be adjusted to enhance communication channels in class

Belonging Learning requires one to be a part of a learning community. Students need to feel respected and free to speak their mind in the classroom. The most promising directions for improvement seem to be those that incorporate historical context in the mathematics content, portray mathematics as something unique in our world, and something to be valued for its own sake

Most Important - Balance To meet learners’ many varied needs, the instruction must be varied and rich in opportunities. The reality is that there must be a bit of everything in the classroom: problem solving as well as skills practice, teamwork as well as in- dividual learning, real-life problems as well as abstract problems, learning by talking as well a silent, learning by group as well as alone …

Conclusion The new CCF was designed with a student-centered approach all around How much does this match current classroom practice? How much of our current instructional system is teacher-centered? What will we need to do to bring the best of both together?