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Continuing Learning During A Pandemic

In the face of these unusual, once-in-a-career type challenges we are facing, I encourage all teachers to keep calm and go slowly. My best advice…think about what you would like your students to learn that are the essential components of the year/course. Then devise a learning plan, and cut it in half. In these extraordinary circumstances, we must be realistic in our expectations, and especially attentive to issues of equity. Who has support at home? Who has access to digital learning? What can we do to support our most vulnerable learners?

Shut The Box is an adding fluency game.

I have put together a document with some starting places for distance learning. You will notice on that list that both Nelson and Pearson have opened up their on-line resources for free. We also have Zorbits –primary math on-line–offering free accounts for parents and teachers. I offer these with some reserve, because now is not the time to increase your cognitive load as teachers to use new resources. This is a menu of items, but just choose the one or two that work for you to enhance your practice.

Please contact me, through school e-mail at Donna.Morgan@burnabyschools.ca or through my phone (number available via Inside41 directory) if you have questions. Follow me on twitter @DonnaMorgan8 for daily activities (like Shut the Box at left) and updates.

I will be trying to upgrade and improve this blog to help you more. Let me know what you would like!

Gauss/Mirzakhani/Abel

Our Elementary math contests are still scheduled to go ahead as usual…although if there is no school in May, I will find an alternate format for the Mirzakhani and Abel. The CEMC will make a decision about the Gauss by mid-April. So unfortunately I will continue to nag schools for their order numbers in the meantime.

Stay Safe.

-Donna

 

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Fall Workshops Filling Up

Where did September go? It must be the fastest month in our calendar. I hope all teachers are settled and enjoying the new school year. 

Fall Math Workshops

If you haven’t already done so, you might want to sign up for our fall workshops.

In our two Diving Deeper In Math series (one is for primary teachers, the other intermediate), we will be examining how to strengthen our learners’ curricular competencies as we teach math content. These series involve 3 dinner sessions and one half day (Nov 22) with Carole Fullerton. Participants will also receive a Fullerton resource of their choice.

Our fall book club for K-5 is Number Sense Routines. Participants will receive either the K-3 or 3-5 book of their choice.

You can also plan now for January, as the legendary Box Cars and One Eyed Jacks authors will be doing an after school workshop on January 9th.

You can sign up for these offerings on the staff development calendar.

For secondary teachers, I am offering to support collaboration at each school. Feel free to contact me at Donna.Morgan@burnabyschools.ca for more information.

 

Resources to Check Out

Robert Kaplinsky’s blog (click on image below) is a great resource of open middle questions, professional development videos about math (including a completely astonishing story about 8th grade students answering an impossible math question) and other delights.  I urge you to spend some time on this excellent site.

 

A new book that I am starting is called Necessary Conditions: Teaching Secondary Math With Academic Safety, Quality Tasks, and Effective Facilitation.  Coming soon to a book club in Burnaby, I suspect.

 

Math Games Nights

Dates are booking up as several elementary schools are holding successful games nights for parents.  Show parents how they can help develop numeracy in students, and have some FUN without the dreaded sheets and pages of homework. Contact me to set one up (this will work for a couple of classes or for a school-wide event).

 

 

 

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Well that was fast….

The fall seemed to zip by…I noticed that last year I posted several times on the blog during the fall, and this year–well, you can just see the “Welcome Back” post below!

That being said, I think it means I’ve been working with teachers and students more, which is a great thing.  I’m working on developing number talks as a strong mathematical routine that can help all our students with the curricular competencies in math. I’ve loved visiting some classrooms and getting to know the elementary students.  I am excited by the creativity of our students. Yesterday, when doing a number talk at Forest Grove, a student explained how she mentally visualized the face of a clock to do efficient multiplication by 5’s.  Today at Suncrest, a student cleverly used the answer to the first problem as his starting point for the second problem–an efficient strategy that worked. The goal of number talks is to let students explore and share a variety of strategies so they can see the creativity and flexibility in math, and aren’t held down to a single method for problem solving.  In the New Year, I’m offering “Lunch and Learn” sessions at schools, where I will come and hold a 45 minute mini-workshop on a specific math routine.  January and February will be focused on Number Talks. E-mail me for more info: donna.morgan@burnabyschools.ca

If you are interested in number talks as a routine for your class, some great resources include Dan Meyer’s Math For Love, any book or video by Sherry Parrish, or the book Making Number Talks Matter by Cathy Humphreys and Ruth Parker.

Curriculum Implementation Day–January 28

There are several offerings available on Curriculum Implementation Day–check the Staff Development Calendar for details and to sign up.  Three that I am involved with are–

Place Based Learning at the Burnaby Lake Rowing Pavillion, 8:30 am – 1: 30 pm; Guest Speakers Dr. Gillian Judson (Walking Curriculum) and Lori Snyder (Metis herbalist). Suitable K-12.

Standards Based Assessment at Burnaby Mountain, 8:30 am – 12 noon. A look at the use of standards based assessment in Secondary Schools.

Math Connections–A session for Intermediate Teachers at Cariboo Secondary–examine how math 6 and 7 tie into math 8. Hosted by Cariboo math teacher Lori Bernard.

Spring Staff Development Offerings

Playing How Close to 100?

Most spring offerings in math (and science) are posted on the Staff Development Calendar.  Sign up now!

Spring Book Club–Jo Boaler’s Mathematical Mindsets.

Carole Fullerton–intermediate and primary sessions, May 8th.

Math Games Night–if you want to host one for your class or for several classes or even the whole school, drop me a line.

Over the Holidays

I hope you have a restful and energizing break.  But if you want your students to do a bit of fluency practice over the holidays, please direct them to the parent section of this blog, where they can find some fun math games. Also, if you need a great gift idea, I personally recommend Prime Climb–a board game that can engage kids from 5-95.

Enjoy, and I’ll see you in January.

-Donna