A new school year offers an opportunity to refocus our efforts, restate our intentions, and create resolutions for how teaching and learning will look and sound. We can look at how we will support our students and families, disrupt inequities, listen to students, and care for one another.
In one example of listening to students, the Center for Educational Leadership found that adults focus on changing things that aren’t actually what students say they want and need to make a better school experience. In fact, when they "asked the students to take their best experiences and organize them around themes. Very quickly, the words 'happy' and 'proud' emerged.”
As we begin this new school year, perhaps we, too, should pause to think about our best work experiences: What about your work makes you happy? What about your job makes you feel proud?
If you’re having difficulty answering either of those questions, it might be time to take a play break. That’s right, play! Stuart Brown in his book, The Promise of Play states, “The beneficial effects of getting just a little true play can spread through our lives, actually making us more productive and happier in everything we do.”
Play is essential to the work we do as educators and in taking care of ourselves, but it’s also critical in our mathematics classrooms and communities. Dan Finkel from Math for Love, says “What books are to reading, play is to mathematics.”
If you’re looking for a way to step up your own, or your students, math play, then check out Mathigon’s new game Fractis. The complexity of their game is hidden behind a Tetris-like design, but it pushed me to bump into some very interesting mathematics with the constraints they leveraged. Fair warning: you might want to set a timer so you remember to stop playing.
I hope as you begin this new school year, you find ways to reconnect with what makes you happy and proud about your work, you find time to play, and you remember that the San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) mathematics team is here to support you on your mathematical adventures.
We look forward to a wonderful year ahead with you. Now, go play math!
Audrey Mendivil
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Build Your Knowledge: Fractions, Ratio, and Proportional Reasoning
UC San Diego Mathematics Project invites you to join local teacher leaders in exploring fractions and other rational numbers through ratio reasoning and proportional reasoning.
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Math Teacher Lounge Courses
Amplify offers educators free, on-demand professional development featuring the Math Teacher Lounge co-hosts Bethany Lockhart Johnson, Dan Meyer, and special guests. Educators can pick and choose among three courses, and receive a certificate of completion for each course.
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Mathigon Learning Events
Two virtual back-to-school workshops from Mathigon Learning on Aug. 23 and 25 are designed for teachers. Sign up for free on Eventbrite or watch the recording later on YouTube. The guest speaker schedule for 2021-22 is now available, featuring some of the most inspiring educators.
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Explorations in Data Science
There is a new Youcubed website for the high school course, Explorations in Data Science: Youcubed Adaptable Curriculum. This full-year, project-based course has received enthusiastic reviews from pilot teachers, and has received "a-g" approval in California as an alternative to Algebra 2, or in addition to Algebra 2.
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Deeper Learning Introduction
In a rapidly-changing world, students need empowering and global learning experiences. Join SDCOE team members for a one-hour virtual workshop to explore the foundations of deeper learning, why deeper learning matters, and how it helps us actualize our mission to empower students to be lifelong learners and have a future without boundaries. Repeat sessions offered from 3 to 4 p.m. Sept. 7 and from 2 to 3 p.m. Sept. 27.
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The Sum Of it All Podcast
Join SDCOE's Audrey Mendivil and Mark Alcorn in an asynchronous book club for educators. Read along with us and continue the conversation on Twitter: #SumMathChat or email sumofitallpodcast@sdcoe.net.
This week kicks off season three, where Audrey and Mark discuss selections from Cathy L. Seeley’s Faster Isn’t Smarter compilation. New episodes are released Fridays on Anchor FM or your favorite podcast platform. Would you like a copy of the book? Email us at sumofitallpodcast@sdcoe.net and we’ll work to get a copy to local listeners.
Did you miss the previous seasons? In season two, the podcast explored how to become a better teacher of students with disabilities with Humanizing Disability in Mathematics Education: Forging New Paths by Paulo Tan, Alexis Padilla, Erica N. Mason, and James Sheldon. The first podcast season dug into how to transform our classrooms with Peter Liljedahl’s Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics. You can listen to all the episodes at the Sum of It All podcast.
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2021-22 PAEMST K-6 Application Cycle Now Open
California Digital Learning Integration and Standards Guidance: Mathematics
Join educators across the state at 2 p.m. on Aug 26 for a webinar focused on Section B: Standards Guidance for Mathematics by addressing critical areas of instructional focus. Intended to support teachers as they implement mathematics instruction, the standards guidance is organized around the big ideas proposed in the draft 2021 Mathematics Framework for California Public Schools: Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve (Mathematics Framework) .
Revised Mathematics Framework Timeline
California Math Council Sponsored Framework Sessions
The California Mathematics Council (CMC) hosted conversations about the draft Mathematics Framework to help educators and the public learn about, explore, and discuss the framework. Visit the CMC website to view recorded webinars, and hear from the authors directly about what the new Mathematics Framework is all about.
Mathematics, Policy, and Leadership Network
Interested in learning more about policy news and events? Join SDCOE's Mathematics, Policy, and Leadership Network at the next event on Sept. 21. For more information contact Mindy Shacklett.
Calling All Speakers!
The Greater San Diego Math Council (GSDMC) is calling for speaker proposals for its annual conference in February. Read more about the conference focus and submit a proposal to present for this year’s "Stay Class-y San Diego” conference on Saturday, Feb. 26 at Palomar College South Education Center - Rancho Bernardo. Deadline to submit a proposal is Sept. 13.
CA Approves Incentives for New and Returning National Board Certified Teachers
This award includes funds for any teacher who has attained certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, as long as the teacher agrees to teach at a high-priority school, as well as funds toward costs of initiating the process of pursuing National Board certification when teaching at a high-priority school. Read more about this newly-approved award and look for more information through the California Department of Education (CDE) soon.
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Grants from the Greater San Diego Math Council (GSDMC) are available to local educators and awarded on a rolling basis to support teachers during the pandemic. From integrating technology to providing manipulatives and supporting access and equity for all students, GSDMC has a grant or scholarship for you.
CMC-South Grants and Scholarships
Did you attend CMC-South? If so, you’re eligible to apply for the grants and scholarships, which include funding for classroom resources and professional learning. Take some time this summer to nominate an amazing math teacher or coach for one of three awards by the Aug. 30 deadline.
National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) Grants
Several grants are available to support math educators, including high school teachers seeking to improve the instruction of advanced placement classes, for school supplies and materials to aid in classroom instruction, and to assist educators who serve in rural areas as well as those involved in inclusion and diversity programs for their school or community. All grants are due by September 15th.
Grants for Conference Attendance
NSHSS offers grants of $500 to teachers and counselors currently employed in public or private high schools to cover the costs associated with attending an educational conference, as does the Association of American Educators Foundation Teacher Scholarship, for full-time early childhood and PreK-12 teachers to cover the costs of professional development that will positively impact the applicant’s students, classrooms, and/or school community.
Classroom Grants
Toshiba Grants for Grades K-5
Grants up to $1,000 are available to K-5 teachers at public schools for science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) classroom materials that will be used to provide students with original and creative project-based learning experiences. Funding is intended to increase student success rates in STEM fields by making STEM instruction innovative and fun.
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Justin Reich and Jal Mehta have a new report out, "Healing, Community and Humanity, " describing how more than 200 teachers and students want to reinvent schools in the fall. (Hint, it's not summer school or double blocks of reading and math.)
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Universal design for learning (UDL) is more than a set of guidelines or a framework. Centered on the belief that our students are not broken, Universal Design for Learning: Theory and Practice is an essential read for anyone engaging in conversation around the growing UDL field. You can access a free online version at udltheorypractice.cast.org. Register and receive full access to the book as well as all of the images, tips, and videos that accompany it or purchase a printed copy through the CAST Publishing website.
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Desmos has offered an “anonymize” feature in their activities to help foster student safety in math class. When switching on this feature, student names are randomly switched to famous mathematicians, making it easier for teachers to share student work without identifying the student. The team at Desmos recently revisited their list of mathematicians in an effort to serve all students and disrupt inequities. Read more about what they did, why they did it, and check out the list of resulting mathematicians.
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Black Girl MATHgic
Public Math
Our friends at Public Math were interviewed by the hosts of The Math Teacher Lounge, resulting in two wonderful videos that capture the work and spirit of Public Math. In Episode 1, Molly Daley and Chris Nho describe the genesis of the Math Postcard project, and in Episode 2, provide us inspiration to bring math into public spaces.
Building Classroom Culture
Matt Vaudrey posted this tweet: “Good afternoon, team! Our department (Secondary Math) is looking for @desmos activities that support building classroom culture. I've started a li'l Collection, what other tasks should I include?” Use the activities in your own classroom to build classroom culture, or add some of your favorites by tagging him on Twitter.
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The Sum of it All newsletter.
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