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As You Come In…. Talk to other people in the room and try to find whose birthday (month and day) is closest to yours. Find at least two other things you have in common with that person Sit at the table corresponding to the card you were given as you came into the room.
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As You Come In… • Talk to other people in the room and try to find whose birthday (month and day) is closest to yours. • Find at least two other things you have in common with that person • Sit at the table corresponding to the card you were given as you came into the room
East Alabama Partnership for the Improvement of Mathematics Education Kick-off Meeting April 23, 2003
Thoughts on the Warm-up… • What similarities did you notice? • Suppose each person held the hand of the person whose birthday is closest to theirs. • What would be the result?
Welcome and Introductions • Dr. Renee Middleton, Auburn College of Education • Dr. Michel Smith, Auburn College of Science and Mathematics • Dr. Carolyn Gathright, Tuskegee University • Ms. Lorrie Crumley, Community Relations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama • Members of the Planning Team
Overview • Why We Need a Partnership • Activity: The Lonesome Llama • Break • A New Vision for School Mathematics • Lunch (11:30-12:15) • The New Alabama Course of Study • District Priorities • Break • The Six-Month Plan • Closing Remarks
Why Do We Need a Partnership? Dr. Gary Martin Auburn University
#1. Achievement Levels • Our students are not achieving at an adequate level. • There are substantial gaps in performance.
National Assessment of Educational Progress, 2000 • Grade 4: • Alabama ranked 35th out of 40 states • Significantly worse than 27 states • Grade 8: • Alabama ranked 35th of 39 states • Significantly worse than 29 states
Comparison of East Alabama to State Averages • Grade 4 (SAT-9) • State Average: 56 • East Alabama: 52 • Grade 8 (SAT-9) • State Average: 53 • East Alabama: 47 • Grade 11 (Pass rate on AHSGE) • State Average: 79 • East Alabama: 73
Grade 4 White students: 61 Black students: 39 Fully-paid lunch: 66 Free/reduced lunch: 42 General education: 56 Special education: 14 Grade 8 White students: 55 Black students: 35 Fully-paid lunch: 58 Free/reduced lunch: 36 General education: 50 Special education: 14 Comparison of Subgroups in East Alabama (2002 SAT-9)
Comparison of Subgroups in East Alabama (2002 AHSGE Pass Rate) • Grade 11 • White students: 81 • Black students: 62 • Fully-paid lunch: 79 • Free/reduced lunch: 60 • General education: 75 • Special education: 34
#2. State Cycle for Mathematics • Alabama Course of Study: Mathematics approved in February • No overlap in content • Many fewer objectives • Result: It is particularly important that curriculum and pacing guides be developed • Textbook Adoption the coming year
#3. Teacher Preparation • Shortage of qualified mathematics teachers • “Highly Qualified” teachers • Preparation of new teachers
90% 73% Students Can Do Basics, ... Source: NAEP 1996 347 + 453 864 – 38
… But Students Cannot Solve Problems Ms. Yost’s class has read 174 books, and Mr. Smith’s class has read 90 books. How many more books do they need to read to reach the goal of reading 575 books? 33% Source: NAEP 1996
Long-term NAEP • Steady increases in basic skills since the 1970s • However, there is a continuing “performance gap” in NAEP and other measures where students are asked to apply their knowledge • The problem in mathematics education is NOT a lack of the “basic skills.”
How NOT to Make Progress… • Focusing on raising test scores by “teaching to the test” results in only short-term gains (1-2 years) • In the long term, the outcomes you get will only be as good as the instruction your students receive.
A New Vision for School Mathematics • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics:Principles and Standards for School Mathematics • The basis for:Alabama Course of Study: Mathematics
Characteristics of the Vision • Designed to meet the needs of all students • Engages students in making sense of mathematics— “inquiry based” • Focuses on the usefulness of mathematics • Includes a broad view of mathematics • More than arithmetic in elementary school • Attention to statistics and data analysis across the curriculum
Systemic Improvement of Mathematics Education • Pay attention to the entire system • Teachers, administrators, public • Alignment is the key to success: • State Course of Study • Local Curriculum Guides • Assessment • Textbook Selection • Professional Development
Long-term Goals • Improving mathematics achievement across partnership • Reducing gaps in performance between subpopulations of those students • Increasing the content and pedagogical knowledge of teachers • Increasing the supply of qualified teachers • Developing mathematics teacher leaders
(continued) • Increasing administrators’ understanding of mathematics goals and priorities • Redesigning the preparation of teachers • Aligning district curriculum, instructional materials, and assessment practices • Improving parental and community understanding of mathematics education BACK
The Power of Partnership • By pooling resources, we can accomplish more together than we can individually • Example: • How many teachers at your school teach the same grade or courses as you? • How many teachers in your district teach the same grade or courses as you?
The Lonesome Llama Dr. Marilyn Strutchens
Purpose • The main purpose of this activity is to get participants to look at group processes and roles while they are engaged in problem solving. • Everyone in the group must participate in order for the task to be successfully completed.
Why is teamwork important? • Two heads are better than one. • Complex problems require communication.
Tasks • Monitor how you are working together as a group on the activity. • Read the directions for the game. • Pass out the cards. Everyone will not receive the same amount because there are only 46 cards. • When a group decides that it has found the unique card (whether or not it is correct), the first stage of the activity is over for that group. • When the first stage is completed, each participant in the group should write about these questions: • What were your group’s strengths and weaknesses in working together? • How can you get the group to work together better? • How can you improve your individual contributions to the group?
How did you feel as you were working in the group? • How did it feel to work in a setting where you needed other participants’ cooperation? • How were you treated by the other group members? • Was everybody equally involved in the activity? • Did it seem as if some people were “sponging” off others?
Group Roles • Recording results • Being supportive of others’ efforts • Offering new ideas • Keeping the group on task • Summarizing • Seeking consensus • Getting clarification • Suggesting compromises • Keeping everyone actively involved • Watching out for and resolving conflict
Teamwork is the fuel thatallows common people to produce uncommon results. ---Unknown.
Principles and Standards for School Mathematics • A comprehensive and coherent set of goals for improving mathematics teaching and learning in our schools. 35
Teaching Assessment Technology The Principles Describe particular features of high-quality mathematics programs • Equity • Curriculum • Learning
Small Groups • Choose one of the Principles and read its summary. • Briefly discuss: • How does your principle compare to current practice? • What would it take to make this principle a reality?
Statements of Principles The Equity Principle Excellence in mathematics education requires equity– high expectations and strong support for all students. The Curriculum Principle A curriculum is more than a collection of activities: it must be coherent, focused on important mathematics, and well articulated across the grades. The Teaching Principle Effective mathematics teaching requires understanding what students know and need to learn and then challenging and supporting them to learn it well.
Statements of Principles The Learning Principle Students must learn mathematics with understanding, actively building new knowledge from experience and prior knowledge. The Assessment Principle Assessment should support the learning of important mathematics and furnish useful information to both teachers and students. The Technology Principle Technology is essential in teaching and learning mathematics; it influences the mathematics that is taught and enhances students’ learning.
45¢ per minute Which is the Better Deal? Keep-in-Touch ChitChat NO monthly fee $20 per month Only 10¢ for each minute
A Student’s Solution No. of minutes 0 10 20 30 40 50 Keep in Touch $20.00 $21.00 $22.00 $23.00 $24.00 $25.00 ChitChat $0.00 $4.50 $9.00 $13.50 $18.00 $22.50
Other Approaches Keep in touch y = 20 + .10x cost Chit chat y = .45x # of minutes
Pattern Block Problem How many different pattern block arrangements will cover a yellow hexagon?
Looking for Squares Problem 2.2 On the 5-dot-by-5-dot grids on Labsheet 2.2, draw squares of various sizes by connecting dots. Try to draw squares with as many different areas as possible. Label each square with its area. Problem 2.2 On the 5-dot-by-5-dot grids on Labsheet 2.2, draw squares of various sizes by connecting dots. Try to draw squares with as many different areas as possible. Label each square with its area. On the 5-dot-by-5-dot grids on Labsheet 2.2, draw squares of various sizes by connecting dots. Try to draw squares with as many different areas as possible. Label each square with its area.
Problem 2.2 Follow-Up • We will call squares with vertical and horizontal sides "upright" squares. Which of the squares you drew are upright squares? Identify each square by giving its area.
Problem 2.2 Follow-Up • We will call squares with sides that are not vertical and horizontal "tilted" squares. Which of the squares you drew are tilted squares? Identify each square by giving its area.
Problem 2.2 Follow-Up • For which kind of square—upright or tilted—is it easier to find the length of a side? Why?
