Welcome to Building Math Leaders

1
Welcome toBuilding Math Leaders

• Jane Hunter
• Math Teacher - Eastlake High school
• NW Mathematics' Convention Publicist

2
Session Goals

• Building Math Leadership
• The Big Picture in Teaching Math
• Is Less Best? How to accomplish it successfully!
• A Flexible, Passionate Teacher is worth any
  textbook however good it may profess to be.

3
Your Task!

• You have just learned that a top Education Guru
  is coming to Seattle to visit your district.
  They are planning on coming one day early so they
  can truly experience Seattle the Northwest.
  They will arrive at 800am and have to be back at
  their hotel by 900pm. It is your task in groups
  of 4 or 5 to design their day.

4

• Lets hear some examples.
• What was most important? What were your goals for
  the day?
• Were there any difficulties or obstacles along
  the way?

5
These are many of the same problems Math
Educators face with curriculum.

• Too much to accomplish
• Too little time
• What is the most important to teach?
• How is it best to accomplish/ teach this?
• What is just fluff that can be eliminated?
• WASL scores, SATs, College Entrance Exams

6

• How did you feel after hearing these planned
  trips?
• Overwhelmed
• Too much to consume
• No time to contemplate
• Too rushed
• Many Students feel the same way in math classes!

7

• Most textbooks dont really engage a student in
  the learning.
• They give them a procedure to follow, not a
  problem to engage their brains
• Many times the practice afterwards has very
  little to do with the Class Learning
  Procedure/Activity

8
Procedure to Follow vs Engaging Experience to
solve

• So what are the Solutions?
• Robert Marzano
  
• A Guaranteed Viable Curriculum
• Misinterpreted to mean - same curriculum word
  for word!
• Guaranteed Curriculum
• Agreed upon Outcomes and Goals
• Viable
• Relevant Meaningful to the student and the
  business community they will eventually be part of

9
So what does this look like?

• Same lesson as before but with a twist!
• Is it better to get a new Expensive car with a
  better depreciation rate or a cheap car with a
  higher depreciation rate?
• M n Ms BMWs 80
• Skittles Kia 70
• What is this really a demonstration of?
• What types of questions can you explore with this
  simulation?

10
So how do I build this type of thinking in my
building? In my district?

• Like the Seattle Tour Teachers need the same
  thing time to converse and soak it in.
• Build Math Leaders in your building by providing
• Designated time to discuss Guaranteed Viable
  Outcomes
• Time Encouragement to Share Best Strategies
  Practice
• Professional training and enhancement
• Conferences
• Shared Sessions afterwards within Buildings
  District

11

• Examples of Success
• One Conference and teachers came back with
• Ideas to create new labs
• Barbie Lab
• Frisbee Lab
• Teachers from other districts to network
  Communicate with
• Best Teaching Strategies
• Ideas for Essentials Questions to create labs on

12
Barbie Bungee Jumping Lab
Essential Question How many rubber bands will it
take for Barbie to have the best (and safest)
jump of her life off the balcony?
Linear Model
13
Lid Tossing Lab
Essential Question What size lid will not hit
any edges of the 1 ft. squared tiles 40 of the
time?
Quadratic Model
14
Summary

• Building Math Leadership
• Conferences NW Math Oct 11-13 2007
• Encouraging Networking among Teachers
• The Big Picture in Teaching Math
• Creating Engaging Problems vs Procedures' to
  follow
• Is Less Best?
• Guaranteed Curriculum
• Agreed upon Outcomes and Goals
• Viable
• Relevant Meaningful to the student and the
  business community they will eventually be part
  of
• A Flexible, Passionate Teacher is worth any
  textbook however good it may profess to be!