Closing the Math Achievement Gap

Learn about an exciting and successful approach to teaching elementary mathematics in this one-day course. Based upon the Singapore math curriculum, this introductory course will help teachers build a solid math foundation and ensure a deeper conceptual understanding for all students. Using strategies from the Math in Focus™ program, this course will provide an understanding of the need for in-depth instruction and effective ways to help students achieve mastery of mathematical concepts.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Understand why carefully sequenced and paced instruction, covering fewer topics in greater depth, will enhance students’ math achievement
• Discover how the instruction differs from current math programs used in the United States
• Learn why this curriculum is appropriate for students and understand the teacher’s role
• Explore and practice key instructional strategies, such as effective questioning, model drawing, mental math, place value, and higher-level thinking skills that develop problem-solving proficiency
• Experience the structured concept development of a single lesson, highlighting the key elements of this effective approach to teaching mathematics

College Credit Available

This interactive, hands-on course will help teachers learn how to effectively use model drawing strategies to support math instruction. These strategies are an important component of the Singapore approach to teaching mathematics. Participants will work with addition/subtraction problems, multiplication/division problems and fraction problems.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Understand how to effectively use the model drawing strategy with students
• Use model drawing to support work with addition/subtraction, multiplication/division, and fraction problems
• Understand how model drawing leads to success with Algebra

College Credit Pending

Classroom teachers explore best teaching practices that strengthen core instruction in mathematics for all students. Assessment data will be used to identify students in need of math intervention. Instructional methods for lesson design, differentiation, small group teaching, and distributive practice targeted at the needs of their students are reviewed. Participants apply new learning by creating lessons that target key mathematical areas. Strategies will also be shared for classroom management of small groups and independent practice during math class.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Use assessments to identify student needs
• Group students for differentiated math instruction
• Use a strategic lesson design to target critical mathematical skills
• Utilize manipulatives effectively to support struggling learners
• Use on-going progress monitoring of math improvement

College Credit Pending

How do we create a classroom culture that supports algebraic thinking? How do we look at arithmetic through an algebraic lens? This one-day course will provide participants with opportunities to explore the answers to these questions through a hands-on, interactive look at algebra, identifying opportunities for children to think algebraically. Patterning, the fundamental properties of arithmetic, and mathematical notation will drive this algebraic experience as we look at effective ways to help students to think algebraically. These experiences will be coached in a concrete, pictorial and abstract pedagogy. Training for K–2 teachers and 3–5 teachers is advisable.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Examine key components of algebraic thinking through the pedagogy of concrete, pictorial, and abstract
• Explore patterning, properties of arithmetic and mathematical notation as vehicles for developing algebraic thinking
• Learn how customized questions can elicit algebraic thinking
• Investigate student work that demonstrates algebraic thinking
• Practice revising word problems to encourage algebraic thinking

College Credit Available

This interactive, hands-on course will help teachers develop an understanding of how to prepare students for success in algebra, how to differentiate instruction and effectively use manipulatives. Throughout the day, participants will experience teaching mathematics with a focus on number sense and algebraic reasoning. Mathematical ideas will be presented and processed in many different formats including the use of algebra tiles. A variety of questions will be developed within each activity that elicits deep levels of mathematical understanding and proficiency.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Understand concepts and skills necessary for students to succeed in algebra
• Be able to differentiate the mathematics instruction and learning
• Recognize multiple ways to manage and use manipulatives
• Be able to work and analyze mathematics problems
• Be prepared to participate in rich, professional dialogue about teaching and learning in mathematics

College Credit Available

What is problem solving? During this one-day interactive course, participants explore ways to create an appropriate math environment and understand their role as a problem solving facilitator. Educators solve routine and non-routine problems, focus on asking good questions, and discuss problem-solving strategies. This new, research-based professional development course enhances mathematics content knowledge, skills, and instructional strategies.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Learn to identify the differences between content standards and process standard
• Understand the difference between routine and non-routine word problems
• Practice problem-solving strategies along with the four-step problem-solving process
• Learn how to create an environment that encourages students to solve problems
• Become familiar with the routine problem types
• Learn and practice instructional strategies that increase student achievement in problem solving

College Credit Pending

This interactive, hands-on course will help teachers develop an understanding of how to help students achieve success in problem solving. Throughout the day, participants will experience teaching mathematics with a focus on multiple representations (verbal, concrete, pictorial, tabular, symbolic, and graphical). Mathematical ideas will be represented in many different formats. A variety of questions will be developed within each activity that elicits deep levels of mathematical understanding and proficiency.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Develop a working definition of problem solving
• Experience solving non-routine problems with a focus on genuine problem solving
• Select or develop a problem-solving strategy and use it to solve a problem involving finding a pattern and summing consecutive odd numbers
• Determine the role of problem solving in the mathematics they teach
• Experience how questioning strategies can improve student performance in problem solving
• Develop an understanding of the nature and function of questions related to increasing mathematical content knowledge

College Credit Pending

What is computational fluency? Why do children need to know addition and subtraction facts? What are the prerequisite skills for learning the facts? What strategies can help students add and subtract with flexibility and fluency? These questions will be explored during Computational Fluency: More than Just the Facts, Addition and Subtraction.

This interactive, hands-on course will help teachers develop an understanding of computational fluency, while learning how to improve students’ mathematical competencies and confidence. Participants will learn instructional strategies that support efficient methods of computation, promote use of number relationships, and develop fact fluency through multiple modalities.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Have an understanding of the meaning of computational fluency
• Apply multiple strategies for teaching addition/subtraction facts
• Recognize how to extend basic fact strategies to larger numbers
• Utilize these strategies when working with number sense, algebraic thinking, and mental math
• Practice strategies to help students gain automaticity with facts

College Credit Pending

What is computational fluency? Why do students need to know multiplication and division facts? What are the prerequisite skills for learning the facts? What strategies can help students multiply and divide with flexibility, fluency and number sense? These questions will be explored in Computational Fluency: More than Just the Facts, Multiplication and Division.

This interactive, hands-on course will help teachers develop an understanding of computational fluency, while learning how to improve students’ competency and confidence. Participants will learn instructional strategies that support efficient methods of computation, promote use of number relationships and develop strategies to help students gain fact fluency through multiple modalities.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Have an understanding of the meaning of computational fluency through multiple pathways
• Understand the concepts of multiplication and division, and strategies to teach the multiplication/division facts
• Recognize how to extend basic fact knowledge to larger numbers
• Integrate knowledge of multiplication and division computation to solving problems
• Apply strategies to help students gain automaticity

College Credit Pending

This interactive, hands-on course will help teachers learn how to effectively manage manipulatives and integrate them into the teaching of mathematics to help students build mathematical understanding and competence. Participants will discover the importance of using manipulatives to move children from concrete models to more abstract concepts.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Learn the importance of using manipulatives to help students develop mathematical ideas
• Learn effective ways to organize and manage manipulatives to insure the best use of time in the classroom
• Explore how manipulatives progress from whole group to small groups to independent practice
• Discover ways to use manipulatives to transition students from the concrete to the abstract to achieve understanding and higher level thinking
• Experience activities from all grade levels using a variety of manipulatives

College Credit Pending

In this engaging, hands-on course, participants will explore ways to enrich and extend mathematics instruction for the gifted and talented student. Participants will put into practice current research and theory on gifted learners through interactive, higher-level activities to meet the needs of these distinct learners. Participants will investigate and practice effective questioning strategies to enhance the learning of gifted students. Differentiated lessons and activities will be explored across the mathematical strands.

Length:
One day

Objectives:

• Examine the characteristics and behaviors of gifted math learners
• Develop effective questioning strategies to enhance mathematical understanding
• Explore critical thinking skills such as problem solving, reasoning, and communication to extend and deepen mathematical learning
• Apply and engage in strategies for differentiating instruction for the gifted learner

College Credit Pending

This three-day course provides participants with an introduction to web-based resources available for math specialists, as well as ways to integrate Internet-based activities into their classroom for the more net-savvy. Participants will review content-rich Web sites, online resources and tools, and collections of Internet activities. The course project will include the implementation of an Internet-based activity that meets your specific curricular needs. All participants will develop a student activity or project that can be used immediately in the classroom.

Length:
Three days

Participants must have access to a computer and the Internet.

Objectives:

• Develop effective instructional strategies for incorporating technology into instruction
• Understand the educational value of integrating technology
• Explore and analyze resources available online
• Create and share lesson plans that infuse technology into instruction and into student activities
• Locate, evaluate and organize Web sites according to instructional needs
• Locate Web sites that illustrate the use of higher-level, problem-solving skills
• Understand how to locate and/or develop Internet lesson plans
• Locate online content and resources that support local standards and project-based learning
• Locate and integrate inquiry-based projects
• Understand how to manage project-based learning in the classroom
• Explore the different types of project development tools
• Create one online activity or project

College Credit Pending

This course will provide participants with an introduction to web-based resources available for math specialists, as well as ways to integrate Internet-based activities into their classroom. Participants will review content-rich Web sites, online resources and tools, and collections of Internet activities. The course project will include the implementation of an Internet-based activity that meets specific curricular needs.

Length:
One day

Participants must have access to a computer and the Internet.

Objectives:

• Develop effective instructional strategies for incorporating technology into instruction
• Understand the educational value of integrating technology content in the Mathematics classroom
• Explore resources available online and begin analyzing resources for their use in the classroom
• Create and share lesson plans that infuse technology into instruction and into student activities