NCSM Conference Highlights - April 16, 2013

The National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics Conference

is filled with the 

Who's Who of Mathematics Teaching and Learning!

Julie McNamara's session, "Talking About Fractions: Helping All Students Engage in Mathematical Discourse" focused on reasoning and discourse. Her book Beyond Pizzas and Pies: 10 Essential Strategies for Supporting Fraction Sense is one of my favorite reads for professional learning in the teaching and learning of fractions. This work inspired a PL session I developed on understanding fractions.

Griffin RESA's shining star - Mary Elizabeth Mendenhall - facilitated the session, "Fraction Conversations: Effective Questioning and Technology Tools to Improve Instruction." She modeled productive talk moves while using the free fraction tools at www.conceptuamath.com.  Arjan Khalsa, the brainchild behind Conceptua Math, was also there! Feel free to contact him  at akhalsa@conceptuamath.com for more information.

The luncheon's featured speaker was a teacher from Jackson Public Schools (MS) - the home of my alma mater Jackson State University. Jennifer Wilson most recently was named by President Obama as a recipient of the prestigious Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching.







By far, the best part of the day was interacting with a variety of Math Stars -

• Lee V. Stiff (Professor of Mathematics Education and Associate Member of the Department of Mathematics at North Carolina State University, and past president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics)
• Francis "Skip" Fennell (internationally renowned expert in mathematics education and McDaniel College Professor)
• Bill McCallum (lead writer of the common core mathematics standards, and University Distinguished Professor of Mathematics and Head of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona)
• Ellen Whitesides (director of Common Core Projects at the University of Arizona)
• Mari Muri (senior mathematics consultant for the Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science at Wesleyan University)
• Debra Coggins ( mathematics education consultant and author of the book she's holding)
• Miriam A. Leiva (founding president of TODOS:  Mathematics for ALL)

There's so much more to share...I'll be back with more updates...