Tangent Times January 2017
DPS Secondary Mathematics Newsletter
6-12 Mathematics
Here's to New Year's Resolutions!
1. Spice up a corner of your wall. Whether it is adding an interactive vocabulary wall, displaying exemplars, or anchor charts, students benefit from visual reminders of the math concepts that are being taught.
2. Use data to your advantage - know each of your student's projections and help them make goals for their learning.
3. Try a new seating arrangement. Create a new lesson that requires either a small group activity, stations, or centering the focus for the class.
4. Provide conversation tools for students. These cue cards can provide students with question starters when working with their group.
5. Add one organizational procedure to your daily routine. Designate a place for absentees to pick up missed work and notes. Set up folders for class students to pick up warm-ups or drop off exit tickets. Or, guide students in routine to access their textbooks and calculators.
Exit Tickets
Here are some examples that have been created just for you:
Register for Spring Session of Instructor-Led Online Courses
Mark your calendars! Our Spring session of facilitated online courses will be open for registration Monday, Dec. 19. Below is the list of instructor–facilitated online courses being offered by Educator Effectiveness, NCDPI for the session starting in February, and one beginning in January. Our facilitated courses provide the opportunity to interact with peers and an instructor along with high-quality professional development. They combine the flexibility of working from anywhere at any time, and the benefits of working with a cohort of peers. All but one of the courses will start Monday, Feb. 6. Registration opens Monday, Dec. 19 and is limited to 35 participants per section. Go to DPI's Online Professional Development website for more detailed information about courses. Register here. Beginning January 9 Beginning February 6
Discovery Education Videos and Support Materials
Steps:
- Go to de.dpsnc.net
- Under "My DE Services" tab, select "Streaming Plus"
- Select the "grade 9-12"
- Select "Mathematics"
- Select the "Subject"
- Filter through the selections.
Round-up of Important Ideas and Research in K-12 Education
This week's quotes and articles come from American Educational Research Journal, Phi Delta Kappan (more next week), Principal Leadership, The Atlantic, American Educational Research Journal, Teachers College Record, and Review of Educational Research (more next week). The headlines:
- Mike Schmoker and three focus areas
- Carol Dweck on fine-tuning the growth mindset
- Maximizing high-quality teacher planning time
- Effective and ineffective teacher teamwork on the Common Core
- What gets professional learning communities working well?
- Research findings on ability grouping and acceleration
If you want an HTML version of this week's Memo, please click here:
http://www.marshallmemo.com/issue.php?I=10b05a4e5f96b9bd878f37452fbcbac3
To listen to a podcast of last week's issue (#667), please click here:
Mini-Grants: Support for Your Classroom
This program will provide funds for special projects and research that will enhance the teaching, learning, and enjoyment of mathematics. There is no preconceived criterion for projects except that students should receive an on-going benefit from the grant.
Available to full, current members of NCCTM, the mini-grants are awarded by each of the three regional organizations to members within their geographic boundaries. A total of $18,000 is available each year for the state’s mini-grants, with each region awarding approximately $6000 in grants to its members. In recent years the average award has been just under $850.
Deadline: January 15
Download the directions and coversheet [PDF, MSWord]
You will receive an email confirmation once your proposal has been received. If you do not receive a confirmation within one week, it is your responsibility to follow-up with the Mini-grant Coordinator.
Proposals selected for funding will receive their funds as soon as possible after the state conference.
Questions? Email Sandra Childrey at schildrey@wcpss.net.
If you are not currently a member of NCCTM (not to be confused with NCTM), visit the Membership Information page to find out how to join and plan to apply for a mini-grant.
Summer Working Opportunity - Take 2 Summer Program
Grades 6-8
Kwame Lewis- Neal MS
A Message Worth Sharing!
Megan Edwards- Neal MS
The "GROW" Network Tours
The GROW NETWORK is a collaborative support that focuses on best instructional practices. It establishes a structure for teachers to learn from each other and to work together to elevate their teaching practices. Each tour will consist of three classroom observations. The touring teachers will travel between schools, as necessary.
If you are interested in being a part of the GROW Network, please register so a visit schedule can be created. You will be given a date of participation where you will be with other teachers who will be observing along with you. Observation time will be embedded in the school day to discuss with the observed teachers as to how their strategies and instructional practices impacted student learning.
The three specific areas of focus for these rounds will be:
1. Instructional practices and use of DPS Resources
2. Student Engagement/Discourse
3. Teacher Facilitation/Classroom Environment
If you are interested in observing other classes, complete this short form.
Women and Mathematics Mentoring (WAM)
Many Thanks to the 2017 Participating Schools:
Brogden (16), Carrington (9), DSA (1), Githens (8), Lakewood (7), Lowe's Grove (7)
Lucas (1), Roger Herr (6), Shepard (7)
Please let any student know that if they were unable to attend Kick-off, their mentor will still be in contact with them. :)
Open Up Resources for Middle School Math
Open Up Resources -- the nonprofit developer of free open educational resources authored by Illustrative Mathematics is working with NC to bring you access to vetting the materials.
We've arranged two webinars that offer an overview of the math program and related support services. Register for the webinar that works best for your schedule; if neither option is convenient, reach out regarding alternate times.
· Tuesday, January 10, 1 p.m.: Register
· Friday, January 13, 10 a.m.: Register
At the conclusion of the webinar, participants will receive a login to access the materials for deeper review.
For questions, please contact:
Stephanie Myers
National Field Leader - Math
Open Up Resources
stephanie.myers@openup.orgDPS Math Counts Competition
On January 20th, DPS will have its District MathCounts competition (Prior to regionals). We want YOUR SCHOOL represented there!. All you have to do is sign your students up! Students that EXCEL at Mathematics are encouraged to participate. We would like to provide our Mathletes the opportunity to network, problem solve, play games and meet other Math Fanatics in our District.
What do you need to ?
-Round up a team of 6-10 interested Mathletes to represent your school on January 20th for the DPS MathCounts and join us this year!
-The Team Coach should register all member at https://goo.gl/forms/M7axe560gCalP9uN2 (if you have more than 10 submit two forms)
In preparation for our event I need two pieces of information.
1. Who is your school’s MathCounts Coach/Contact?
2. Has your school registered their MathCounts team for the DPS MathCounts? (All schools are asked to participate in our District MathCounts.)
3. If your school plans to compete in our Regional competition(with other districts), you will need to register at https://www.mathcounts.org/ If you chose to participate in the regional, I will cover registration. (Forward your invoice once you are registered)
Information regarding MathCounts was sent out to the AIG specialists in November by Beth Cross and went to all Math Teachers, IFs, and Principals via the Math newsletter “Tangent Times”.
Please let all parents of AIG students know as well. As soon as you know your school’s contact, please email me ASAP.
We realize this is a VERY busy time of year but we want each school to have the opportunity to shine!
Thanks so much!
Friday, Jan 20, 2017, 08:30 AM
DPS Staff Development Center, Hillandale Road, Durham, NC, United States
Best Practice- CDA Error Analysis Gallery Walk
As promised, we have a collection of questions that are commonly missed by DPS students on CDAs.
Here are the PPTs to support corrective instruction:
Always have students discuss the commonly selected incorrect answer.
Why was this chosen? We want to have students doing error analysis as well. These items will appear on the next CDA again for a post analysis of student understanding.
Kristina Clayton, 8th Grade teacher @DSA says:
"DSA Math8 is displaying the most missed questions around our classroom and doing a gallery walk. We are planning to do this before our students take the Case21 Midterm. I have attached the worksheet we are using if you’d like to share with others in the district, you have our permission."
Lynne Brady, 8th Grade teacher @Githens says:
"I'm sharing the Math 8 CDA 3 Mail Merge Data Tracker. The review skills, I grouped instead of having each one in isolation. So feel free to edit and share!"
Don't forget to update all of your Spreadsheets and use the Data Analysis sheet to develop small groups for re-teaching.
Access to the Teacher’s Toolbox materials can be found at: https://www.teacher-toolbox.com/
These materials can be used for working with students on grade level instruction. You also have access to elementary content for scaffolding and differentiation (as needed).
Best Practice- Grid for Your LIFE!
As we approach the middle of the year, it is important to make gridding a DAILY exercise. Students often struggle with this practice and may get questions on the EOG incorrect simply because of incorrect gridding. In our Shared Google drive, within each course, you will find Bell Ringers which provide daily gridded response practice.
Here are a few other resources to support:
Gridded Response Practice Activity and Gridded Response Practice Sheets
- End-of-Grade Mathematics Grades 6-8 Practice Activity
- Gridded Response Grades 6-8 Practice Sheet
- Gridded Response Grades 6-8 Practice Sheet (6 grids)
Stacy Palen, 6th grade teacher @Rogers Herr has a "What's Wrong With My Grid" area posted at the front of her room. (see pic above) Gridding is reviewed in the form of "ERROR Analysis". Great Best Practice Ms. Palen!
Activities with Rigor and Coherence: Triangle Congruence through Transformations
Description: The Common Core State Standards for Geometry develop the traditional "shortcuts" for proving that two triangles are congruent through transformations, using the definition of congruence that two triangles are congruent if and only if there exist a series of rigid motions mapping one onto the other. This arc uses a series of games, hands-on activities, and interactive online tools to help students:
- Build up intuition about the relationship between triangle congruence, transformation, and corresponding parts.
- Experiment with different possible shortcuts and confirm which seem to guarantee congruence every time, and which require additional conditions.
- Prove the triangle congruence shortcuts (SSS, ASA, and SAS) using transformations/rigid motions.
http://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/ARCs/Triangle-Congruence/
Planning for Meaningful Student Discourse for Middle Schools
On November 9th we had a packed house at SDC for our "Planning for Meaningful Student Discourse for Middle Schools" session. Part 2 will be held on Monday, February 6th. It will be a FULL DAY session this time (based on your feedback from the previous session). Please confirm that you may attend with your Principal and complete the request for sub in AESOP. If you have not yet signed up to attend, please do so in TNL ASAP. I will be covering the substitute and providing a light breakfast (real, real light). :) Lunch will be on your own.
Here are the details in TNL:
Course #: 6090
Course Title:DPS 2016-2017 Sec Math - Planning for Meaningful Student Discourse for Middle Schools
Course Description:Goal: Increase the use of the DPS MS MATH Adopted Learning Resources to increase student discourse, student centered instruction, and rich mathematics.
• Teachers will have the benefit in working with a Carnegie Learning trainer to help navigate the problem-based text to help maximize student engagement and comprehension.
Middle School Teacher Academy- Spring 2017
Want some time to plan with other teachers in the district? Well - look no further! Join the Middle School Teacher Academy community to connect, support, and strengthen your teaching and collaborative skills. The goal of each teacher academy session is to plan collaborative lessons for effective classroom instruction. As an artifact of your work, you will create a series of lesson plans and commit to implementing these lessons in class.
In order to bolster attendance, teachers will be paid $50 for each two-hour after-school session. MSTA is led by content colleagues and will focus on lesson planning, developing formative assessments, and effective EOG practices.
If you chose to participate, a commitment must be made to actively attend all sessions and to be on time.Tentative PLC Session Dates:
Thursdays
March 2nd - Orientation
March 9th, 16th, 23rd, 30th
April 6th - work sessions
During the first week, teachers must attend the orientation session on Thursday, March 2nd to receive critical information necessary to prepare them for the following week’s session. Our two-hour work sessions begin Thursday, March 9th and conclude Thursday, April 6th from 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Location TBD.
If you are interested or have questions about the project, let me know! It's a great growth experience!
Chanel Sidbury tacara.sidbury@dpsnc.net
Grades 9-12
Reminder - Grading for NC Math 2 and NC Math 3
On October 6, Durham’s Board of Education approved to waive the 20% required final exam calculation for NC Math II and NC Math III. In response, teachers will need to adjust the PowerSchool percentages for the overall report cards to reflect the “no-final exam” calculation in the PowerSchool gradebook. For both courses, grading would be calculated as follows:
- Semester course: 50% Term 1 and 50% Term
- Year-long course: 25% Term 1, 25% Term 2, 25% Term 3, and 25% Term 4
While there are other ways to calculate a mathematical equivalent final grade, teachers are to follow the percentages as laid out above. (For example, teachers are not to calculate the average of Term 1 and Term 2 and place this in the “final exam” cell. This would incorrectly indicate on the transcript that the student took a final exam.)
Extra, Extra, Read all About It...Math 1 Pretest is available on SchoolNet
DPS HS Math 1 Pretest 2016-17 [1185060]
Questions #1 - 8 are calculator inactive and Questions #9 - 40 are calculator active. The balance of questions was based on the state's Test Specifications.
Have you noticed...
SREB'S Essentials of College Mathematics - Here for Another Year
Test Prep Student Classes - ACT and SAT
- Available to High School Juniors
- Two available sessions (Staff Development Center or Hillside High School)
- 12 hours
- $20 cost which includes the Official ACT Prep Guide
- Hosted by the Community Education Department
- Available to High School Juniors and Seniors
- Three available sessions (Riverside, Northern, or Durham School of the Arts)
- 12 hours
- $20 cost which includes the Official SAT Study Guide
- Hosted by the Community Education Department
Registration is limited so let your students know as soon as possible,
Professional Development Opportunities
Friday Institute's MOOC-Ed Course on Statistics
Archived Just-In-Time Sessions from DPI
All documents, presentations and videos can be located in the Google Folder.
Recorded session from the Fall.
- Function (Sept)
- Exponential Functions (Oct)
- Quadratic Functions (Nov)
- Statistics (Dec)
- Geometric Transformations (Sept)
- Square Root and Inverse Variation Functions (Oct)
- Right Triangle Trigonometry (Nov)
- Probability (Dec)
- Exponential & Logarithmic Functions (Sept)
- Modeling with Geometry (Oct)
- Rational Functions (Nov)
- Trigonometric Functions (Dec)
Canvas for HS Math Collaboratory
All North Carolina High School Math teachers have been added to a DPI Canvas course for HS math implementation (a pilot course). Directions to enter the Canvas site have been included. You can also access the account through the NCEdCloud (IAM).
If you cannot get in, please email Nina Barrett (Nina.Barrett@dpi.nc.gov) .
EOC NC Math 1 Teacher Academy
Who: DPS Math 1 teachers
Dates: Sessions - February 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16 (Orientation February 9)
Times: 4:30 - 6:30
Location: Staff Development Center on Hillandale Road
What: Teachers will create lesson plans that focus on personalized goals which they will be using in the upcoming week. While they follow those plans, they will reflect and be given colleague feedback. Each week, teachers will then create another plan, implement the lesson, and then reflect and adjust for the following lesson. In addition to the powerful professional development where teachers will develop their craft, participants will receive $50 per attended session.
Sign up: Complete the short form tinyurl.com/dpsmathpd.
DPS Learning Tours for Math 1 Teachers
A Learning Tour is a job embedded professional learning that focuses on best instructional practices. It establishes a structure for teachers to learn and work collaboratively to elevate instructional planning and practice across the District. Each tour will consist of two classroom observations. The touring teachers will travel between schools, as necessary.
If you are interested in observing (or hosting) a Math 1 class, please register so a visit schedule can be created. You will be given a date where you will participate with up to three other teachers who will be observing two other teachers. Time will be embedded in the day to discuss with the observed teachers as to how their strategies and instructional practices impacted student learning. The three specific areas of focus for these rounds will be:
1. Instructional planning
2. Bell to bell instruction
3. Classroom Environment
If you are interested in observing other classes, complete this short form.
Early Release Best Practices for Math 1, Math 2, and Math 3
We will be meeting at the Southern School of Energy and Sustainability (800 Clayton Rd, Durham, NC 27703).
Hour 1: Exploring EVAAS - create Custom Student Reports to determine student projections; Use student reports to help determine more strengths and areas of needs for individual students.
Hour 2: Course specific PLCs for NC Math 1, NC Math 2, and NC Math 3. Teachers will get in their respective courses to discuss what worked well from the Fall and what to focus on in the Spring semester.
If you would like to attend, sign up on Truenorthlogic "Early Release Best Practices for High School Content" (Session 8671).