This year is tough - maybe even tougher than last year. Some of you have expressed concern about being "behind" the pacing guide. Let me just say - EVERYONE IS BEHIND. That's okay. This is an oddball year, and we are going to do the best we can. Our PRIMARY focus is the Number and Operations strand of our standards. That is the basis for all the rest of the strands so if you need to slow down a bit, do it. If you need help, please let me know. My entire job is to help make yours easier.

In service,

Jenn

Which One Doesn't Belong?

This is a great strategy to get kids talking about reasoning. In this strategy there is no ONE correct answer; it focuses on the reasoning and explanation. This strategy has a low floor entry so ALL students can participate, but it is also very high ceiling to help give our students a challenge.

Did I mention that this is little-to-no prep for you?

Check out the strategy! (Less than 5 minutes)

Many of us (yes, me) have used timed test to help our students learn basic facts. It wasn't until multiple research studies were done that we saw some of the down side of timed tests. Please consider these points about timed tests.

1. Timed tests measure automaticity, not fluency. At the elementary level, our goal is fluency. Fluency is "efficient, appropriate, and flexible application."

2. Timed tests cause such high levels of stress and anxiety that students are unable to process calculations. Research has shown that timed tests cause the working memory part of the brain to shut down - this is the part they need to answer the problems.

3. Children frequently exposed to timed tests demonstrated LOWER PROGRESS toward knowing facts from memory than their counterparts who had not experienced timed tests.

If you are working toward automaticity (memorization), let's take some notes from athletic coaches. Coaches don't have kids come to practice, perform one skill one time, and then send them home telling them to keep practicing. The coach helps them practice. Coaches practice skills with repetition: over and over and over. We are their coaches.

Still want to give proficiency tests? Consider the following:

• Removing the time factor (or extending it)
• Focus on correct answers.
• Have students set a goal of their own to "beat" (for correct answers).

The point is, we need to give opportunities for practice, not just time to test.

Below are some ways that we can encourage that repetition and practice in class.

Kids need to be able to visualize math. Need visual representations for adding, subtracting, multiplication, and division? We have them in our SAVVAS program. Take a look!

Check out the math tools that are available in Savvas. In the video below we are looking at the Bar Diagrams tool. It is so incredibly valuable!

The Central Oklahoma Math Teachers’ Circle welcomes math enthusiasts from across all grades to join us via a Zoom virtual meeting for a fun problem-solving activity on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, from 6:00-7:15 pm.

We’re excited to have Raj Shah with us to facilitate our activity. Raj is “on a mission to make math irresistible for all.” In fact, he has “spent the last decade finding, creating, and testing ways to get kids curious about math and to encourage them to engage in productive struggle.” He is a co-founder of the Global Math Project, created a video explaining the "new math", and has consulted and presented at numerous organizations! These are only a few highlights from his website, https://drrajshah.com/!

Join us for a great time while earning 1.25 hours of professional development. To be eligible for a PD certificate and to have a chance to win a door prize, you must remain until the end of the meeting. Please use the below link to register for the event.

Door prizes will be mailed to the winners, so please include an accurate mailing address on the registration form.

Central Oklahoma Math Teachers' Circle Meeting Registration - October 26, 2021

A link to join the virtual meeting will be sent to all registrants the day before the event. The meeting will open at 5:45 pm so that participants can familiarize themselves with Zoom and catch up with other participants. Registration closes on Sunday, October 24, at 11:30 pm.

Feel free to pass this email announcement along to your colleagues.

We hope to see you soon!

The Central Oklahoma MTC Leadership Team

Elementary Math and Science Coordinator

Email: jenniferlowery@mooreschools.com
Website: https://www.mooreschools.com/Page/553
Location: 1500 Southeast 4th Street, Moore, OK, USA
Phone: 405-735-4270