APRIL 27-28, 2023
Keynote Speakers & Featured Speakers
Keynote Speakers
Dan Finkel is the Founder of Math for Love, a Seattle-based organization devoted to transforming how math is taught and learned. Dan develops curriculum, leads teacher workshops, and gives talks on mathematics and education nationally and internationally. His TEDx Talk, 5 Principles of Extraordinary Math Teaching, has been viewed over a million times.
Dan’s curriculum has been used by thousands of students, and is known for its combination of rigor and play. The math games he co-created with his wife, Katherine Cook, have won over 20 awards. They include Prime Climb, Tiny Polka Dot, and Multiplication by Heart.
@MathforLove
How Mathematicians Play: Creating a Culture of Ownership, Rigor, and Joy in Math Class (Keynote)
Description: Play is one of the most effective ways to explore new ideas. But play without thoughtful structure won’t help us to achieve our teaching goals. We need boundaries and strategies to promote meaningful exploration and help students develop true mathematical understanding. By looking at how mathematicians play, we can offer students an invitation to genuine mathematical thinking and ownership. We’ll explore some specific routines and tools, particularly conjectures and counterexamples, that can transform classroom culture and make rigorous, joyful play a driving force in math class.
Deborah Loewenberg Ball is the William H. Payne Collegiate Professor of education at the University of Michigan, an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor, a research professor in the Institute for Social Research, and the director of TeachingWorks. She taught elementary school for more than 15 years and continues to teach children every summer. Ball’s research focuses on the practice of teaching, using elementary mathematics as a critical context for investigating the challenges of building relationships with children and helping children develop agency and understanding, and on leveraging the power of teaching to disrupt racism, marginalization, and inequity. She has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Education, and is a fellow of the American Mathematical Society and the American Educational Research Association.
@deborah_ball
Dichotomies No More: (Em)Powering Mathematics Teaching
Across the history of mathematics education “reform,” the pendulum has swung back and forth and perpetuated false dichotomies, and ultimately just re-forms practice. Basics or problem solving? Mathematics for “all” or culturally relevant? Direct instruction or student-centered classrooms? Equity or rigor? This keynote will argue for and illustrate concretely a path forward that moves past these caricatures. I will focus on the development of teaching practice that resists dichotomies and that centers students’ learning of significant and broadened mathematics and is sensitive to the relational work of teaching and the positive development of students’ identities.
Dr. Rochelle Gutierrez' scholarship focuses on issues of identity and power in mathematics education, paying particular attention to how race, class, and language affect teaching and learning. Through in-depth analyses of effective teaching/learning communities and longitudinal studies of developing and practicing teachers, her work challenges deficit views of students who are Latinx, Black, and Indigenous and suggests that mathematics teachers need to be prepared with much more than just content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, or knowledge of diverse students if they are going to be successful. They need political knowledge. Her current research projects focus upon: developing in pre-service teachers the knowledge and disposition to teach powerful mathematics to urban students; the roles of uncertainty, tensions, and "Nepantla" in teaching; and the political knowledge (and forms of creative insubordination) that mathematics teachers need to effectively "rehumanize" mathematics in an era of high-stakes education. She also builds upon Indigenous principles and has argued for a new form of mathematics where humans are no longer centered. This form of mathematics is referred to as living mathematx.
@RG1gal
Towards Becoming a Good Ancestor in Mathematics
Many people continue to experience mathematics as a cold, disconnected field, free of culture, or real meaning in their everyday lives. Yet, at this moment of the Black Lives Matter movement, climate justice, trans and queer rights, Indigenous land rights, and inequitable access to health care during COVID, we are being called to question the role of mathematics in supporting us to get free, to live a life that is healthy and sustainable. Pausing to take in this moment, this session will invite the audience to shift how they are thinking about learning, teaching, mathematics, and futures. That is, how do we move from the “sociopolitical” to also embrace the “spiritual” aspect of our collective work, of the ways mathematics can help us put ourselves back together, find our ways home? And, in this work, what are the roles of teachers, coaches, administrators, and others in building Indigenous and liberatory futures?
Featured Speakers
Marian Small
Featured Session
10 Steps Toward Empowering Our Students Mathematically
I think it may be time to stop taking baby steps and start taking giant steps toward empowering our students mathematically. Incremental change just has not gotten us where we want to be.
I propose 10 steps that you, as the teacher, can take that I am sure will really make a difference in your students’ attitude toward math and facility in math.
If you’re curious, you’ll have to come join me for this session
Biography
Marian Small writes and speaks about K-12 math across the country. Her focus is on teacher questioning to get at the important math, to include all students, and to focus on critical thinking and creativity.
Some resources she has written include MathUp, Making Math Meaningful for Canadian Students: K-8, Good Questions: A Great Way to Differentiate Math Instruction, More Good Questions: A Great Way to Differentiate Secondary Mathematics Instruction, Open Questions for Three- Part Lessons, Do They Really Understand?
She is the main contributor to a digital math professional development magazine, M magazine (https://www.mzine.ca/home/).
Heather Wark
Knowledge is Power: 4 things teachers need to know about teaching fractions through problem solving that can transform student understanding.
Historically, teaching fractions is one of the areas of mathematics education that has been taught in such a way that students are required to memorize concepts and procedures without deep understanding. Systematically approaching this topic through problem solving will allow students to begin with things
they know and construct new knowledge in layers of deep understanding. In this session we will explore critical mathematical and pedagogical knowledge for teaching fractions through problem solving that make this transformational change possible. By focusing on problem types, number selection, key ideas and questioning, teachers can empower themselves and reshape student outcomes.
Biography
Heather Wark has been working as an educator in Ontario since 2003 with experience working with students in all elementary grades. She began working on her Masters Degree in 2010 with Dr. Alex Lawson as her thesis supervisor and mentor. Upon completion of her Masters Heather transitioned to contract work at Lakehead University as a member of Dr. Lawsons’ P/J math team. Alongside this work, Heather also travels with Alex and on her own to facilitate Professional Development for teachers. Heather is also currently collaborating with Alex on research in the area of the development of multiplicative reasoning. When she isn’t working, you can usually find Heather enjoying her teenage daughters’ hobbies of artistic swimming or horseback riding, or her own hobby of dog agility training.
Anthony Meli
EMPOWERING Teachers to Transform Assessment
Abstract: As teachers embrace greater inclusion in math classes (e.g. destreamed courses, [post]pandemic classrooms), there are certain strategies that can be used to promote success for all students. Among those, none are more important than assessment. This session will break down 3 key differentiated assessment principles which can be used immediately to foster success, not only in a destreamed class, but in any class. Teachers should feel EMPOWERED to adopt assessment strategies which measure what students know, rather than what they don’t.
Jason To
Bios
Anthony Meli is a math teacher at Lakeshore Collegiate Institute. He is also a Hybrid Teacher Coach, which allows him to teach high school students and also work with teachers across the Toronto District School Board every day. He’s been teaching math for more than 26 years and is passionate about student success and using technology to engage learners and facilitate understanding. He is focused on inclusive classroom strategies and making learning at grade level accessible for all students.
Jason To serves as the Coordinator of Secondary Mathematics and Academic Pathways for the Toronto District School Board where he works alongside K-12 staff to tackle academic streaming and shift towards more equitable, inclusive and culturally responsive teaching, particularly in mathematics. As a math department head, he began destreaming in 2015 by teaching inclusive, Academic-only Grade 9 math classes, leading to significant gains for students, especially those with special education identifications. Jason believes that anti-racist, anti-oppressive and inclusive approach to mathematics education is needed to fulfill the promise of a critically numerate citizenry.
Octavia Beckles
Session
Transforming the Game: Mathematics for Empowerment and Liberation
“Students need to learn math so that they can get a good job.” This is a common narrative communicated about mathematics by educators and through curriculum. While this may be true, it is an incomplete story. Justice oriented education requires a radical reframing of why math is important and what mathematics is used for. During this learning, participants will be encouraged to critically reflect on their beliefs about mathematics, the privilege math holds as a discipline and within society and what it means to decolonize mathematics teaching and learning. Mathematics is not only a content area, it is a lens for interacting, interpreting and understanding the world, thus mathematics education must be re-humanized and embraced as a tool for empowerment and liberation.
Bio
Octavia is a York Region District School Board educator currently serving in the role of a Mathematics Consultant. In her current role, Octavia supports system wide implementation of culturally responsive comprehensive mathematics programs that reflect students' identities and lived experiences. She has been leading and facilitating professional learning on equity in mathematics and has been featured in key learning through ETFO, OAME, and school districts provincially. Octavia encourages educators to critically examine mathematics curriculum and the ways learners are engaged through an anti-colonial, anti-oppressive and anti-racist lens. She is also an Equity Reviewer with the Ministry of Education. Octavia is committed to building educators’ capacity to identify barriers and rehumanize mathematics to create opportunities for all students to be successful. She believes that teaching and learning is best achieved when children see themselves reflected in the learning and that nurturing positive identity-affirming spaces for children to thrive empowers them to reach their full potential.
Lindsay Gold
Session
Reimagining Mathematics Education Across the Grade Levels
Students from a young age decide in the elementary years if they are "math people." Much of this is due to experiences in the classroom that reinforced this notion. Our job as mathematics educators is to inspire and empower them to realize we are ALL math people! I believe in teaching mathematics at any grade level in a way that engages the learner in authentic materials, problem solving, technology, and collaboration. There is math beyond a worksheet! In this talk, I will share my experiences when introducing Geometry and Measurement concepts to elementary students through coding and focus on strategies that can be used to encourage real world connections, incorporate social-emotional learning, and make learning math fun at any age!
Bio
Lindsay A. Gold, Ph.D., is an associate professor of STEM Mathematics in the Teacher Education department at the University of Dayton. She previously taught first, fourth, and fifth grades in the elementary setting and for Sinclair Community College in the Developmental Mathematics department. She earned her B.S. in Elementary Education and M.S. in Educational Leadership from the University of Dayton, and her Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, Mathematics Education at Ohio University. Her research interests include pre-service teacher education, teacher education, STEAM, financial literacy, teaching with technology, and professional development.
Shantel Clark
Session
Building a Culture of High Expectations using Story
In this featured session I will share stories as a Vice Principal and how documenting our learning journey as a K-8 school community is critical to developing a culture of high expectations for both staff and students. How can we see where we’re going if we don’t know where we’ve been? Through a series of examples, I will share how our school began including CRRP in mathematics and learned it is a critical piece for student success. I will also share how our leap into learning from the land with outdoor education experiences has provided an entry point for all learners in math and many other subjects. Key ideas that will be shared include principles of Universal Design for Learning, the role of school-based supports in our learning journey and the importance of relevant and responsive pedagogy supported by community partnerships.
Bio
Shantel Clark is the Vice Principal of two schools in the Grand Erie District School Board. She has been a VP for 4 years and taught from Grade 6 to Grade 11 as a science/STEAM teacher. She was a Department Head before becoming a Vice-Principal where she first began using Apple technology to support her team as a lead leader. In her current role as VP she helps to oversee the instructional program in elementary (K-8). She is also a life-long learner and is currently taking courses to learn more about Indigenous Education and Special Education.
hema khodai
Session: Identity-Affirming Mathematics
The structures and spaces we teach and learn in are imbued with power. Individual and collective experiences in schools are tinged by policies and procedures that suppress agency and creativity. What then does it mean to be mathematical beings who seek to encounter identity-affirming mathematics rooted in love, joy, and a shared humanity?
Bio
Hema is an experienced educator with the Peel District School Board. She started her career teaching mathematics at the secondary level and is now the cross-curricular lead of equity and inclusive education at Mississauga Secondary School. She is dedicated to creating anti-oppressive learning spaces for learners and educators and shares her insightful reflections on belonging in the teaching and learning of mathematics at conferences across Turtle Island.
Robert Durocher
Session
Learning Math From the Land, Art and Environment: Holistic Considerations.
Stories of Math: Storytelling and (w)holism
What is the role of stories in the learning, teaching and engagement with mathematics? This session centres stories and storytelling as a (w)holistic approach to mathematics education. Maths is in us, it is around us and is interconnected to the land, air, water, plants and animals, and there are stories connected to this to rethink the ways in which maths is taught and learned. During this session, participants will connect to their own stories of mathematics, and look at the ways artists and designers tell stories of maths through their creations. To deepen understanding of storytelling and mathematics, we will look at (w)holistic approaches to co-creating maths learning spaces that consider the heart, spirit, body and mind.
Bio
Robert Durocher (Métis/French, he/him) is currently Centrally Assigned Vice-Principal, Indigenous Education at the Urban Indigenous Education Centre (Toronto District School Board) where he was also an Instructional Leader. Previous to this, he was a K-12 Learning Coach where part of the work engaged educators to look at equity and anti-oppression in their maths practices. Robert was seconded to York University’s Faculty of Education, Bachelor of Education program, and before this had joy as a classroom teacher. Robert is also an artist, and encourages engaging students in learning through the arts for well-being and engagement.
Cathy Marks Krpan
Session
Just Because a Student Does not Share, does not Mean Their Brain is not Thinking!
We want all K-8 learners to engage fully in the learning and celebration of mathematics.
However, just because a student does not raise their hand does not mean that they are not thinking deeply about their learning. Some students may feel that their mathematical ideas are not “good enough” to share. In addition, some students may engage differently with the content. It is critical that our students are able to access different paths to share their ideas and participate fully in the learning process. This may include modifying what we understand engagement to look like and sound like in our mathematics classrooms. During this session, we will consider how to value and promote the diversity of student engagement in order to empower learners to explore mathematical ideas and take risks in their thinking.
Bio
A former classroom teacher and district education consultant, Cathy Marks Krpan is a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education where she teaches graduate courses in mathematics education. Cathy often presents to educators and school districts across North America, Asia, and Europe on effective teaching and learning strategies in mathematics. Her current research projects focus on the development of argumentation in elementary
classrooms and the implementation of think-alouds to deepen student learning. An award-winning author and educator, Cathy’s recent publication, Teaching Math with Meaning, explores practical ways to foster teacher and student self-efficacies in mathematics. She enjoys conducting research in classrooms and districts alongside teachers, students, and curriculum leaders. Cathy is the recipient of the 2021 Margaret Sinclair Award.