Keynote Speakers

This session is generously being sponsored by ATOMI, an exhibitor at the conference.

Dr. Valerie Camille-Jones

Dr. Valerie Camille Jones was recently honored with the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, which is America’s highest honor in math and science for teachers. In the fall of 2015, Dr. Jones was also recognized by Congressman John Lewis at the 114th Congress 1st Session. For over 18 years, Dr. Jones has served her country and the people of metropolitan Atlanta. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics at Spelman College and continued her studies by earning master's and doctoral degrees in Mathematics Education from Georgia State University and Columbia University respectively.

Dr. Jones is greatly respected for her creative approach in making the most difficult subjects accessible and tangible to her students. Dr. Jones teaches her students how to effectively use mathematical models as communication tools. In the classroom, she develops art and video game simulations to connect students to math and coordinates field trips to provide real-life examples of the influence of math. Dr. Jones is a champion of promoting math esteem in general. Currently, she teaches at the Ron Clark Academy in Atlanta, Georgia.

Please visit her website at https://www.drvcjones.com/

This session is generously being sponsored by Durham College and Ontario Tech University, an exhibitor at the conference.

Nat Banting

Nat Banting is a classroom mathematics teacher with Saskatoon Public Schools who blogs about teaching math at natbanting.com/blog and tweets as @NatBanting. He also enjoys working as a lecturer in math education programs at St. FX University and the University of Saskatchewan. Recently, he received a 2021 Prime Minister’s Certificate of Excellence in STEM, and in 2019 the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences awarded him the Margaret Sinclair Memorial Award recognizing innovation and excellence across Canadian mathematics education. When he is not working in math education, you can usually find Nat spending time with his kids, on his gravel bike, or in a rink coaching young goaltenders.

Featured Speakers

Jason To

To currently serves as the mathematics coordinator at the Toronto District School Board, where he plays a role in developing the strategic direction for mathematics improvement efforts in Canada's largest school board and works alongside K-12 educators to deepen mathematics and pedagogical content knowledge for teaching. Jason also works alongside educators across Ontario to address structures and practices related to academic streaming and set the conditions to support more equitable, inclusive and culturally responsive teaching, particularly in mathematics. Jason serves as a regular guest instructor at York University and the University of Toronto, presents at provincial and international mathematics conferences, and has consulted with over 25 Ontario school boards on destreaming, anti-racism, and inclusion in mathematics education. Jason was part of the Ontario Ministry of Education's writing team for the 2021 destreamed Grade 9 mathematics curriculum.

For his contributions to mathematics reform in Ontario, Jason received the 2021 Ontario Mathematics Coordinators Association (OMCA) award for Excellence and Innovation in Mathematics Education and the 2022 OAME Award for Leadership in Mathematics Education. He also currently serves as the Past President of OMCA and on the OAME Board of Directors.Jason is a co-author of the TDSB and Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario collaborative document "Addressing Anti-Asian Racism: A Resource for Educators," York University's "Equity and Human Rights in Special Education: Critical Reflective Practice Guide," and "My Best Idea: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy," published by Rubicon.

Let’s Get This Straight: Making Sense of the Explicit vs. Inquiry-Based Instruction Discourse and What it Means for Your Math Teaching

With an intensifying spotlight on mathematics teaching and an expanding focus on the “science of learning,” the debate between explicit and inquiry-based instruction has reignited. But should it be a debate at all? What are the merits and pitfalls of these approaches? What does the research from various fields say, and what are the implications for teacher practice? Join Jason To for an interactive session to deepen your understanding of the issues and why certain math teaching practices work (or don’t) so that you can be more deliberate about your math teaching.

Lisa Lunney-Borden

Lisa Lunney Borden is a Professor in the Faculty of Education who holds the John Jerome Paul Chair for Equity in Mathematics Education striving to improve outcomes in mathematics for Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian youth. Lisa is a three-time graduate of StFX. As an undergraduate student at StFX, Lisa began volunteering with X-Project which led her to a teaching career in We’koqma’q First Nation where she spent ten years as a secondary mathematics teacher, a vice-principal and principal, as well as the provincial mathematics leader for all Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey schools in Nova Scotia. Lisa credits her students and the Mi’kmaw community for inspiring her to think differently about mathematics education which continues to shape her work today. She is committed to research and outreach that focuses on decolonizing mathematics education through culturally based practices and experiences that are rooted in Indigenous languages and knowledge systems. She is a sought-after speaker nationally and internationally and has a passion for working with teachers and their students. Lisa has helped to create the Show Me Your Math program that inspired thousands of Mi’kmaw youth to share the mathematical reasoning inherent in their own community contexts, and an outreach program called Connecting Math to Our Lives and Communities that brings similar ideas to Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian youth as an afterschool and summer program. She currently serves as the president of the Canadian Mathematics Education Study Group and sits on the Canadian Mathematical Society’s reconciliation committee.

Robert Durocher

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. As an Instructional Leader, Robert led professional learning making connections between storytelling, land-based learning, the arts, and engagement in mathematics. 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.

Dr. Jo Boaler

Dr. Jo Boaler is the Nomellini Olivier Professor of Education at Stanford University. Former roles have included being the Marie Curie Professor of Mathematics Education in England, and a mathematics teacher in London comprehensive schools. She is author of 19 books, numerous articles and a White House presenter on women and girls. Her latest book is: Math-ish:Finding Creativity, Diversity and Meaning in Mathematics. published by Harper Collins. She co-founded www.youcubed.org to give teachers, parents and students the resources they need to excite students about mathematics. She was one of the writing team for the 2023 California Mathematics Framework, is co-leading a K-12 Data Science Initiative and was named as one of the 8 educators “changing the face of education” by the BBC.

Vanessa Vakharia

Known as the Lady Gaga of math education, Vanessa is the founder and director of The Math Guru, a super cool boutique math & science tutoring studio in Toronto that's changing stereotypes about what math education looks like. She is also the host of the Math Therapy podcast, author of the Math HacksScholastic book series, and lead singer/keytarist for rock band Goodnight Sunrise. She has her Bachelor of Commerce, Teaching Degree, and Masters of Math Education. She appears regularly on national television and news outlets as an expert in math education and math positivity, and her #goals are to be Oprah-level-famous and to totally change math culture so that STEM is finally as cool as every single Taylor Swift song ever written. She failed Grade 11 math twice, which was the best thing that ever happened to her.

Math Therapy: How to help students overcome their fear of math!

This session is all about the F-word that’s likely holding your students back in math: F-E-A-R. If you’re ready to stop talking about bandaid solutions to manage math anxiety in the moment, and start learning how to help students overcome it for good – this session is for YOU! Get ready to learn about the dynamics of fear, understand the exact way it manifests into math anxiety and triggers math trauma in the classroom, and gain impactful strategies you can use RIGHT away to break the cycle of fear, anxiety, and avoidance. This session will totally transform your understanding of math anxiety and empower you to help ALL students build healthier relationships with math!

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