The Advanced Algebra/Finance Connection: A Perfect 3rd/4th Year Math Elective
Richard Sgroi
10-12

Participants will learn ways to use financial applications and activities in an Advanced Algebra elective with only Algebra 1 as a prerequisite. The math will be explored in the contexts of discretionary expenses, banking, credit, auto ownership, employment, taxes, housing, investing, entrepreneurship, retirement, and budgeting.
Grand Ballroom B


Encourage Investigation and Conversation with the Desmos Graphing Calculator
Bob Lochel
7-12

Take part in Algebra investigations from a learner’s perspective using the blank slate of the Desmos Calculator. We’ll deconstruct the teacher moves which support student investigation and learning. No experience with using the Desmos Calculator is needed and you’ll leave with new moves to share.
Grand Ballroom A


Problem Solving for All Students
Laurie Thompson
STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning
K-6

Teaching students to make sense of problems, persevere in solving them, and to communicate their mathematical thinking is the cornerstone of quality math instruction. This session will highlight several strategies designed to provide multiple entry points for all students to engage in the problem solving process and to ignite a passion for problem solving.
Nittany Room


Pattern Breaking
Jay Schiffman
7-12, All Grades

It is often the case that when analyzing a pattern, a certain behavior always seems to recur such as the output is always prime. Upon further review, that turns out not to be true. Participants will review patterns that eventually fail and discover first counterexamples.
Gallery Room

Socratic seminars for agency, engagement, equity, access and improved math discourse
Joanne Ward
4-12

Socratic seminars can improve math discourse in pursuit of agency, engagement and equity of access. As students discuss concepts with peers they develop higher-level thinking and a sense of achievement and identity as mathematicians. Students discover that math can be used to solve relevant problems and address injustice and inequality.
Terrace Rooms

Creating Collaborative Classrooms
Astrida Lizins
CPM Educational Program
7-12

Participants will learn team structures and strategies that can be implemented to support collaborative environments. Participants will engage with teams using a variety of strategies in order to analyze how the modeled strategies increase students' level of confidence in math skills and build trust with teammates and social skills.
Director's Room

Are Math Classrooms Neutral? - Exploring the Power Dynamics and Values of the Spaces
Gary Kaufman
Brandon Schadle
All Grades

A Google image search of “math teacher” suggests that mathematical spaces may feel isolating to students of Color because of the frequency of them being white.  As classroom teachers and teacher educators, we will share how we challenge Whiteness in our mathematical spaces to create a more inviting learning environment.
Executive Forum

Trix are for Kids…Not Math Class
Joelle Cooper
3-12

Keep Flip Flip. FOIL. Alligators and Butterflies. These are common tricks that most kids have learned but they cause more harm than good for mathematical fluency and number sense. During this session, we will look at tricks at various grade levels, discuss the implications of each in future math classes, and find ways to teach without these tricks.
Grand Ballroom A

Influence, Impact & Improvement: The CDTs Empower Educators to Make a Difference
Dan Richards
Carrie Soliday
4-12

Continuous school improvement is dependent on instructional decision making that focuses on student instructional strengths and needs.  Empowering educators to interpret data, plan accelerated learning and set goals with students brings about school change in the necessary day-to-day actions.  The Classroom Diagnostic Tool honors professional decision-making as the “single most important factor under the control of the school influencing the degree of student learning - quality of teaching.”  In this session, participants will overlay elements of Educator Effectiveness with The CDT Cycle of Teaching and Learning.  Additionally, participants will calculate reasonable goals for individual student improvement
Grand Ballroom B

The Precious First Minutes of Math Class
Jeremy Cohen, Ph.D,
Hand2Mind
K-8

How should we begin a mathematics class so all students can access the content? What if some small pedagogical changes to the beginning of your class could have a huge impact on ALL of your students? This session will focus on those precious first minutes of class.  Participants will learn specific pedagogical strategies which establish a thinking culture, allow for self-differentiation, slow down around meaning-making, and develop critical habits of mind. Your students will get the message from the start that, “I can do this!”
Nittany Room

Elevating Student Status with Rough Draft Talk
Jocelyn Dunnack
Astrida Lizins
CPM Educational Program
7-12, All Grades

In this hands-on workshop, participants will test their problem-solving skills as they collaborate on a rich mathematical task. Teachers will reflect on their identity as learners and connect to the modeled culturally responsive strategies. Participants will gain strategies to support students becoming more independent learners and growing their intellectual capacity.
Gallery Room

Implementing Alternative Grading in Math Courses
Gabe Kramer
Kristen Pueschel
10-12, All Grades

In our classes, we track student proficiency in each learning objective and allow students multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding. This incentivizes continued learning past traditional deadlines and gives instructors detailed information about student progress. We will discuss how we implemented alternative grading in our courses, ways to test-drive these techniques, and how to track student progress.
Terrace Rooms

When symbols crash like cymbals
Deana Deichert
7-9

In this session, we will discuss the difficulty that algebra students face in understanding and properly utilizing the symbolic system involved with algebraic processes. Some symbols change from arithmetic while others are brand new to the algebra student. Clear definitions will be presented to help students transition to algebra.
Director's Room

CSATS
Kathy Hill
7-12

The Penn State Center for Science and the Schools collaborates with science and engineering faculty to build teacher workshops that bridge STEM research and K-12 education. In nearly all instances, mathematics is a significant part of the work of science and engineering research, ranging from algebra to differential equations and/or advanced statistical methods. CSATS faculty focus on three particular practices of STEM experts: (a) developing and using models, (b) analyzing and interpreting data, and (c) mathematics and computational thinking. In learning about the ongoing STEM research at Penn State, we examine their work in search for opportunities to make the mathematics accessible to precollege learners. In this session, CSATS’ approach to collaborating with scientists and engineers along with opportunities for math educators will be presented.

Executive Forum

Menu

The buffet will be set up in Chairman's Rooms A&B.  Enjoy your lunch in the Grand Ballrooms.

Flexible Math Games to Build Fact Fluency
Dan Kaufmann
K-6

During this session, attendees will explore a variety of math games that build towards fluency. The strategy-based games will have simple rules and are flexible enough to be used throughout the entire year. After exploring each game, we will discuss classroom implementation and best practices when developing fact fluency.
Grand Ballroom A

Statistical Thinking with CODAP
Leigh Nataro
7-12

Is there a relationship between heights of roller coasters and their top speed? How have CO2 readings changed atop the Mauna Loa volcano? Learn how your students can explore, summarize, visualize and interpret data to answer these questions with the free online tool CODAP (Common Online Data Analysis Platform).
Grand Ballroom B

Spot It - A Twist on Using Patters to Attain Addition and Subtraction Fact Fluency
Pat Peffley
K-3

Playful concrete activities, games and chants help students discover basic fact patterns and properties.  The color-code guides students to focus on finding  patterns first and then  computing. It provides a path from fingers to "I just know it" and a foundation for number sense and discourse.
Nittany Room

Ratios, Rates, and Percents, Oh My!
Laurie Thompson
STEMscopes by Accelerate Learning
4-9

The study of ratios and proportional relationships begins in the 6th grade and is an integral foundation for the study of functions, which continues through high school and beyond. Participants will build a personal toolbox of effective problem-solving strategies that address ratio reasoning. Three problem-solving strategies will be featured: Double Number Lines, Tape Diagrams, and Tables.
Gallery Room

The First 30 Minutes: Creating Access and Engagement
Emily Magee
Meredith Scheiner
Jessica Tilli
Lauren Hammond
All Grades

How can we leverage the first 30 minutes of class to accelerate learning and engage all students as active mathematical thinkers and communicators? In our school district, we created a road map for the first 30 minutes of class that helps to ensure access to new learning and creates an inclusive environment where all students' voices and ideas are valued. We will share that vision and associated resources, as well as some lessons learned, so that you can rethink how you maximize the first 30 minutes in your class.
Terrace Rooms

Connecting Algebra Across Multiple Subjects
Christa Togans
7-12

In physics many quantities use one and two-dimensional position, displacement, speed, velocity, and acceleration over time. Vectors require special skills that are connected to Algebra I to Calculus. Students need to use their experiences from one subject to the next to see the progression from Linear Systems to Vector analysis.
Director's Room

Posing Engaging Problems to Inspire Mathematical Thinking
Jay L. Schiffman
7-12, All Grades

This interactive workshop engages participants in altering the focus of some traditional exercises and tweaking them to produce real problems with multiple solutions. Examples will be selected from number and operations, algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, calculus and discrete mathematics. Such activities promote student confidence and active learning for all.
Executive Forum