Mathematical Mindsets This course, developed by Stanford Mathematics Professor Jo Boaler, unpacks the use of a Growth Mindset teaching approach for mathematics. Throughout the course, Jo Boaler demonstrates the use of Growth Mindset strategies by giving a group of middle school students new knowledge of the brain, mindset, and mathematics. The course consists of short… Read More Online Math Professional Development Opportunities
Writing Across the Content Areas
It is important for students to have daily opportunities to write. According to Koppenhaver and Erickson (2007), students should write at least four days a week, otherwise they won’t learn to like writing. Infrequent opportunities to write suggests to kids that writing is difficult and not fun. This may be especially true for emergent writers,… Read More Writing Across the Content Areas
Promoting Equity in Math through Classroom Discourse
The 2018 VDOE Mathematics SOL Institutes highlighted the importance of strengthening the teaching and learning of mathematics through facilitating meaningful mathematical discourse. Why Discourse? Mathematical conversations and discourse among students, at all grade and ability levels, helps build a shared understanding of mathematical ideas (NCTM, 2014). Meaningful discourse supports metacognition and teaches students how to… Read More Promoting Equity in Math through Classroom Discourse
A Few SOUND Ways to AMP Up Phonemic Awareness Instruction
Phonemic awareness (PA), defined as the proficient and automatic access to the sounds in spoken words, is necessary for efficient sight-word storage and phonics (Kilpatrick, 2016). Regretfully, many teachers are guilty of using practices that involve traditional sight-word activities, including the use of flash cards with high frequency words and word walls displaying thematic vocabulary… Read More A Few SOUND Ways to AMP Up Phonemic Awareness Instruction
Teaching Vocabulary in the Math Classroom
In their article, What’s the Big Deal About Vocabulary, Dunstan and Tyminski state, “The Frayer model (Frayer, Frederick, & Klausmeier 1969) is a graphic organizer that allows students to use inquiry to learn new concepts in mathematics and science.” Use it to make a literacy-math connection for your students (Dunston & Tyminski, 2013). To teach students… Read More Teaching Vocabulary in the Math Classroom
New Math Resources from the VDOE
The 2016 Virginia Mathematics Standards of Learning are now fully implemented and will be assessed starting in Spring 2018. The VDOE has resources available to support implementation of the 2016 standards. 2016 Mathematics Curriculum Framework Documents Updated Standards of Learning and Curriculum Framework documents are available on the VDOE’s website. The updated curriculum documents include… Read More New Math Resources from the VDOE
Leadership Tools and Literacy Walk-through Protocols
Walk-throughs provide a snap shot of student learning. Protocols can effectively structure classroom visits and focus them to observe for components of effective instruction. Brief, frequent, routine classroom visits with explicit “look-fors” can be powerful opportunities for collaboration between educational leaders and teachers (Protheroe, 2009). Literacy Walk-throughs Principals and literacy leaders can access this collection… Read More Leadership Tools and Literacy Walk-through Protocols