The
President's Message
from the
2006 to Fall - 2008
Newsletters
Fall 2008
The school year is
starting, and our classrooms are filled with bright-eyed students. Many teachers
spent time ending or beginning the
year by meeting with their students' previous math teacher and/or looking
at student data. The questions would fly: what was covered,
where did the students struggle, and then the infamous what have they forgotten
over the summer?
This last statement always intrigues me as I rarely hear English teachers
utter the phrase. Is that because we still read over the
summer? Is it because we are surrounded by words? Well, aren't we surrounded
by numbers?
Rather than be kept up at night thinking about this, I decided to dedicate
time watching parents (or adults) with children. I noticed
quite a few interesting things. I often heard adults ask children what a certain
word spelled or which one says open on a window or in a store. What I did
not hear was that same adult ask a child to read an address, read a price,
or tell what bill or coin is this. I heard children asked what letters made
up a street name, but – at the same intersection, when the light showed a
countdown of 10, 9, 8 … to change – not once did I hear an adult ask a child
to count backwards with the light, nor did I hear a request for the number
associated with the block. Why is that?
So I decided to ask some people about my impromptu study. The most common
answer was that it was not “real” math or “real life” math. Real Life Math
!?!?!?!?
What is real life math? Is it math that only happens outside of the classroom?
If so, does that mean school is fake? So I asked these same
people, teachers and “real” people, about what “real” math is. It basically
came down to math that does something. For example, 3 times
3/8 is not “real” math, but if you need to triple a recipe calling for 3/8
of a cup of sugar, that would be real math.
Ohhh . . . now I am beginning to get it. Numbers are not real math, but does
that mean letters are not real English? Maybe I am just grumpy
because I hear children saying or singing the alphabet song more often than
“One, Two, Buckle My Shoe or “Inchworm.”
I would love to pontificate more on this topic or blame it on the dreaded
math phobia. But I think I will simply sum it up as missed
opportunity. There are numerous resources out there for family math, math
in real life, but it doesn't always have to be involved or need
props. We have done a great job with at-home examples of ways to make math
a part of your kids' everyday experiences. For example, when measuring for
cooking or baking, have your kids make the measures for you. Yet, it can be
something even simpler. Take a street address – is it odd or even? Try to
double it, or round it to the nearest whatever place. Point out objects and
ask the name of the shape. Look for a pattern in anything.
Math is everywhere. It can be practiced and/or reinforced simply. Use some
of those numbers out there in the “real” world to practice some math concepts.
It comes down to the questions we can ask children. And, yes, in the year
2008, adults in general still seem more comfortable doing things with letters
and reading than with numbers and concepts. Help by making this generation
comfortable with math. Discuss numbers and where they can be found. Elicit
and/or point out the ways that any number can be used to practice a skill
or concept. Make a list of some ideas from your students and create an assignment
to use the generated ideas with an adult in their life. Encourage them to
use these ideas when they are taking care of younger children. Maybe the idea
will set in as our children lead by example.
Spring 2008
Math and the changing world — a phrase heard frequently in the past years as well as today. Experts suggest that in the next 5 to 7 years there will be twice as much mathematics as there is today.
Within the past 10 years, the Pennsylvania Department of Education has given us Academic Standards for Mathematics – eleven Mathematics Standards which described what students should know and be able to do at the third, fifth, eighth, and eleventh grade levels. These standards were to reflect the “increasing complexity and sophistication that students are expected to achieve as they progress through school”. Yet, these standards were also stated to be “simply the baseline from which a school district should proceed. If local standards are more rigorous or detailed, the district should continue with its local standards”. We have moved form the Academic Standards for Mathematics to Assessment Anchor and Eligible Content and now onto the Assessment Anchor Content Standards. Whereas PDE may be laying the groundwork and setting the minimum for what students should know and be able to do (and be tested on), it is widely understood that there are many reasons to learn and be able to use math and continue that learning.
Informational age , technological age , data-driven — all phrases that have become common place in any conversation about mathematics and mathematics education.
As societal needs change, so do the needs for mathematics and mathematics education. Today's math requires real-life problems to solve, a skill highly desired by employers today. Math requires knowing when and how to use the tools to assist in the problem solving process. It is no longer enough to just number-crunch or do computations as we have a variety of hand-held devices, computers, and software. We need instead to be able to use those devices, know which keys to press, which menus to access, or which graph will best represent our data.
Math has never been more important, technology demands that we work smarter and have stronger problem solving skills.
Educators, it seems, have
been given this task, yet the hours before and after school are just as important
in nurturing a positive attitude toward mathematics. Our influence as
teachers can extend further than our classrooms and the students who sit in
front of us. Engage your students, as school should not be a place where
children come to watch the adults work. Engaging a child in a purposeful,
energetic, and thought-provoking lesson or activity will surely send that
child home with things to share. That spark can ignite a meaningful conversation
with a family member and so it begins: the connection and support we have
hoped.
Networking is an important key to your professional growth. None
of us individually is as smart as we are collectively. I am often heard
saying that we do not need to create a new wheel. We need to find one that
fits the car we are currently driving. Where do we find these wheels?
They are all around – our own imagination and creativity, the internet, the
curriculum and support materials offers by various companies, our colleagues
and our mathematics organizations: NTCM, NCSM, TODOS, PCTM, PCSM, PATME, and
of course ATMOPAV.
Attend conferences and become involved – ATMOPAV Spring Banquet and Conference 13 May 2008, PCTM/PCSM - Poconos, November 2008 and NCTM/NCSM Washing D.C., April 2009.
Apply for grants such as the ATMOPAV Innovative Grant. Information is available on our website: www.atmopav.com. Grants can provide supplies and resources which may be unavailable to you and your students. A little time and effort to complete the funding proposal can help you obtain the materials you need to make that great idea, that connection, that spark a reality. Remember . . .
A good teacher is
like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others. ~Author Unknown
Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man how to fish
and you feed him for a lifetime.
Good teachers are costly, but bad teachers cost more. ~Bob Talbert
Teaching should be full of ideas instead of stuffed with facts. ~Author Unknown
President:
Debbie Ryan
Winter 2007
Welcome back from your winter break. Change is in the air...
First, allow me to welcome on board our new Membership Secretary, Marian Avery. You will get your chance to meet her at the upcoming Spring Conference/Banquet. I would also like to thank Susan Sarshick for her services as Vice President.
Secondly, we have a new membership flyer. Please share it with your friends. Of course, the flyer would look so much better with a new logo, so remember to check out the information to submit a design and win a $100 gift Card to Barnes & Noble. See p. *** for flyer and logo contest informaton
Change . . . Webster's defines change as: “to make different in some particular; to make radically different; to give a different position, course, or direction to; to replace with another; to make a shift from one to another; to exchange for an equivalent sum or comparable item; to undergo a modification of; to undergo transformation, transition or substitution.”
Everybody Counts,
a Report to the Nation on the Future of Mathematics , over 15 years ago
stated:
"Today's world is more mathematical than yesterday's, and tomorrow's world
will be more mathematical than today's. As computers increase in power, some
parts of mathematics be- come less important while other parts become more
important. While arithmetic proficiency may have been "good enough" for many
in the middle of the century, anyone whose mathematical skills are limited
to computation has little to offer today's society that is not done better
by an expensive machine."
The "Math Wars" are still going on across the country. A visit to You Tube yielded over 60 hits for math wars, math education over 700 and plain ole math over 27,000. Now, instead of Barbie stating, "Math class is tough!" we have the actress who played Winnie Cooper on The Wonder Years, Danica McKellar, authoring a new book called Math Doesn't Suck: How to Survive Middle-School Math and not Break a Nail. This book puts emphasis on fractions and pre-algebra in a fun, teen magazine kind of way.
Change, change, change --- how can you, an educator, help make a difference?
There was a recent study (Feb 07) in Child Development which supported the conclusion that if you teach students that their intelligence can grow and increase, they do better in school.
According to research
psychologist Carol Dweck ,Stanford University, Mindset: The New Psychology
of Success, it appears that children develop a belief about their own intelligence,
"Some students start thinking of their intelligence as something fixed, as
carved in stone," "They worry about, 'Do I have enough? Don't I have
enough?" "Other children think intelligence is something you can develop
your whole life". Wondering whether a child's belief about intelligence
has anything to do with academic success, she looked at several hundred students
going into seventh grade, and assessed which students believed their intelligence
was unchangeable, and which children believed their intelligence could grow.
She then looked at their math grades over the next two years. "We saw among
those with the growth mindset steadily increasing math grades over the two
years," she says. But that wasn't the case for those with the so-called "fixed
mindset." They showed a decrease in their math grades.
So, about 100 seventh graders, all doing poorly in math, were randomly
assigned to workshops on good study skills. One workshop gave lessons on how
to study well. The other taught about the nature of intelligence and the brain,
where they learned that the brain actually forms new connections every
time you learn something new, which over time, makes you smarter.
These students had significantly better math grades than the other group.
Dweck says this new mindset changed the kids' attitude toward learning and
their willingness to put forth effort. We have all over the years told a student,
in one form or another, go ahead, try, I think you can do it. This study
not only supports that idea but also finds that teaching children that they
are the ones in charge of their own intellectual growth can actually motivate
them to work harder.
So, yes, change is in the air. Change will always be in the air, and we must do our part. Believe in what you do, stay current within your field, and remain open to new ideas.
President:
Debbie Ryan
Fall 2007
Hello, all, and welcome back to the 2007 -2008 school year.
First and foremost, I
would like to congratulate the recipients of our recent ATMOPAV awards: Mable
M. Elliott Outstanding Student Teacher Award:
Rebecca Gardine (Overbrook Elementary) and Sarrah Raub (Great Valley High
School)
Alan Barson Novice Teacher Award: Cindy O'Donnell, J.H. Brown
To learn more about those awards and how to nominate someone for next
year, please visit our website.
Distinguished Service Award: Lois Barson, Verna W. Edwards, Sr. Alice Hess,
Lynn Hughes, Sonya Wassmansdorf
Outstanding Contribution to ATMOPAV Award: Sam Felicia
Past President's Award: Tom Smith
Outstanding Contribution to Mathematics Education Award: Clara Tolbert Without
the dedication and work of these individuals, we would not be able to welcome
you to the ATMOPAV family, bring you information through our newsletter, host
conferences, and keep our ATMOPAV ship afloat.
A deep-hearted and special thanks goes out to John Holland, our retiring membership guru. After numerous years at the helm (as long as I can remember), he has decided to allow someone else the honor of this important position. His ever-present smile while sitting behind the membership desk at any conference you have attended is how you may remember him best, but it has been his behind-the-scenes hard work that has keep ATMOPAV going, including the delivery of your newsletter. It has been an honor to work with John . . . THANK YOU!
As I think of the dedication
of John and his seemingly simply view of his work – It's what the membership
secretary should do – my thoughts float over the ideas of duty, obligation,
responsibility, and commitment. Then a simple statement I made to a
colleague as we discussed the current PSSA data also pops into my head.
“Every teacher who stands in front of a student is responsible for the educational
journey of that student, not just in the tested years.” As educators,
we have an obligation, responsibility and a moral duty, to ensure that our
students, from pre-school to high school, receive the highest quality education
possible. We must provide our students with the necessary tools needed
to become successful adults in whatever endeavor they may choose. Each year
we face new obstacles, requirements, and challenges. No matter what
hoops are placed in front of us, we must jump through them and find ways to
properly educate our students, providing them with the foundation and tools
they need to build an understanding and make connections in their mathematical
lives. To accomplish this, we must follow the words once said to me by Sue
Stetzer: “The best teachers are those who are always learning.” Begin or continue
to have conversations with colleagues, read education journals, articles,
and of course the ATMOPAV newsletter. Attend quality professional development
and conferences: nationally (NCTM), regionally (PCTM is in Valley Forge this
November: http://www.pctm.org/conference.html) and locally (ATMOPAV's Spring
Banquet and Conference on April 17) .Then we can ensure that our students
will be among the best and brightest in the country. We must not forget
that we are member of the invaluable cohort of teachers who shape the very
foundation of our future. Remember this year that ---
Learning is a lifelong process
Learning does not occur without growth and change
Teaching does not occur without learning
Teaching is both a profession and an art
Students are individuals
Teachers teach students, not subjects
Learning is a community effort
Teaching is a community effort
– David Oliver One final word . . .
ATMOPAV needs a new official logo, a real nifty image that will give
us all something we can relate to and be proud to display. See page
8 in this issue of the newsletter or our website for more information. Best
wishes for a great year
President:
Debbie Ryan
Spring 2007
Greetings to all of the
ATMOPAV family.
I would like to take this opportunity, my first president's message,
to take on you the journey that has led me to this place of honor. ATMOPAV
has been an organization near and dear to my heart for the past two decades.
I began my journey by attending the ATMOPAV conferences, taking what was presented
back with me to my school and colleagues. I was in awe of the people
standing before me who were willing to share their knowledge, their expertise.
It wasn't long before I got involved with the conferences. I would like to
say it was of my own doing, but the credit must go to four individuals who
had a profound impact on my life: Sue Stetzer, Kathy Hebert, Sarah Poncz,
and Alice Jordan. It was Sue who first said to me that I have “taken
enough from ATMOPAV and now it is time to give back.” So, began my journey
on the other side. I began to present at ATMOPAV conferences, serve
on conference committees, chair conferences, and then was invited to join
the ATMOPAV board. The transition from taker to giver to leader has
been a path filled with adventure, intrigue, and distinction.
As with any new administration, change is in the air. “None of us are
as smart as all of us,” and we are only as good as those who surround and
support us. I encourage all of you to continue your journey with ATMOPAV.
For those of you who are ATMOPAV veterans, I encourage you to reach out to
someone, bring them to a conference, perhaps the Spring conference banquet,
and consider presenting and/or joining the next conference committee.
For those of you who are new to ATMOPAV, let's hear from you — your thoughts,
your ideas, your interests.
President
: Tom Smith
Winter 2007
This past September, NCTM released the Curriculum Focal Points for Pre-kindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics. This new publication marks the next step in the implementation of Principles and Standards for School Mathematics. It is NCTM's most significant initiative since the Standards were published in 2000. These “curriculum focal points” are the most important mathematical topics for each grade level. More than a list of topics, the curriculum focal points comprise related ideas, concepts, skills, and procedures that form the foundation for understanding and lasting learning. They are building blocks that must thoroughly understand to progress to more advanced mathematics, and they are the topics that should be considered as the basis for decisions about curriculum development. Most mathematics teachers agree that our curriculum is a “mile wide and an inch deep” and that learning expectations are significantly different from state to state. NCTM believes that we all should agree on fewer topics at each level that will provide a foundation for improving the teaching and learning of mathematics. These focal points are intended to address curriculum, or what is taught, rather than instruction, or how it is taught. Although the initial impact of the focal points will be on curriculum, ultimately the focal points will affect teaching, learning, and assessment, as well. Please visit www.nctm.org. for additional information.
As we begin a new year, ATMOPAV is now honored to have Debbie Ryan and Don Scheuer as its new president and vice-president, respectively. I personally have enjoyed during this past year serving as your president, but it is time for me to engage in different directions at my stage of life. My wife, Carol, and I have decided that we both will retire this spring and spend most of time in our Florida house playing golf, swimming, dancing, and any other activity in which we care to partake. We are planning on having a blast! Best of luck to all of our members. May you continue to enjoy teaching as much as I have for the past 40 years.
As we all get settled in to a new school year we all should be excited about getting all our students inspired to learn as much mathematics as possible. An important element for our successful teaching is a continuous effort to attend as many staff development functions as possible. ATMOPAV is proud to offer some exciting and rewarding opportunities for our members. Last May Sonya Wassmansdorf organized a very successful Spring Conference and Banquet at the Holiday Inn on City Line Ave. Congratulations to her for all her outstanding work to make the function pleasurable for all. Also congratulations to Debbie Ryan and Awards committee for selecting and presenting the year's awards to the many recipients.
This year's Fall Conference will be held at Saul High School in the Phila. School District on Saturday, October 28. Debbie Ryan and Hope Yursa have put together a program that promises to be exciting and rewarding for all participants. Details of the conference will be mailed to our members shortly and also can be found on our website www.atmopav.com. Our Sue Stetzer Math Contest will also be administered to all eager and willing high school students. Letters of invitation will be sent out shortly to all surrounding high schools. Contest rules and registration information can also be found on our website.
With all our conferences and functions ATMOPAV always rely on the professional volunteerism of its members. Not only are our officers and board members actively involved in the workings of our organization but many of our regular members participate. ATMOPAV is always looking for new volunteers to assist at these functions. It is a unique opportunity to grow professionally but also to meet and become friends with other mathematics teachers whom share the same goals and expectations. I am asking you to consider assisting at some time in the near future. Interested teachers can contact me on our website.
Today all teachers have been under pressure to do well on standardized tests, especially the PSSA. Schools are required to meet the Adequate Yearly Progress requirements of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. Each year administration hold meetings with their teachers to review recent test results and discuss various strategies to increase test performance. Much discussion has taken place among NCTM, PCTM and local mathematics associations as to how to best address these demands. Many feel that the requirements are too difficult to reach and that there is never enough money to assist our teachers both in the classroom and also with appropriate staff development programs. Neither I nor do I think any one person has the complete solution to this complex issue. However, I do know that the best preparation for any test is delivering a strong mathematics program to all our students. Regardless of any accountability or financial issues if there is not a good program in place student success will be limited. Establishing an appropriate mathematics program is a joint effort between teachers, supervisors and administration. Knowing our students and their needs should help in determining a program and a thorough review of current programs. Selecting proper textbooks is a time consuming task that should involve all interested parties, including various community members. Also to be considered is the amount of support that will be provided by the particular textbook company once the purchase is completed. How much staff development are they willing to provide? Will they offer various workshops during the course of the years for all teachers, especially the relatively new ones in the teaching profession? Will they provide additional supplementary materials free of charge? Regardless of what program or textbook series that is selected I have always found the most effective teachers are those who do not rely on the textbook for the entire teaching but have over the course of years collected a plethora of activities and materials that enhance their teaching.
We at ATMOPAV hope to provide all interested mathematics teachers staff development functions that will enhance their teaching and provide opportunities to meet other colleagues to share interesting and successful practices. Won't you help?
The
ATMOPAV Newsletter is sent three times a year to its members. It contains
articles about mathematics education, activities for elementary through secondary
school levels, book reviews, puzzles for teachers and students alike, and
much more. Join ATMOPAV and get this interesting publication. We are always
looking for new contributors of one-time articles as well as new columnists.
For further information, contact the editor
.