A New Vision for Math: Equity and Inclusion through the Michigan Early Math Essentials

Do you have any memorable experiences from your preK-12 math classes? What specifically stands out to you? How did those experiences make you feel? For me, one standout moment was when I memorized my multiplication tables in third grade to go to McDonald’s with my teacher as a reward. My best friend and I planned to pass on the same day to enjoy lunch together. I also recall geometry being quite challenging when I was a freshman. The different shapes and properties were difficult to remember, and I didn’t enjoy it. However, I found Algebra 2 to be enjoyable since I was good at memorizing the rules. Like chess, Algebra is a game where you must “win” by getting the correct answer. I loved that aspect of it.

Historically, students would observe their teacher solving math problems, understand the steps involved, and then attempt to solve the problems independently. They would sit in their seats, facing the front, and take notes or practice the steps quietly on paper. The storylines of students created by these experiences categorized each of them as either “a math person” or “not a math person.”

5 Essential Books Every Educator Needs on Their Summer Reading List

With the sun shining bright and days getting longer, educators can take advantage of the perfect opportunity to engage in essential professional learning. Grab a refreshing glass of lemonade, find a comfortable spot to unwind, and explore the top five must-read books that Kent ISD Educational Consultants recommend. These books will inspire, motivate, and transform your teaching practice.

Has Productive Struggle Proven to be Essential to the Learning Process? Yes!

Humans encounter struggles everyday. In the math classroom, productive struggle is essential for learning. Everyday teachers are striving to find the delicate balance between bringing in learners’ schema to engage with a task and offering enough new information to push them out of their comfort zone, all towards the end goal of conceptual mastery of content standards.

Why is Productive Struggle Essential?

We want students to use their experiences and knowledge of the world and math to grapple with new concepts while providing them supports and scaffolds to grasp onto that new learning. This relates to Zaretta Hammond’s work. In Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain¹, Hammond defines a warm demander as “a teacher who communicates personal warmth toward students while at the same time demands they work toward high standards.” Essentially, a warm demander holds high expectations while offering high support to reach those expectations.  Let’s consider how we might use the analogy of a warm demander to understand what productive struggle can look like for the students in our classrooms.

Kent ISD Consultants Help Lay the Groundwork for Change in Mathematics Education

If you have ever met the Math Consultants Team at Kent ISD, you understand their passion and love for mathematics and student engagement. Rusty Anderson and Marcus Deja are focused on partnering with our districts to provide equitable opportunities for all learners in mathematics, and they are helping to lay the groundwork for change in Michigan.

Differentiation Tricks and Treats: High Impact, Low Stress

I just finished listening to a podcast entitled “Six high-impact, low-burnout strategies to differentiate your lessons for neurodiverget kids with Dr. Laura Fitzpatrick” (on the Truth for Teachers podcast). With Halloween around the corner I thought it would be the perfect time to share Dr. Fitzpatricks tricks for differentiation with all of you!

In this podcast, Dr. Fitzpatrick a sixth grade English Language Arts teacher, shared her ideas for ways that she has found success in differentiating her instruction without increasing her workload or stress levels. These tricks have provided her and other teachers with ways to streamline teaching and reduce fatigue.

Mathematical Literacy? Disciplinary Literacy? We Need and Want Both.

By Kathy Berry, Monroe County ISD; Cherron Ramsey, Wayne RESA; Marcus Deja, Kent ISD; Brad Thornburg, Gratiot-Isabella RESD; and Karen Reister, Traverse Bay Area ISD

Think for a moment about literacy in the mathematics classroom.  What comes to mind? Do you immediately see word walls of mathematics vocabulary?  Writing in math journals?  Vocabulary strategies?  Or do you think of students connecting ideas from geometry and algebra together to solve and model problems?  Maybe you envision students individually and collaboratively analyzing a problem situation and determining multiple possible solution paths.  For each of us, our own past learning and experiences influence our reactions to “literacy.” It may be helpful to pause and seek clarity around the ideas of students becoming mathematically literate while using the tools of disciplinary literacy. 

Kent ISD Networks- Together We Can Do Anything

“Unity is strength…when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” by Mattie Stepanek. 

For many years, Kent ISD has been providing educators the opportunity to connect and collaborate with one another. Through a variety of networks, educators come together to share ideas, resources, and support. These networks are of greater need now more than ever.

This year many of our consultants are reformatting their professional learning networks to meet your needs as educators. In the past, our networks may have had four or five face to face meetings. This year many networks changed the way they connect including changing to virtual meetings and podcasts.

STEM Career Connection: Connecting Classrooms with Careers

“STEM occupations on average will grow faster than non-STEM occupations and provide higher wages”  – Bureau of Labor Statistics

STEM education prepares students for what’s next by bridging the gap between academics and careers. Through the integration of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics students learn how to solve complex real-world problems. Using a STEM approach helps students build valuable problem-solving skills as they develop and apply solutions to important real-world challenges.

Pattern Interrupted- Timed Tests, Part 2

written by: Andrew J. Smith, Kent ISD

“Technical changes are changes to tools or mechanisms professionals use to do their jobs effectively.  These changes within a school context refer to changes in structure, policies, or teaching tools. These changes are definitely necessary to effect improvement in student performance, but they produce very few positive results when people who do not believe in the intended outcome of the change use them.” (Muhammed, 2018, p. 22)

In our society, culture, and educational system we are constantly influenced by technical changes.   As educators we are used to technical changes that come at us from a variety of sources. We have to decide how it is we might react to those changes, as well as, what implications those changes might have on us and on our students.

Pattern Interrupted- Shifting Mindsets and Instructional Practices, Part 1

Written by: Andrew J. Smith, Kent ISD

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As a student in fifth grade, I was fortunate enough to have Mrs. Ann Ostrowski as my teacher.   “Mrs. O” was the teacher who changed my trajectory as a mathematician.

Before entering Mrs. O’s room, my disposition towards mathematics was one of frustration, isolation, and even anger at times.   However, Mrs. O had this unrelenting belief in me as a student and would not let that disposition stick for very long in her learning environment. She valued work ethic, making mistakes, and the utilization of strategies.