2012-2013 Mathematics Workshops

NEW! Geometer’s Sketchpad for Middle School Teachers

Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 (Code: W-11-28-12)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Anita Schuloff
Audience: Grade 6-8 Mathematics Teachers, Mathematics Supervisors

This workshop will help teachers of grades 6 through 8 who need a clever and interesting way to teach the NJ Common Core Standards in mathematics. Geometer’s Sketchpad is a powerful program that will delight and involve your students with its colorful graphics, ability to present geometric shapes and coordinate axes for algebraic topics and a wonderful animation property. You will learn the basic keystrokes and menu functions so that you can start using Sketchpad as soon as you get back to your classroom. Please bring your laptop (with mouse) with you to the workshop so that you can start using this powerful program right away.

Grades 3-6 Common Core Content and Practices: What's New with Fractions?!

Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2012 (Code: W-12-11-12)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Deborah Ives, Assistant Professor, Montclair State University
Audience: Grade 3-6 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors

Participants will engage in an across the grades look at the CCSS Domain of “Number and Operations – Fractions” that will include changes from prior NJ Standards.  Ready-to-use, hands-on lessons and instructional strategies, differentiation and accommodations, and the use of multiple assessment and questioning techniques will be emphasized.

NEW! Grades 5-8 Common Core Content and Practices: Look at What's New!

Date: Tuesday, February 5, 2013 (Code: W-02-05-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Deborah Ives, Assistant Professor, Montclair State University
Audience: Grade 5-8 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors

Come and participate in active learning about the CCSS middle grades math, with a focus on an across-the-grades look during a hands-on session.  Using a balanced approach for all students, a link between Instructional Strategies, Grade Level Curriculum Expectations and Assessment will be addressed using online simulations, performance tasks, and real world applications.

NEW! Inspiring K-8 Students to Love Math

Date: Friday, December 7, 2012 (Code: W-12-07-12)
also given on Wednesday, January 30, 2013 (Code: W-01-30-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: June Kelley
Audience: Grade K-8 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors

Do you hear groans when math is mentioned? Do your students seem to have ALL been absent the day you taught certain lessons? We’ve all experienced this lack of attention, enthusiasm, and dismay, but it does not have to be this way. This workshop focuses on ways to bring back the natural fun and wonder of math. Not only will your students enjoy mathematics, they will have more success with the strategies learned and used in this workshop.

Math & Technology: Perfect Together – Integrating the New Standards Using Technology, Grades 6-8

Date: Monday, February 4, 2013 (Code: W-02-04-13)
also give on Friday, June 28, 2013 (Code: W-06-28-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: June Kelley
Audience: Grade 6-8 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors

There is more to technology than video games. When students are challenged to use mathematics in meaningful ways, they develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills and come to realize the potential usefulness of mathematics in their lives. Integrating technology and mathematics in the classroom is important when trying to provide students with experiences that promotes 21st century learning. This workshop is a hands-on, interactive workshop that will provide participants with activities to use immediately in their classrooms. This workshop is geared to the standards set for middle school students in the new core curriculum standards.

Date: Tuesday, December 4, 2012 (Code: W-12-04-12)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Deborah Ives, Assistant Professor, Montclair State University
Audience: Grade 7-10 Mathematics Teachers, Mathematics Supervisors

Come learn the new CCSS by engaging in a hands-on look at lessons and performance tasks with instructional strategies that focus on algebraic reasoning and sense making for middle and high school students.  Real world applications, including Hip Hop Music, Fashion Design, Videogaming, Special Effects, Restaurants, and Basketball will be provided through WNET/Gates Foundation fully-funded multimedia resources that help students and teachers meet the new Common Core State Standards and Assessment expectations.

Date: Thursday, November 29, 2012 (Code: W-11-29-12)
also given Thursday, February 7, 2013 (Code: W-02-07-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Angelo DeMattia, Rutgers Institute for Improving Student Achievement (RIISA) Consultant
Audience: Grade 6-10 Mathematics Teachers, Mathematics Supervisors, Special Education Teachers

Too few students can demonstrate a deep, conceptual understanding of algebraic relationships. This workshop will help teachers develop a more visually based lesson format.  This format helps students, including SE and ELL, make an effective transition from the concrete/visual to the abstract. The emphasis will be on applying the PAW Process: P is for Pictures, A is for Algebra and W is for words. Ample hands-on lessons will highlight the process that helps students attain a higher level of achievement on NJASK and Algebra Assessments and helps teachers experience a new connection to the Common Core Standards.

Date: Thursday, January 31, 2013 (Code: W-01-31-13)
also given on Thursday, February 21, 2013 (Code: W-02-21-13)
also given on Tuesday, June 25, 2013 (Code: W-06-25-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Angelo DeMattia, Rutgers Institute for Improving Student Achievement (RIISA) Consultant
Audience: Grade 6-10 Mathematics Teachers, Mathematics Supervisors, Special Education Teachers

Too few students attain a deep conceptual understanding of geometric relationships. This workshop will help teachers understand this difficulty and develop a more visually based lesson format. This format helps students, including SE and ELL, make an effective transition from the concrete/visual to the abstract. The emphasis will be on applying the PAW Process: P is for Pictures, A is for Abstract and W is for words. Ample hands-on lessons will highlight the process that helps students attain a higher level of achievement on NJASK and Geometry Assessments and helps teachers experience the new connection to the Common Core Standards.

Date: Friday, January 11, 2013 (Code: W-01-11-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Ralph Pantozzi
Audience: Grade 8-12 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors

Think inside, outside and on the triangle in this tour of "Mathematical Practices" using the Pythagorean Theorem as an organizing theme.   By examining both familiar tasks and hidden mathematical treasures, see how students can learn to make sense of problems, persevere in solving them, and reason concretely, abstractly, and quantitatively.  We'll see how the Pythagorean theorem can serve as a model for students to learn how to construct viable arguments, model mathematically, and make use of structure.  As you might expect, distance, area, similarity, the number system, equations and functions and number theory will be our focus.  Learn some math and feel more confident in leading your students to more independently see mathematical connections. 

NEW! Simple Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Algebra:
Connecting the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice with the Standards for Mathematics Content

Date: Monday, February 11, 2013 (Code: W-02-11-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Pamela Brett
Audience: Grade 6-8 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors, Special Education Teachers

During this collaborative and interactive workshop, participants will learn simple instructional strategies for meeting the diverse needs of their middle school math students while maintaining high expectations for all. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for meeting the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice through the use of open questions and parallel tasks. Participants will receive examples of tasks that can be implemented the next day in their classrooms. The most valuable take-away from this workshop is that participants will learn how to design open questions and parallel tasks that are most relevant to their specific curricula. The skills learned in this workshop can be modified for use with a variety of math topics and levels.

Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2012 (Code: W-12-12-12)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Pamela Brett
Audience: Grade 6-8 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors, Special Education Teachers

During this collaborative and interactive workshop, participants will learn simple instructional strategies for meeting the diverse needs of their middle school math students while maintaining high expectations for all. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for meeting the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice through the use of open questions and parallel tasks. Participants will receive examples of tasks that can be implemented the next day in their classrooms. The most valuable take-away from this workshop is that participants will learn how to design open questions and parallel tasks that are most relevant to their specific curricula. The skills learned in this workshop can be modified for use with a variety of math topics and levels.

NEW! Simple Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Geometry and Measurement:
Connecting the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice with the Standards for Mathematics Content

Date: Monday, January 14, 2013 (Code: W-01-14-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Pamela Brett
Audience: Grade 6-8 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors, Special Education Teachers

During this collaborative and interactive workshop, participants will learn simple instructional strategies for meeting the diverse needs of their middle school math students while maintaining high expectations for all. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for meeting the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice through the use of open questions and parallel tasks. Participants will receive examples of tasks that can be implemented the next day in their classrooms. The most valuable take-away from this workshop is that participants will learn how to design open questions and parallel tasks that are most relevant to their specific curricula. The skills learned in this workshop can be modified for use with a variety of math topics and levels.

NEW! Simple Strategies for Differentiating Instruction in Number and Operations:
Connecting the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice with the Standards for Mathematics Content

Date: Wednesday, December 5, 2012 (Code: W-12-05-12)
also given on Thursday, June 27, 2013 (Code: W-06-27-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Pamela Brett
Audience: Grade 6-8 Mathematics Teachers and Supervisors, Special Education Teachers

During this collaborative and interactive workshop, participants will learn simple instructional strategies for meeting the diverse needs of their middle school math students while maintaining high expectations for all. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for meeting the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice through the use of open questions and parallel tasks. Participants will receive examples of tasks that can be implemented the next day in their classrooms. The most valuable take-away from this workshop is that participants will learn how to design open questions and parallel tasks that are most relevant to their specific curricula. The skills learned in this workshop can be modified for use with a variety of math topics and levels.

NEW! Strategies to Prepare Special Education Students for the Math HSPA

Date: Friday, November 16, 2012 (Code: W-11-16-12)
also given on Friday, January 25, 2013 (Code: W-01-25-13)
Time: 8:30 am – 3:00 pm
Presenter: Karen Egan
Audience: Grade 8-12 Mathematics Teachers, High School Special Education Teachers, Mathematics Supervisors

Special education teachers sometimes are faced with enormous challenges when it comes to preparing their special needs students for the mathematics portion of the HSPA. This workshop presents ideas to help your students boost their performance on the HSPA. Participants will learn strategies to make students comfortable with the vocabulary on the tests and increase their critical thinking skills through the use of open-ended questions. Activities will include differentiated instruction, cooperative games, and using a variety of manipulatives. Participants will take home a packet of all the workshop’s activities, as well as sample lessons that can be implemented immediately in their own classrooms.