Michigan Council for Exceptional Children Annual Conference
The Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC) will be holding their 79th annual conference March 6-8 in Grand Rapids. This conference is the largest educational conference in Michigan that focuses on specialized instruction and supports for individuals with exceptionalities. Participants can expect to walk away with strategies, solutions, and best practices for meeting academic, social, and emotional needs to better address the whole child.
Wednesday’s pre-conference workshop features co-teaching strategies, equitable policies for students of color in gifted educations, and building a trauma responsive school community. See the pre-conference workshop flier for more details. The last two days of the conference will feature over 120 breakout sessions based on instruction, data collection, leadership, behavior supports, assistive technology, inclusive practices and more! See the MCEC conference flyer for more details. To register for the conference, please visit the online registration page.
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Foundations of Math Update
At the Alt+Shift summer retreat this past June, implementation teams that attended were taken through a strategic planning process to develop and document an action plan for implementation at each unique site. The feedback was overwhelming: this is what sites wanted! Participants saw value in having a shared vision and plan for where this work would take them. They voiced their opinions that all sites should start with this work as they begin the training process, and continuously monitor and evaluate the work throughout the year(s).
From that feedback, Alt+Shift has set a goal to start the year at every site with a strategic implementation plan to increase buy-in, reduce frustration, start a valuable dialogue with all stakeholders, and build in structures of support that will carry on after the engagement of Alt+Shift ends. We have begun this process with all of our Foundations of Math sites now and the feedback remains positive. We look forward to watching this process and our sites develop and hope to continue to hear these kind of comments being made:
“It was very powerful to hear all of our shared values and beliefs, everyone was on the same page. The structure of the process was great for a large group and created a lot of buy-in. It generated energy and empowered us to make things happen for ourselves and our students.”
- Lisa Gravedoni, Birchview Elementary
“I do think the process gave us achievable goals. It was interesting to have administration there, as well, to see things from their point of view and to reinforce their commitment to the process.”
- Emma Gagnon, Newberry High School
“With Alt+Shift’s implementation scaffolding I feel confident Foundations of Math will have a great impact on our math instruction and, in turn, student achievement.
-Katharine Bradd, Madison School
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Enhancing Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Difficulties
Enrollment in the Macomb ISD training is almost full. Please enroll as soon as possible. Training dates include: January 16, February 13, and March 13. For more information including times and location, see the course brochure. To register, please visit the registration page.
If you are not from Macomb there is still room for enrollment in the statewide training taking place in St. Johns, just north of Lansing. The dates are January 29 & 30th and March 5th. To register for the state training, see the Enhancing Math course flyer.
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Delta Math: Implementation Story
Shelia Bell
K-6 Math Coach
Grand Ledge School District
It had been apparent for some time that we needed math intervention in our elementary schools. We were pleased to discover Delta Math which supports best practices such as the Concrete-Representational-Abstract (CRA) approach, and is based on key standards for each grade level. We began a pilot in one of our 1st-6th elementary buildings during the 2016-17 school year, followed by full implementation in our remaining three buildings during the 2017-18 year.
One of my first tasks was to pull the teacher assistants together to discuss how intervention was going. We’ve since met on a regular basis and through these meetings been able to strive for consistency for how Delta Math is being implemented in each building. I also use these meetings as an opportunity to provide training for the teacher assistants on best practices in instruction. Two areas of focus have been the C-R-A approach and Number Talks.
My 2nd task in overseeing Delta Math has been to provide more training for classroom teachers. I’ve met with grade level groups and discussed the standards that Delta Math focuses on. From there we looked at how each standard is being addressed in our math program. Although we are just in our first year, we are very pleased with our students’ growth. From the fall to winter readiness screen, our students made growth on every standard, some by 30-40 percentage points.
Next year, we plan to use the 2018 Spring Screener and the Fall Screener to help target those students who need intervention as soon as possible. To help support the interventionists, I hope to have a teacher at each building who will be the point person. I will continue to meet regularly with the interventionists to provide training on best practices. Both Michael Klavon and Joe McKenzie from Delta Math have been a tremendous support during this first year of implementation. I look forward to working with both as we begin year 2 with Delta Math.
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Alt+Shift Update
Alt+Shift maintains a Lending Library of Assistive Technology devices and tools that Michigan public school educators can borrow to trial before purchase. Alternative access devices, augmentative and alternative communication devices, tablets, and instructional materials, and more are available. The library is searchable, and if we do not have an item that you would like to try, you can request that it be added.
This month, we added Equabeams to the library.
Help students understand equality with this self-correcting balance. It is the perfect manipulative for reinforcing the number facts and revealing the structure of arithmetic—that the facts are commutative (a+b = b+a), associative, [(a+b)+c = a+(b+c)], and distributive [a(b+c) = ab+ac]—thus aiding mental arithmetic and reducing the number of facts to be learned. The EquaBeam can be used to teach time, money, measurement, fractions, decimals, percent, and more in conjunction with other manipulatives.
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Assistive Technology (AT) to Support Math Teachers & Learners
This month’s resource is for a range of learners who may require or need assistive technology (AT) to be successful in math. An informative AT webinar is delivered by Diana Petschauer, a certified Assistive Technology Professional consultant and founder of Assistive Technology for Education and Access4Employment. She talks through how math assignments can be worked on in accessible formats, and ways assistive technologies can support foundational and complex math skills, such as algebra, geometry, word problems, fractions, math drills, and automaticity, showing examples on her iPad and laptop throughout the webinar.
Read through the app matrix for supporting math skills for diverse learners to discover apps and online learning tools that allow accessibility for both our youngest learners to those in advanced math.
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Upcoming (Mi)^2 Trainings
Enhancing Mathematics Instruction for Students with Learning Difficulties
This 3-day course is designed for teams who are teaching grade 4 - Algebra 1. Math teachers and special educators will deepen their understanding of the kinds of difficulties students have with mathematics, with a focus on content related to expressions and equations. A fourth day of training will be offered on March 6, 2019 for teams that want to be certified (or recertified) as facilitators to do trainings within their intermediate school districts.
When: January 29-30 and March 5, 2019
Where: Clinton County Regional Educational Service Agency (RESA) in St. Johns
Time:
- Registration: 8:00 a.m.
- Course: 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. (lunch will be provided)
Fee: $75
For more information and to register, see the Enhancing Math course flyer.
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Math Around Michigan
Math In Action - Save the Date
Math in Action presents lively and informative discussions of current issues in mathematics education while providing an opportunity for practicing PreK-12 teachers, prospective teachers, curriculum directors, and college and university faculty to share ideas, concerns, and resources. State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH) credits are available for most sessions. The conference consists of six hour-long sessions with approximately eight separate interactive presentations during each session. Presentations are focused on specific mathematics topics at a variety of grade levels.
This year’s event will be February, 23, 2019 from 8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. in Mackinac Hall on the Allendale Campus of Grand Valley State University.
For more information about the conference, go to the Math in Action event page or download the Math in Action Flyer.
79th Annual Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC) - Save the Date
The Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC) will hold their annual conference March 6-8, 2019 in Grand Rapids. Participants can expect strategies, solutions, and best practices for meeting academic, social, and emotional needs to better address the whole child. For more information on the MCEC, please visit their MCEC website.
2019 Michigan Statistics Poster Competition
This competition is sponsored by the Department of Statistics and the Regional Math and Science Center at Grand Valley State University with support from the Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics. All students in grades K-12 residing in Michigan are eligible to participate. Entries will be judged in four different grade level categories. Posters must be postmarked by March 1, 2019. For more information and competition rules, please visit the poster competition information page.
Embracing Mathematics, Assessment, and Technology in High Schools (EMATHS)
EMATHS has provided professional learning opportunities to over 1700 secondary mathematics teachers across the state. With EMATHS, teachers gain insight into how students might approach a problem. EMATHS next professional learning experience will be provided online starting January 19, 2019. It will focus on the implementation of Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II units. Registration deadline is January 7, 2019. For more information for the online PD, download the EMATHS flier. For more information on EMaths, visit the EMaths site or check out the EMaths brochure.
Responsive Mathematics Institute - Save the Date
The Washtenaw Intermediate School District presents this opportunity for educators to examine mathematics instruction from an equity perspective. The institute will focus on applying culturally relevant pedagogy by developing a reflective practice and responsive instruction. Dates for 2019 include: January 17, March 14, and May 2. For more information, visit the Mathematics Institute event page.
Michigan's New Science Technology Engineering Mathematics (STEM) Teacher Network
The STEM Teacher Network is a community-driven professional learning community that connects STEM instructors across Michigan. Members can interact through the online community or join in on monthly live sessions which are held on the second Tuesday of each month. Each meeting will focus on a specific topic (such as free resources, class routines, or fundraising) and will feature a panel of fellow STEM teachers who are knowledgeable about that particular topic.
Sign up to receive the STEM Teacher Network updates including an invitation to join the online community.
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(Mi)^2 Resources
Website: mi2.cenmi.org
(Mi)2 Update, a monthly e-newsletter: Subscribe
Technical Assistance: Contact (Mi)2
Follow us on Twitter: @Mi2_Math and Facebook
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(Mi)^2 Partner Organizations
The Detroit Area Council of Teachers of Mathematics (DACTM) proactively supports Michigan math educators’ continued professional growth.
The Michigan Council for Exceptional Children (MCEC) is part of a national community of educators who are the voice and vision of special and gifted education.
The Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics (MCTM) is the professional organization for Michigan mathematics educators at any grade level, pre-K through college.
The Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network (MMSCN) collaborates with partners across the state to improve math and science teaching.
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