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Hello Math Community,
We enjoyed getting to see and learn with many of you at our Spring Middle School Math Collaboration Days! As we head into student conference week and beyond, we hope you are able to get enough sleep, eat well, and wash your hands thoroughly and frequently!
Read on for information about:
- Upcoming Professional Development
- Core Curriculum News
- Featured Resource
- Upcoming Opportunities
- Recent Activities
This information (and more!) is also provided on the SFUSD Math website at www.sfusdmath.org, and you can follow us on Twitter: @SFUSDMath.
Thank you for all that you do!
The Math Team
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Happy Pi Day!
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Upcoming Math Professional Development
Problem Solving Cycle Teacher Leader Preparation (TLP)
The next Problem Solving Cycle Teacher Leader Preparation, TLP 2-3, will be after school on April 23rd, at Cabrillo, Bungalow 2.
Contact Person: Alisa Brown
Complex Instruction Teacher Facilitators (T-facs)
The next T-Facs meeting will be on April 21st, from 4:30 – 6:30 PM, at Mission High School.
Contact person: Angela Torres
Cultivating Math Problem Solvers through IEP Goals Working Group
How can we support students with disabilities to engage in meaningful and rigorous math experiences? Join PK-12 educators in this working group to explore how we might be able to use math IEP goals based on the Standards for Math Practice to support students to approach problems like mathematicians. The working group will meet twice, from 4:00 – 6:00 PM, at a location to be determined.
- Session #1: April 22
- Session #2: May 18
Please see the flyer for Cultivating Math Problem Solvers through IEP Goals for more information and to register.
For a calendar of all middle school math professional development activities, visit the Math Department website. You may also refer to this Overview of our Middle School Professional Development Structures.
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Spring District Assessments
Scores for the spring District Assessment (from Unit 6.5, 7.7, or 8.6) should be reported by March 6th. The Achievement Assessments Office is sending student-level reports to ELA teachers so that the reports arrive at schools on March 6th, in time for student conferences. This may mean that the Math Milestone Score sections will be blank for some students. You can also print reports directly from Illuminate, by following these instructions.
If you have questions about District Assessments, please check with your school’s testing coordinator, or refer to the information on AAO’s website.
Contact person for Grades 6–8 Math Core Curriculum: Vriana Kempster
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Featured Resource
Formative Assessment Lessons in the Curriculum
Formative Assessment Lessons (FALs) are lessons designed to help uncover and then develop student mathematical understanding. Some FALs are designed to help connect ideas, important concepts, and diverse mathematical knowledge. Others are designed to help students apply their math knowledge to novel problems. The goal of FALs is to surface what students know and understand, rather than just the "right answer." FALs are about the process of doing mathematics, and thus can serve as windows into how your students are taking up the Math Practices. FALs often include pre- and post-assessments, and are great lessons from which to design re-engagement experiences.
Many middle school units contain FALs, often but not always, as part of the Expert Task. You can search for FALs in the Unit Overview document for each unit.
For more information on finding and using FALs, please see the FAL page on the SFUSD Math website, or talk to your coach.
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Upcoming Opportunities for Students
Desmos Global Math Art Contest
Desmos is hosting a contest for art created by students using the Desmos Graphing Calculator. The contest is open to any student aged 13–18. Judging will be based on three age categories: 13–14 years old, 15–16 years old, and 17–18 years old. The Desmos judges will be looking for original art that is creative, showcases mathematics, and produces delight! There are prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each age category, and 30 finalists will receive Desmos T-shirts for the student and their teacher, and a pizza party for the student’s math class. All entries must be submitted by a parent or teacher; and only one entry per student will be accepted. The deadline for submitting entries is April 10th. See https://blog.desmos.com/articles/art-contest-launch/ for more information.
Upcoming Opportunities for Educators
San Francisco Mathematics Teachers Association (SFMTA) Panel Discussion
The SFMTA invites you to join fellow educators – including some of SFUSD's own! – for a candid look at the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in the 10 years since their adoption. What has changed in Math Education and what hasn’t? Where do we go from here? The panel includes Maria Zavala, Asst. Professor, SFSU, Angela Torres, High School Math Content Specialist, SFUSD, Rori Abernethy, Middle School Math Teacher, SFUSD, and others. The event is on March 20th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at the County Fair Building, 1199 9th Ave, Golden Gate Park. The event is free for SFMTA members, and $10 for non-members to join. Light dinner will be provided. Learn more about the event and register through the link on this flyer.
Strong Women: May We Know Them, May We Raise Them, May We Be Them
The California Teachers Association is hosting a Women's Issues Spring Reception on March 13th, from 5:00–7:30 PM, in Burlingame . The session will include a panel discussion, as well as time for teachers to plan a lesson or event honoring the 100 anniversary of Women's Suffrage. Special guests include: SF League of Women Voters, Women of the Black Panthers, Women in STEM, and a Trans Rights Activist. A light meal and refreshments will be served. For more information and to RSVP, please see this flyer.
Celebrate Pi Day with the Alameda Contra Costa Council of Mathematics Educators (AC3ME)
Kick off the celebration of Pi Day with a presentation by Dan Meyer: When Will I Use This: The Mathematics of Breaking a Guinness World Record. The presentation is on Saturday, March 14th at 10:00 AM at the Lawrence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley. This event is free to all teachers, administrators, and MATH lovers. Those attending the 10:00 AM presentation will be admitted free to the Lawrence Hall of Science (parking is extra, so plan on carpooling). Dan's presentation and Q&A will end by noon. Afterwards participants are welcome to stay and visit the many wonderful math and science exhibits at the Lawrence Hall of Science! For more information and to register, please click this link.
Noticing Productive Struggle Research Study
SFUSD Middle School Math teachers are invited to participate in a study on teacher noticing of student productive struggle conducted by Michael Jarry-Shore, a Doctoral Student at Stanford's Graduate School of Education. The study has two purposes: to learn about how teachers notice evidence of student struggle and how they make sense of it, and to get teacher input on developing a tool to help other teachers notice struggle. Participating teachers would take part in two one-hour interviews at a convenient time and place. Participating teacher's math department would receive $120. If you are interested, you can reach out to directly Michael by email at mjarrysh@stanford.edu, or talk to your math coach.
CPM Academy of Best Practices: New Math Teacher Institute
CPM is holding an Academy of Best Practices: New Math Teacher Institute from August 3rd to August 7th, at Seattle Pacific University! This 5-day institute is designed to help new math teachers (with 5 or fewer years of experience) develop into future leaders, to aid their professional growth both in the classroom and in the field of education, to increase their resources, and to form a countrywide network of teacher support. CPM supports teacher participation by providing travel to and from Seattle as well as the room and meals at Seattle Pacific University. Participants have the option to purchase graduate credit. Please share the flyer with your newer teachers. The deadline for applications, including references, is May 1.
NCTM Grant for Enhancing Student Mathematics Learning through the Use of Tools and Technology
NCTM members are eligible to apply for this grant that encourages the innovative use of technology and other tools. For 2019–20, grants with a maximum of $3,000 each will be awarded to persons currently teaching mathematics in grades Pre-K–12. Materials may include, but not be limited to, books, calculators, tablets, computers, or related equipment as well as professional development in the use of the designated tools and technology. The focus of the proposal should be on the mathematics being taught and innovative uses of the tools and technology. Proposals must include a plan for evaluating materials and the anticipated impact on students' learning. Applicants are encouraged to seek matching funds from internal and external sources. The deadline for submitting a proposal is May 1.
San Francisco State Master's Degree in Education Program
San Francisco State is seeking K–12 teachers who want to earn a Master's Degree in Education with an emphasis in Mathematics Education. They plan to accept a new cohort for Fall 2020. This two-year program is jointly run by the Departments of Elementary Education, Secondary Education, and Mathematics. For more information, email Professor Judy Kysh: jkysh@sfsu.edu or Professor Maria Zavala: mza@sfsu.edu.
San Francisco Math Teachers' Circle (SFMTC)
The San Francisco Math Teachers’ Circle is a professional community of teachers and mathematicians who love solving fun, challenging math problems. The SFMTC offers monthly Saturday meetings for math teachers interested in exploring accessible, exciting topics in mathematics. All teachers are welcome to attend. Meetings include lunch, which is complimentary. The next meeting is on Saturday, March 7th, from 9:30 AM to noon at the Proof School. Check out the SFMTC website for more information and to register.
If you know of other upcoming opportunities for math teachers or students, please let us know.
Contact person: Sarah Gleason
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Recent Activities
Middle School Math Collaboration Days
We appreciated the deep engagement and the collective learning at the Middle School Math Spring Collaboration days in January and February! We analyzed student work to better understand students’ strengths and needs around core grade-level math, and to plan for re-engagement activities. We are excited to hear how about how the re-engagement experiences are impacting student learning in your classrooms.
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Teacher Leaders analyzing student work to understand student strengths and needs around core grade-level math.
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Problem Solving Cycle Teacher Leader Preparation Day
Problem Solving Cycle (PSC) Teacher Leaders came together on February 25th for the second Teacher Leader Preparation (TLP) day of the Spring Semester. Teacher Leaders continued to investigate how the Closure Tool and Practical Measures Survey can support amplifying student voice in learning math, and planned and rehearsed a workshop (using Video-Based Discussion) focused on their site's learning question(s) connected to closure.
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Teachers connecting and partnering across sites at the Problem Solving Cycle Teacher Leader Preparation Day 2-2.
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Thank you for all that you do!
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