Noyce METS News

April/May 2013
Noyce Mathematics Education Teaching Scholars at North Carolina State University Producing highly qualified mathematics teachers who are prepares to use technology, strong content understanding and research-based practices in teaching high school mathematics.

This years NCTM national conference focused on a number of strands. There were presentations that focused on mathematical topics such as proof and algebraic thinking, and those that described inclusive classroom practices such as formative assessment and equity. Ayanna Perry and Emily Thrasher, Noyce program managers, traveled to Denver to add to this wealth of knowledge by giving two presentations. Session one, Supporting beginning teachers through online social communities, described the many online supports that have been used to support our Noyce scholars, including the Noyce Wiki, Noyce Website, Facebook, Eluminate, and Dropbox. They also described the more important classroom observations that provide non-evaluative feedback on lesson observations. Having received scholar feedback that these non-evaluative observations are what our scholars really appreciate, we shared with other Noyce programs, university supervisors, and district coaches how much teachers appreciate being able to share their fears and struggles in a safe setting. We also heard about what other schools are doing to support their students online. One of the best supports that we heard about was using Edmodo to allow student teachers to post quick reflections during their student teaching experience. Session two, Using iPads to enhance the mathematics classroom, described iPad apps that can be used to support student learning in the mathematics classroom. We presented apps that supported the modeling of data- Data Analysis, measurement of real world figures and comparisons of measurement- Multi Measure Lite, and graphing of functions in two and three dimensions- Quick Graph. What was more impressive about the apps that we discussed during our session was that all of the apps were free. We aim to continue compiling free apps and sharing them with our scholars so that they can use them in their classrooms. As a program that promotes research that supports classroom practice, we will continue to share our knowledge at these and other conferences. NCTM Professional Development Opportunities: E-Seminars
NCTM has more than regular meetings. It also offers regular e-seminars free of charge for members. Below are two E-Seminar ANYTIME that may be of interest. 1) Implementing the Grades 9-12 Common Core State Standards with NCTM Resources This session will focus on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in grades 9-12 with an emphasis on mathematical modeling, algebra, data analysis, and reasoning and sense-making 2) Mathematics Teaching and Student Learning: What does the research say? Although teaching makes a real difference in what students learn, what kind of teaching is most effective depends on what we want students to learn. Using data from international comparisons to illustrate key points, this seminar will explore emerging research on the relationships between teaching and learning.