2017 CCTM Annual Conference -- Morning Program

Below are the sessions scheduled for the morning of Friday, September 15. Please be sure to also see the afternoon program.

Keynote Address

Sense-Making: Is it at the Core of Your Classroom?

The National Resource Council points to a "productive disposition" as a key strand of mathematical proficiency. A major part of this strand is viewing mathematics as something that makes sense. Are your students making sense of the mathematics they explore? Do they feel that mathematics is an inherently sensible endeavor? We'll look at ways in which students don't make sense of mathematics, consider why, and discuss strategies for making it a larger part of the expectations in your classroom.

Annie Fetter
The Math Forum at NCTM

Sturm Hall - Davis Auditorium

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Facilitating Productive Classroom Conversations Using Desmos Activity Builder

Experience a Desmos activity through a student lens and learn how to utilize the teacher dashboard and classroom conversation toolkit to facilitate individual and collaborative student thinking. We'll also discuss ways to adapt or create your own high quality Desmos activities. Bring a laptop or tablet to maximize your participation.

Lisa Bejarano
Aspen Valley HS, Academy District 20

Tools & Technology
Grades 9-12, Post-Secondary, Pre-Service, Coaches
Sturm Hall - Davis Auditorum

Demystifying Tasks in the Math Classroom

***90-minute session from 9:45-11:15***

The type of tasks we assign in our classes shape students mindset. How can we help students develop a growth mindset in a mathematics classroom? Students need to have opportunities to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. This session will address two topics. How can we find tasks (with a low floor and a high ceiling) that align to the standards that we are teaching? Once you have selected a task, how do you plan for its implementation? Planning for the unexpected, using students questions to direct the learning, allowing students the opportunity to experience productive struggle. I hope to take the fear out of assigning rich mathematical tasks in your classroom.

Jeff McCalla
T^3 Instructor / St. Mary's Episcopal School (TN)

Driscoll 1864

Growth Mindset and the Value of Mistakes in Learning

Experience mathematics classroom activities on interpreting distance-time graphs to understand how inquiry-based tasks—along with mindset messages—can impact the learning of middle-school students.

Sandie Gilliam
Editor, CMT Journal
NCSM Regional Director

Teaching & Learning
Grades 6-8
Driscoll 1880

The Mathematics Behind the Zombie Apocalypse!

A "Zombie Virus" is spreading, causing people to turn into, well, zombies. Will you be next? Can we model the mathematics behind this impending disaster? Is anyone safe?! Can we use STEM strategies to head off the crisis? Join us and find out!

Jeff Lukens
Retired, Sioux Falls, SD

Teaching & Learning
Preservice, Grades 6-12
Sturm Hall 234

Teaching Multiplication and Division of Fractions Conceptually

This session will demonstrate how to teach fraction multiplication and division conceptually using manipulative, drawings and application of whole number operations. The attendees will learn what it means multiplying a fraction or dividing a fraction more than just following the algorithm. The presenter will also address how to use students' prior knowledge of whole number operation to solve fraction problems.

Hyun Jung Kang
University of Northern Colorado

Teaching & Learning
Grades 3-5
Sturm Hall 235

We Are All Mathematicians: Inspiring Mathematical Thinking Through Student Projects

What would happen if you challenged your students to determine where math exists in their lives and why it is important? As it turns out, some pretty cool stuff.  We are all mathematicians - you, me, our students -  and, sometimes, we forget that.  This session will discuss how we, as math teachers, can outline a project that will inspire thinking, empower learning, and create community through connecting students' own passions to mathematics.

Jill Mitchell
Denver Academy

Access & Equity
Grades 9-12
Sturm Hall 253

Implement Effective Math Teacher Practices Using Interactive Simulations

Lessons that incorporate interactive simulations engage students in reasoning, problem solving, and productive struggle, and encourage connecting mathematical representations. Bring your favorite device (laptop, tablet) and discover how to design and facilitate sim-based lessons and engage students in the mathematical practices.

Jeff Bush (for Amanda McGarry)
PhET Interactive Simulations, University of Colorado Boulder

Tools & Technology
Grades 3-12
Sturm Hall 310

Rigorous and Cognitively Demanding Tasks for All

Join as we explore how to craft rigorous tasks that engage students in the skills, concepts, and practices of mathematicians. In this session we will engage in collegial discourse on how to support students in cognitively demanding tasks that differentiates for all learners.

Laurie Wretling
PEBC

Heather Kuzma
PEBC

Teaching & Learning
Grades 6-12
Sturm Hall 380

Engaging and Accountable Discourse that Percolates Mathematical Thinking

***2-hour session from 9:45-11:45***

Teachers will experience a mathematical workshop allowing them to engage in accountable discourse that will keep them thinking beyond the hour. They will walk away with discourse moves they can implement the next day to encourage a deeper level of thinking in their classroom. 

Sathya Wandzek
PEBC

Kristie Krier
PEBC

Teaching & Learning
Grades 6-8, Coaches, Admin
Sturm Hall 424

Old Geometry Concepts in a New Light

We will use the capabilities of the TI-Nspire to investigate some old geometric concepts in a new and exciting way.

Pat Mara
Pueblo

Tools & Technology
Grades 9-12, Post-Secondary, Preservice, Coaches
Sturm Hall 435

Coaching Research-Based Best Practices in Mathematics

The school structure and school leadership play important roles in developing research-based pedagogy with their teachers. In this session, I am examining the ways that leadership in schools can help or hinder the use of research-based teaching practices within mathematics classrooms through observations, feedback, and evaluations between the teacher and school leader.

Jacklyn VanOoyik
University of Denver

Teaching & Learning
Coaches, Admin
Sturm Hall 453

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Using the "5 Practices" to Engage in Mathematics

Participants will engage in a mathematical task. Following the task, participants will discuss Smith & Stein's (2011) 5 Practices. With a focus on sequencing student work to facilitate mathematical discourse, participant work as well as student work will be used to promote the discussion.

Mary Pilgrim
Colorado State University

Amy TerEick
Sunnyside Elementary School, Mounds View Public Schools (MN)

Teaching & Learning
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Sturm Hall 454

Differentiated Assessment: Simple techniques for reaching and teaching ALL learners

Learn a simple technique to craft quizzes and tests that: engage ALL learners, provide more accurate evidence of student learning, and simplify grading. This differentiation strategy honors the important differences students bring to the classroom, inviting struggling and advanced learners alike to persist and deepen their strengths on assessments. We will have time to collaborate and hone this technique: choose a standard to assess and craft leveled “parallel tasks” for students to select to demonstrate their current level of content mastery. Our tasks empower students of all levels of mastery to accurately depict their math understanding, and the specific, timely, and personalized results inspire ALL students to grow.

Cary Hoste
Casey Middle School, BVSD

Emily Hite
Casey Middle School, BVSD

Access & Equity
Grades 3-12, Preservice
Sturm Hall 480

Increasing Student Engagement Through Problem Solving

Participants will explore the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions (NCTM 2011) while engaging in a problem solving lesson. Specific connections will be made between problem solving and solving a problem to increase student engagement.

Kathy O'Sadnick
Jeffco Public Schools

Jill Kalb
Jeffco Public Schools

Teaching & Learning
Grades 6-8, 9-12
Sturm Hall 490

Making Math Workshops Work

Climb inside a workshop model math learning experience where students and their thinking are in the driver’s seat. Then, step back and explore about how to create similarly engaging opportunities for young learners to grow their mathematical understanding. This session will present an overview of workshop model math instruction and offer key stepping stones to successful implementation. Participants will leave inspired to design and facilitate math workshops all their own.

Wendy Ward Hoffer
PEBC

Teaching & Learning
Grades 3-12
Sturm Hall - Davis Auditorium

Discovery Education

Scott Burns
Discovery Education

Teaching & Learning
Grades K-2
Sturm Hall 234

Valuable Little Known Tips & Tricks for TI-83/84/CE (color) TI-SmartView

For new and experienced users – get 13 creative and cool essential ideas to utilize the TI-83/84 and its - color version, TI-84CE, much more effectively. See how to use the 84 as an evaluator of complex expressions easily, trace on a graph and table simultaneously, quickly evaluate the quadratic formula, store window settings, quickly investigate transformation graphing with lists, and more. And get tips on how to fully utilize the TI-SmartView graphing calculator emulator.

Tom Reardon
Fitch High School (OH) / Youngstown State University

Tools & Technology
Grades 6-8, 9-12, Postsecondary, Preservice
Sturm Hall 235

SWAG – Students with a Goal

Growth mindset starts with believing in your students by providing quality instruction. Math fact fluency goal setting supports math standards while developing automaticity which is effortless recall of arithmetic facts. Goal setting with students identifies the how and why math fact fluency is needed while developing perseverance in meeting goals. Reflex Math provides the high-quality resource that is adaptive and individualized instruction.

Patty Low
ExploreLearning

Access & Equity
Grades K-8
Sturm Hall 310

Let them Struggle:  Instruction Focused on Transfer of Learning

The mathematical needs of today’s society are changing rapidly. In this interactive, thought-provoking session, we will explore a rationale for expanding the focus of classroom mathematics to include the thinking skills that students now need to engage effectively in today's (and tomorrow's) society.  Learn how to leverage discourse, metacognition, self-questioning, and self-reflection through the use of rich mathematical tasks.

Rob Nickerson
ORIGO Education

Teaching & Learning
Grades 3-5
Sturm Hall 453

Technology: Gateways to Mathematics for All

The usage of technologies through a Universal Design for Learning lens to provide access into various mathematics concepts is explored in this workshop through the medium of teacher-created stories. Specific strategies for diverse learners, including students with learning disabilities and English-language learners, will be addressed.

Dennis DeBay
CU Denver

Karen Terrell
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Access & Equity
Grades 3-12
Driscoll 1880

Instructional Strategies for Teaching Mathematical Vocabulary

Research says people need to experience new vocabulary terms 6 different ways before the vocabulary is in their long-term memory.  How many different ways to present vocabulary did you learn in your methods class (I, for one, had NO instruction in teaching vocabulary in college).  This session will look at a two ways to write definitions and explore several strategies to improve your students’ understanding of mathematical vocabulary.

Terry Walsh
Retired Math Coach, Fort Lupton

Tools & Technology
Grades 6-12, Preservice, Coaches
Sturm Hall 334

Elevating Algebraic Habits of Mind in the Classroom

Participants will explore strategies to elevate the algebraic habits of mind in the classroom. Intentional connections will be made to the Standards for Mathematical Practices so that teachers will have tangible strategies to implore student understanding.

Vicki Reed
Jeffco Public Schools

Jill Kalb
Jeffco Public Schools

Teaching & Learning
Grades 3-8, Coaches, Admin
Sturm Hall 380

Time to Teach

Classroom Management strategies will be shared, originally from Dr. Madeline Hunter and Coach Wooden. Time to Teach is based on the belief that even the best content cannot be absorbed by students unless there is a positive classroom environment to learn. Participants will learn the beliefs and strategies to create a positive culture in the classroom. These strategies are like icing on the cake for any teaching program for academic content. Time to Teach will give you more time to teach your content, and will result in less burn out with the challenges of managing your classroom, with the wide range of students you are currently teaching.

Gordon Gibson
Center for Teacher Effectiveness

Access & Equity
Grades 3-12, Postsecondary, Admin
Sturm Hall 253

Coding in the Mile High City

No matter the city, coding is used to solve a problem. Using calculators, this will be a hands-on session for an introduction to coding and also how to write programs to write code to control blinking LEDs, sound and more using the TI-Innovator Hub.

Judy Hicks
Retired, Jeffco Public Schools

Tools & Technology
Grades 6-12
Sturm Hall 454

Colorado Mathematics Standards Review and Revision

This session will feature members of the committee who are tasked with reviewing and revising Colorado's mathematics standards. They will discuss their roles in the committee's work, summarize the information they've considered in their review of the standards, and present the proposed revisions that the public will have an opportunity to comment on before a final proposal goes to the State Board of Education in 2018.

Raymond Johnson
Colorado Department of Education

Teaching & Learning
Grades K-12, Postsecondary, Preservice, Admin, Coaches
Sturm Hall 480

Student and Teacher Math Circles: Enhancing Problem Solving for All

In this session, participants will work on math problems that we have done with both teachers and students at our Northern Colorado Math Circles' sessions. Participants will share their solutions with each other while hearing how our student participants solved similar problems.

Gulden Karakok
University of Northern Colorado

Delia Haefeli
Winograd K-8, Greeley

Teaching & Learning
Grades 3-8, Coaches
Sturm Hall 490

The Math Talk MVPS

Who is doing the most talking in your classrooms? You or your students? In this session, use current research, best practices, rubrics, and practical tips from classrooms across the nation to increase student discourse in your classroom. We will focus on the most valuable points so you get the most out of every minute of math instruction.

Shannon Kiebler
Empower Consulting

Teaching & Learning
Grades K-5, Coaches, Administrators
Sturm Hall 234

How Do We Know What They Know?

The way teachers structure grades and provide feedback sets a culture for the class (or school) and communicates what effort and success should look like. I will share practical, manageable grading and assessment strategies that positively impact my students while decreasing their anxiety and helping to develop a growth mindset.

Lisa Bejarano
Aspen Valley HS, Academy District 20

Assessment
Grades 6-12
Sturm Hall 235

A Math Problem Solving Inventory for Gifted Learners

Mathematically gifted students are often identified using standardized achievement and ability tests, teacher recommendations, and parent questionnaires. However, these instruments may not directly measure key traits known to indicate mathematical promise. In this session, you will analyze and discuss upper-elementary students’ work on a “Math Problem Solving Inventory” designed to identify exceptional skills in areas such as recognizing and extending patterns, organizing and categorizing information, recognizing connections, showing deep conceptual understanding, generalizing structure, and processing information flexibly and creatively. You will learn about the inventory itself, tools and procedures used for evaluating the students’ work, and suggestions for making the inventory part of a larger identification process.

Jerry Burkhart
5280 Math Education

Access & Equity
Grades 3-8, Preservice, Coaches, Admin
Sturm Hall 310

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Awesome Grouping Strategies for a Student Centered Classroom

Discuss how to transform your classroom to the student centered environment that engages students and gets them excited to be in math class. See best practices in grouping students, assigning roles in groups, and how you differentiate within this structure.

Damon Smerchek
Jeffco Public Schools & Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Professionalism
Grades 9-12, Coaches, Administrators
Sturm Hall 453