The second joint NCTE-NCTM is in Chicago this year. From the beginning I have loved the idea of a joint conference focused on elementary grades. If elementary teachers have the option of only choosing one conference in a year, I understand why many might go to NCTE instead of NCTM. I was fortunate to attend NCTE in Boston this year after years of not attending. I came away with free books worth more than what I paid in registration and the opportunity to learn with amazing educators. The keynotes were major figures from a variety of fields, including Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and Kate McKinnon, and there was a general sense of literacy love. All that being said, I love presenting at and attending NCTM, even if much of my learning requires adding another conference fee to attend/present at NCSM as well. My research on teacher math anxiety means that I am not surprised to find fewer elementary teachers at NCTM. Winning or being given one manipulative or small set at the exhibitions still means they need to purchase the rest. Very seldom are they given the opportunity to win a free professional book. And since Numb3rs went off the air we really don’t have the same mainstream appeal for keynotes. That does not mean I don’t attend and learn from our keynotes, but there definitely is a different “vibe” as my kids would say.
As someone who works in both math and literacy, there have been times at NCSM/TM conferences when I have experienced comments from other math educators who don’t feel I do enough “pure math” (whatever that means). I am okay with being the person who is not interested in doing math for fun. What makes math fun and interesting for me is the way in which people learn it. How they think about and represent this thinking. That is what helps me experience the joy of math and I am good with that. But I digress…
The Joint conference allows for individual subject area exploration in some sessions and promotes the idea of not seeing the reading and sense making skills in separate silos in others. I am excited to present a new presentation on this cross-curricular approach (the other presentation is on math anxiety—one of several sessions on math anxiety at the conference so we can all acknowledge that it is still a problem).
Molly and I have talked for several years about having a recap on Math 4 All of our day’s learning when we go to conferences. I am hoping to give an overview of the sessions and learning I have from the next couple of days.
Session one: Problem-Solving Book Editors: Using Math Missing Pages to Engage Students in Reading and Writing Mathematical Arguments. I am so glad I ended up choosing this session by presenters (Jeremy Winters, Cindy Cliche and Maddie Price) who were new to me. I will be the first to admit that sometimes I attend sessions by people I know because I know they will be good. This session was one where taking a chance really paid off! When I do work with teachers on problem types there is often a grudging “okay, fine we will look at problem types” response in their body language at least. Unless you have had time or training in CGI you may not have explored problem or situation types beyond seeing them in the Standard documents. I LOVE how Jeremy, Cindy and Maddie outlined their “passion project” to bring Missing Math Pages to classrooms as a way for students to see themselves as problem solvers AND authors. I will be doing a more in-depth exploration in the near future but check out the website.
Keynote: if you are interested in poetry that tackles some difficult concepts that I would take a look at the work by Irene Latham and Charles Waters. I think that using their poems in an Open House routine would be a great idea.
Session two: I FINALLY had the opportunity to hear Deborah Peart Clayton, the Queen Mather herself present instead of our presenting at the same time in other conferences. Deborah reminds us that all students need to be capable math users. Not being a mather is not an option if you want to function in this world. You need to be reading, writing and mathing!
I got caught up talking with friends so missed the next session. But that is part of attending conferences as well so all good with that!
For the final session of the day was exploring Play with Zak Champagne of Flynn Education.
I had some amazing conversations with my table mate both on the tasks Zak presented and on how to incorporate play into her building. The idea of giving teachers time to play within the work we do is also an ongoing goal. There is often the push to get to the goal (which is not play often enough).
Are you attending the joint conference? What are your major takeaways?