eNews Newsletter

September 2015

National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics

Leadership Resources

Be on the lookout for the next issue of the NCSM Journal of Mathematics Education Leadership. This issue of the journal includes articles addressing administrators' professional noticing (Bennett, Amador, and Avila), the preparation of elementary mathematics specialists (de Araujo), and challenges coaches face (Whitenack and Ellington). In addition, Munter, Stein, and Smith ask, Is there a common pedagogical core? If you are interested in submitting an article or serving as a reviewer, please visit the journal's website, or contact the Editor, Angela Barlow.

What's New at NCSM

Online voting for the 2016 NCSM open positions begins September 15, 2015 and closes October 15, 2015 at midnight.

Open positions include: President Elect, Second Vice President, and three Regional Director positions (Central 1, Eastern 1, Southern 2). Watch for the postcard in the mail this week, as you will need the numeric code on the mailing label. Be sure to cast your vote today!

Happenings in Mathematics Education

Applications for travel grants are available to attend the Thirteenth International Congress on Mathematical Education (ICME-13). The meeting will be held in Hamburg, Germany from July 24-31, 2016. Application deadline is September 30, 2015.

See www.nctm.org/icme13/ for an application and information about the acceptance process. See http://icme13.org for information on the Congress. It's a great reason to visit Germany next summer!

Subscribe to eNews

All NCSM members are automatically subscribed to NCSM's eNews. Anyone can subscribe to this electronic newsletter (members and non-members).

Encourage others to subscribe. Forward this issue to your friends and colleagues who work in or have an interest in mathematics education leadership - or send them to our website,
www.mathedleadership.org, where they can subscribe themselves.

eNews Editor

Babette M. Benken is pleased to be NCSM's eNews Editor. Please feel free to contact Babette at babette.benken@
mathedleadership.org with news, feedback, or suggestions.

Welcome to the September 2015
eNews

The NCSM eNews will now be published monthly. Our goal is to provide the NCSM community with current happenings for both the NCSM organization and mathematics education. Please let us know if you have suggestions for future editions. We hope your new academic year is off to a wonderful start!

Babette M. Benken, eNews Editor

Message from the NCSM President, John Staley

Happy September! I know for many of us we may have already encountered someone who has an "interesting" view or perception of mathematics that is now being taught in classrooms, especially at the elementary levels. This view often leaves parents and guardians frustrated because they do not understand this "new" math. Now is the time for us to increase our engagement in conversations as we support teachers and administrators in their work to help parents gain a better understanding of the mathematics inside the classroom.

So, I ask, "How are you engaging parents and community stakeholders in conversations around the teaching and learning of mathematics?" I offer the following example. Recently while visiting with an elementary principal we were discussing her teachers' challenges with parents when they do not understand the "new way" their child is asked to do math homework. I encouraged her to remind parents that some of the topics taught at various grades are now introduced earlier than when they were in elementary school. This provides time to develop conceptual understanding and will lead to a deeper understanding. Their children will get to a point where they learn an "algorithm" or procedure that may be similar to what the parents remember.

Join the conversation this month and share ideas (#NCSMHT) to help build parents, guardians, and community stakeholders understanding of the mathematics their children are doing. Shifting the conversation from an emphasis on "standards and assessments" to making mathematics meaningful, relevant, and accessible for each and every student takes a community. Get engaged? Stay engaged!

Have a great month.

It's Time for the NCSM 2015 Fall Seminars

The 2015 Fall Seminars will present the theme: IT'S TIME: Using Imperatives to Support and Motivate Leaders in Mathematics Education: Shifting Beliefs and Mindsets.

"For leaders in mathematics education, understanding the role that beliefs play in the work of teachers is crucial to providing targeted guidance and support for teachers of mathematics...A teacher's mindset can influence his or her approach to teaching mathematics...Like nurturing a guiding vision, leaders and teams of leaders must attend to shifting beliefs and mindsets of those who impact school mathematics programs" (It's TIME, pp. 12-14).

During the one-day seminar, participants will

Address the beliefs and mindsets that guide actions and determine willingness to change.
Learn, explore, and discuss teacher and student mindsets related to learning mathematics.
Think about and discuss the following questions:

Do we address the teaching and learning of mathematics with a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?
How does this impact our actions as leaders of mathematics?

The NCSM Fall Seminars are held on the Wednesday prior to the NCTM Regionals from 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Join us for a value-packed day at three different locations and dates:

October 21, 2015 - Atlantic City, NJ (Resorts Casino Hotel)

November 11, 2015 - Minneapolis, MN (Hyatt Regency Minneapolis)

November 18, 2015 - Nashville, TN (Renaissance Hotels Nashville).

Please join John Staley, NCSM President, Pat Baltzley and Lisa Scott, NCSM Summer Academy & Fall Seminar Directors, along with other leaders in mathematics education at these one-day seminars! Register now.

Annual Conference: April 11-13, 2016

Like us on facebook

Connect with us on LinkedIn

See what we're pinning