Mathematics Leadership CoP (MKN) and JUMP Math invite you to a Professional Learning Network Webinar on February 15, 2022, 3:30-5pm (organized through Zoom).
From research to practice: Supporting learners and teachers of mathematics.
Summary: Dr. Mighton will talk about evidence-based principles of instruction and share the results of research and implementation of JUMP Math. Topics suitable for all grades will include:
How to teach Novice vs. Expert Learners? Using “structured inquiry” to engage all students.
How to support teachers who experience anxiety and lack confidence for teaching mathematics?
John will walk us through some Grade 3-6 math problems and the digital supports and other resources for teachers, students, parents, and tutors (e.g., online Financial Literacy lessons; free essential lessons for K-8 to mitigate learning loss; core classroom program for K-8; Math Minds—free online course from the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary, and more).
Bio: Dr. Mighton is a playwright turned mathematician and author who founded JUMP Math as a charity in 2001. His work in fostering numeracy and in building children’s self-confidence through success in math has been widely recognized. He has been named a Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur of the Year, an Ernst & Young Social Entrepreneur of the Year for Canada, an Ashoka Fellow, an Officer of the Order of Canada, and has received five honorary doctorates. John is also the recipient of the 10th Annual Egerton Ryerson Award for Dedication to Public Education. He has delivered keynotes at many conferences on education and cognitive science (Including the Aspen Brain Forum) and published articles on JUMP Math in Scientific American Mind and The Notices of the American Mathematical Society.
John had to overcome his own “massive math anxiety” before making the decision to earn a Ph.D. in Mathematics at the University of Toronto. He was later awarded an NSERC Fellowship for postdoctoral research in knot and graph theory. He is a Fellow of the Fields Institute for Research in Mathematical Sciences and has taught mathematics and education courses at the University of Toronto. He has also lectured in philosophy at McMaster University, where he received a master’s degree in philosophy.
His plays have been performed around the world and he is the recipient of several national awards for theatre, including two Governor General’s Awards.
Welcome to Volume 2 Issue 1 of the Math Knowledge NetworkQuarterly!
We are starting our fifth year with some leadership changes. Dona Kotsopoulos, a soon to be Dean of Western Faculty of Education is continuing as a Co-Director, joined by Dragana Martinovic, Professor from University of Windsor, who is replacing George Gadanidis, while he is on sabbatical. This year was challenging for all educators, school leaders, parents and students, making it even more important that we celebrate resilience and successes in our communities. In this Newsletter, you can read about activities of our four communities of practice in the previous quarter. Wishing you all health and happiness as we are closing on 2020!
Donna & Dragana (MKN co-Directors), & Arielle (MKN Coordinator)
PS – To stay up-to-date on upcoming events, activities, and resources, please visit the MKN website, join our mailing list (see subscription form bottom-right), and follow us on Twitter @mknrcm.
Welcome to Volume 1 Issue 3 of the Math Knowledge NetworkQuarterly!
The first 3 years of the Math Knowledge Network: Impact Report!
We are excited to share the first 3 years of impact from Communities of Practice: Critical Transitions, Computational Modelling, Indigenous Knowledge & Math Leadership.
George Gadanidis & Donna Kotsopoulos (MKN co-Directors)
PS – To stay up-to-date on upcoming events, activities, and resources, please visit the MKN website, join our mailing list (see subscription form bottom-right), and follow us on Twitter @mknrcm.
We report from three events in which our partners and members participated since the start of the new school year:
OAME Leadership Conference, organized on Nov 8-9, 2018, at St. Clair Centre for the Arts, in Windsor, ON
JUMP Math and Western University conference, organized on November 17-18, 2018, at Western University, London, ON.
Ministry of Education professional learning virtual meetings, organized for math facilitators (half day) and school board leaders (half-day) on Nov. 22nd and Dec. 6th, 2018.
OAME Leadership Conference 2018, Learning in the 21st Century, was dedicated to models of professional learning that go beyond face-to-face options. The keynote speakers—Dan Meyer, Cathy Fosnot, and Graham Fletcher—and invited speakers talked about online communities of mathematics educators, as well as the individual and group-learning tools and resources.
Cathy Fosnot in conversation with the conference participants. You can access Cathy’s slides by clicking on the image above.
Dan Meyer and David Petro in conversation.
The conference had 348 attendees. After the closing some of them wrote to the organizers: “Great organization and communications from Dave throughout. Choice of presenters was superb (only one session so so). Food was amazing and post conference communication also top notch. Well done and thank you!” and “This was so useful, relevant and entertaining. I liked it more than the big May conference as it was directed to math leaders which made it more relevant for me in my current position. I would like to see more of this type of focus.”
Kathy Fosnot and Graham Fletcher in conversation.
The ML CoP conducted two 70-min sessions titled, “Increasing mathematics leadership in Ontario: Leveraging (online) communities and resources,” with the following presenters and themes:
Kathy Witherow (TDSB and ML2N): How to improve EY-12 mathematics outcomes by bringing mathematics learning leaders together?
Lori Higgins and Kathy Prince (ML2N): How to organize professional learning through combining face-to-face and online opportunities?
Yvette Lehman (Greater Essex County DSB): What have we learned about mobilizing math leaders to build the expertise of all?
Dragana Martinovic (University of Windsor and MKN): What is the Math Knowledge Network? How to benefit from the MKN communities of practice?
We talked in our sessions about mathematics leadership, and how it could be developed and extended through PLCs and networks. We described regional networks organized to support the Ministry mandate towards improving mathematics teaching and learning, and how can educators benefit from engaging in the growing community of mathematics leaders. We addressed a professional learning model in which the regional networks (such as ML2N) involve board superintendents, math facilitators, coaches, and principals in learning about mathematics—content, pedagogy, and leadership. Also, we talked about the whole-school professional learning options (such as at GECDSB), where the math learning leadership teams lead their schools toward improved mathematics understanding and skills.
The full house during the ML CoP session.
The Art & Science of Math Education conferenceintended to spark a critical conversation about the social impact and cognitive science of mathematics education. The organizers invited educators, school administrators, researchers, and policy-makers to participate in the agenda designed to spur conversation, challenge status-quo thinking, and enable participants to share ideas across disciplinary boundaries.
John Mighton addressing attendees at JUMP Math: A balanced approach to numeracy skill-building and problem-solving professional development session.
An optional JUMP Math professional development day was held on November 18th for teachers and academic leaders eager to learn more about JUMP Math methodology, resources, and professional development. During the PD day, educators were first greeted by John Mighton (founder of JUMP Math and Officer of the Order of Canada), and then attended sessions that were organized by the grade levels: K-Grade 2, Grade 3-Grade 5, and Grade 6-Grade 8. In these sessions, participants learned about the Math Minds partnership and project (a partnership between researchers at the University of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education and JUMP Math), how to use JUMP Math teaching strategies and resources for particular grades, prep JUMP math lessons, integrate mental math activities, use extension and bonus questions, use digital lesson slides, and check for mastery.
Ministry of Education professional learning sessions: Focusing on the fundamentals of math
These virtual sessions, attended by both elementary and secondary school educators, started with a message from the Deputy Minister of Education, Nancy Naylor. The facilitators made clear that mastering math facts encompasses both understanding and recalling them using variety of strategies. While drill can increase speed, it is not sufficient to ensure understanding of mathematics. Both groups used the resources available on the Ministry web site, Focusing on the Fundamentals of Math: A Teacher’s Guide and A Parent’s Guide to the Fundamentals of Math: Grades 1 to 8.
Sessions for leaders focused on (a) what leaders need to know (i.e., what strong instruction looks like, how to encourage it when it is not evident, and how to create a culture of learning; Stein & Nelson, 2003); (b) how to make connections to improvement plans (e.g., how to shift their work so that they ensure that students will achieve mastery of the mathematics fundamentals), and (c) how to participate in cross-board and regional sharing to support learning.
Secondary school teachers were advised to work with elementary school partners to support student transition from Grade 8 to Grade 9. Their planning should take into account student readiness and make connections between new content and the concepts students have learned before.
Sessions for math facilitators included going through the self- and team-learning modules, team reflections and sharing.
While public consultations regarding the upcoming Grades 1-8 mathematics curriculum change are well under way, it is encouraging that Ontario has a remarkable collaborative culture between educators (e.g., reinforced through the existence of the regional mathematics learning leadership networks and the MKN). This will ensure that supports and resources continue to be developed and openly shared through future informal and formal professional learning sessions!
Our Mathematics Leadership CoP member organizations (pictured below) have been busy collecting data and monitoring their professional development activities.
To learn about their research findings so far, check out this Research Report on Mathematics Educator Leadership in Ontario by Dragana Martinovic, co-Lead of our Mathematics Leadership CoP.
This report will be revised annually to address their recent activities and new data, and relate those to the findings of others. This living document will detail their work and inform further research-practice-policy conversations about mathematics educator leadership in Ontario.
See more from our Mathematics Leadership CoP here.
