Summer Workshop Plans

BEAMM Summer Workshop Agenda

The BEAMM LSC project has 9 professional development activities this summer that the participants from the seven school districts can attend. This is the first step for the BEAMM participants in their professional development experiences over the next five years.

The reason we have so many professional development experiences is the great distances between the seven districts and the focus and need of each of the seven districts. We have decided to start with each district in this initiative from where they are now and help them be able to implement quality mathematics rather than to start them all from the same place. Our goal will be to bring the variation in district focus and experiences closer together through the next two years as they select and implement the various curriculum programs.

It would be a very lengthy response for me to provide an overview for each of the nine programs, so I will group them by general purpose and discuss them from that perspective.

The Professional Development Opportunities this summer are:

• June 21-June 25: Investigations
• June 23-24: Curriculum Showcase
• June 28-July 2: Connected Mathematics
• June 28-July: 9 K-5 Mathematics Understanding
• July 6-16: K-5 Mathematics Understanding
• July 6-9: Curriculum Showcase
• July 14-16: MathThematics
• July 19-23: Connected Mathematics
• August 9-12: Investigations

There are three variations in professional development formats

1. Showcases
2. One mathematics curriculum program focus
3. Mathematics immersion

How long do your workshops last?

1. Showcases: 4 days

2. One mathematics curriculum program focus: 5 days

3. Mathematics immersion: 10 days

How many teachers do you involve in your workshops?

1. Showcases: 10 - 35 teachers

2. One mathematics curriculum program focus: 25 teachers

3. Mathematics immersion: 30 teachers

1. Showcases:

   The showcase format is designed to help develop an awareness by the participants for the philosophy, content, curricula design and format, instructional strategies, and assessment components of particular curriculum and to know the differences between programs. Ultimately the participants will be making a selection of what curriculum program they will use in their district for next fall.

   The agenda includes investigating and trying out various activities for one day for each of three curricula. The fourth day the participants make comparisons of the three programs. The days are structured so teachers have the opportunity to learn about the goals of the program and then do some of the activities as students would. Then discuss the content outcomes of the lesson, the instructional method and assessment techniques. The final day participants select one of the programs and prepare of review to present to the other groups. A synthesis of similarities and differences the programs is then created by the participants.

2. One mathematics curriculum program focus:

   This single mathematics curriculum program workshop is designed to improve the participants' understanding of mathematics, the program purpose, instructional strategies and assessment techniques. Teacher leaders or BEAMM staff provide these experiences from at least three units in a curriculum program and then analyze the results in terms of what mathematics students would be learning, how it is being taught, and measured.

   The outcomes for participants are:

   1. To gain a greater understanding of the instructional philosophy, mathematical content, and assessment features of the curriculum materials.

   2. To become comfortable with the differential roles of teachers and students in the curriculum program, including an image of the classroom instructional models and techniques for facilitating collaborative work.

   3. To experience the developmental nature of the content and understand the special nature of learning and leading to understanding.

   4. To reach a high level of comfort with several units of the curriculum and familiarity with the whole program.

   Participants attending these sessions have used or are prepared to implement a specific curriculum program.

3. Mathematics immersion:

   These sessions are focused on helping teachers learn about a specific curricula, its instructional and assessment approaches, and gain a greater understanding of mathematics. The ten days are divided into two blocks. One week is designed to focus on content and curriculum units, while the second week focuses on problem solving, assessment strategies, community involvement and grade level cluster planning.

   These sessions are active and based on current learning theory which helps the teachers construct their knowledge about mathematics and how children learn mathematics. they work in groups, individually and as a while group. The content topics loop back at various grade levels to help teachers understand the developmental nature of the mathematical concept. They are lead by a team of teacher leaders, university faculty, BEAMM staff and PIs.

   The outcomes of these sessions are:

   1. To gain a greater understanding of the instructional philosophy, mathematical content, and assessment features of the curriculum materials.

   2. To become comfortable with the differential roles of teachers and students in the curriculum program, including an image of the classroom instructional models and techniques for facilitating collaborative work.

   3. To deepen and broaden their knowledge and understanding of mathematics.

   4. To experience the developmental nature of the content and understand the special nature of learning and leading to understanding.

   5. To reach a high level of comfort with several units of the curriculum and familiarity with the whole program.

   6. to address concerns about the issues of systemic change particularly as they affect their own classrooms.

   7. Consider alternative assessment strategies available in the curriculum program.

   8. To plan and collaborate with colleagues for implementation of the program.

Yes, Read on:

1. Showcases:

   Investigations, Everyday Mathematics and Trailblazers

2. One mathematics curriculum program focus:

   Investigations, Everyday Mathematics, Connected Mathematics, and Mathematics.

3. Mathematics immersion:

   Investigations, Everyday Mathematics, Connected Mathematics