NCSM & NCTM - April 13 - Day 1

I finally got my "office" for the conference set up. It's in a Starbucks* - Marriott Downtown - Indy. Why here? For the Coffee* and Wifi. Starbucks doesn't offer the wifi, but the Marriott does in the lobby. You need a password which you can get from the Starbucks guy.

There's an Internet station at the Convention Center for those of you who are laptopless. (It wraps around.) Location: Convention Center - near room 110.

Speaking of laptops I see many more folks using them.

Also Smartphones! I hope people are taking advantage of the new NCTM conference app. It's great. Anyone want to share how they are using it and how it is helping them? (See comment below.)

Early morning NCTM Research presession. I attended this session hoping to learn more about how this group is planning to scale up quality math teaching. Afterwards I asked the main speaker why technology wasn't even mentioned in his talk. He said it was not something they could do much with within the parameters of the project. My reaction was: WHAT? I walked away very upset. Vanderbilt is a high visibility showcase for excellent research and no technology initiatives? There's got to be more to the story. Apparently there is another group at Vanderbilt that handles the technology end of education. Don't they talk to each other? It didn't seem like from this session.

NCTM Affiliate Group Caucus. In the afternoon I attended the At-large regional Caucus for affiliate groups. Since CLIME is not affiliated with a geographical location it is "at-large." It's a session to prepare for the Delegate Assembly tomorrow. Shared my concern over the lack of sessions on Web 2.0 related topics at NCTM. The discussion got heated as you might expect. I had to leave early (in a bit of a huff) to get to my NCSM session at the Marriot.

CLIME leads a discussion session at NCSM conference. I managed to get there late because I went to the wrong Marriott. Yes, there were 2 Marriotts - downtown and JW. Fortunately, David arrived on time and got the discussion going. I taped most of it and will have some interesting comments in a later blog.

Cathy Fosnot. Before the kickoff of the NCTM conference at the convention center, I was in the exhibit hall getting our booth ready for tomorrow's start. Across from us was the  Heinemann booth where David introduced me to Cathy Fosnot - one of Heinemann's authors. She is being honored for her lifetime achievements at a conference at City College in NYC.

NCTM Conference Kickoff: a 3-D version of a 2-D idea. The keynote was about Flatland: the Movie presented by a visionary group of film makers. The film was fun but most likely will be remembered more for its glitz than its content. Quality, much less expensive math videos that engage children in learning are out there and need to be better promoted in the new Math 2.0 world.

*Not full service - no sandwiches. (I got one at a Subway near by.) Not easy to get a sandwich on the run around here.

Key Curriculum's Ignite Session @ NCSM & Encore Performance @ NCTM

Ignite Sessions at NCSM & NCTM

(Detail)

Ignite @ NCSM

When: Tuesday, April 12th @ 11:15 a.m. 
Where: The Santa Fe Room at Indianapolis’ Downtown Marriott 
(More detail)

Ignite @ NCTM

Join us at Bartini's, 7 p.m. on April 15th. Please Ignite responsibly.
(More detail)

Tech related sessions at NCTM conference - An update

Do any of these key words inspire you to want to learn more about it at the NCSM/NCTM conference next week? This wordle was created using words from the titles and descriptions of all the tech-themed sessions at NCTM. Here is a list of all these sessions at NCTM (link).

Are you speaking at NCTM and would like to "improve" the current listing of your session (which you sent in last May) on the NCTM website? We can't change theirs, but you can change ours!  Go to the site CLIME technology-themed sessions and review your listing there. Then let me know (by email) if you want to change anything, share more info or add some reference links. I will make the changes for you immediately.

With the increased use of laptops and hand-held devices at NCTM conferences more attendees will be aware of the CLIME site and would use your latest information to help them make better informed decisions as to which sessions to attend. Also you can refer attendees to the CLIME site (http://clime.org) where they can click on "Click here"  to get to the sessions.

Want to stay better organized at the conference? There's an App for that. Get the new NCTM Conference app now available for Android and iPhone.

At the conference we can get by with a little help from our friends

If you are going to the NCTM conference, you can be a friend of CLIME and help us a bit.
As you may know CLIME is an at-large-affiliate group of NCTM – now in its 23rd year - working hard to help change the current prevailing paradigm of teaching and learning as a passive endeavor to a more proactive one where students and teachers work together to create empowering learning environments using dynamic math and Web 2.0 tools – something we call Math 2.0.
And we are doing this disruptively (see footnote #1) from the inside out! If you want to learn more about CLIME’s friendly disruptive activities visit us in our booth #326 in the exhibit area. Also, we need some help. We need volunteers to:

1. represent CLIME at the NCTM affiliate at-large Caucus meeting. (See footnote #2). Since David and I are leading a discussion special interest group session at NCSM (#351) we will not be able to attend. No previous experience needed. All you need is an interest in (1) how NCTM works "behind the scenes" (2) how CLIME pursues its vision and (3) spending some  bb time talking about 1 & 2 with David and me.
2. Suggest ideas for the long, overdue revised constitution that CLIME is currently working on.
3. Spend some quality time (an hour) at the CLIME booth chatting about the CLIME vision and learn more about how Web 2.0 is helping to transform professional development.

Thanks. Hope to see you at the conference. We’ll be in booth 326 starting on Thursday at 8:30 when the exhibit hall opens. Tweet or email me if you want connect sooner. I’m joining a few attendees at a Tweetup on Tuesday, April 12th. Follow me @climeguy or email me for more details.

Thanks - Ihor
@climeguy & ihor@clime.org

Footnotes
1. In the best sense of word as coined by the authors of “Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns”

2. Regional Caucuses will be held at the NCTM Annual Meeting and Exposition in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Wednesday, April 13, 2011, at the Indiana Convention Center at the following times and locations:
2:00–4:00 p.m. 
Affiliates-at-Large Caucus: Room 108

My list of sessions to attend at #NCTM11

gearfuse.com

Time's a wasting... Just 10 days before the Indy conference begins. If you are heading to Indy for a doubleheader: NCSM and NCTM here are some session ideas for both conferences:

NCSM Conference

SIGs on Wednesday afternoon. David Weksler and I will be facilitating the discussion on Math 2.0: New Opportunities for Collaborative Teaching and Learning Math with Internet-based Tools (Details)

Focus on STEM. Here's the listing of the sessions in the Science, Technology, Engineering & Math Strand. 

Other technology-themed sessions at NCSM.

108. Moving Your Faculty Toward Diagnostic Teaching, Formative Assessment, and Individualized Instructional Techniques. -Annie Fetter & Steve Rizberg

128. Dynamic Geometric Pathways to Functions Promote Conceptual Understanding of the Variation of Variables and the Behavior of Functions. -Scott Steketee

139. Designing and Teaching Mathematics Lessons to the iGeneration. -Eric Milou

143. It's About Time Publishing Sponsor Showcase: Incorporating Technology with a Standards-Based Program Produces Results. --James Kearns

168. The Ethics of Using Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) and Other Advanced Technologies in High School Mathematics. -Zalman Usiskin

201. Common Standards and Uncommon Teaching: Different Paths to the Same Goal. -David Dockterman 

237. The Role of Electronic Media in Supporting Instruction. -Cal Armstrong, Art Mabbott

244. Key Curriculum Press Showcase: Ignite! Speakers Enlighten the Room with Fresh Ideas in Mathematics.-Karen Coe

List of all sessions - Link

Technology Showcase (vendor) sessions - Link

NCTM Conference

My wish list. If I wasn't tied to the CLIME booth for most of the conference or if I could clone myself, here are some friends of CLIME whose sessions I would definitely attend.

Thursday-April 14

Roger Day - All algebra, All the Tim: Using Netbooks in Algebra 1

Daniel Scher - Infinity in Focus with The Geometer's Sketchpad®

Suzanne Alejandre - Using Technology to Transform Students' Problem-Solving Experiences and Perspectives

Annie Fetter - Using Screen-Capture Movies to Assess Quadrilateral Constructions in Sketchpad

Neil and Stephanie Cooperman - Visualizing Geometry: Connecting Geometric Ideas to the Real World

Steve Phelps - It's Not So Complex! Transforming Your Perspective of Complex Numbers

Friday-April 15

Keith Devlin* - Video Games for Mathematics Education: They Will Soon Get  Better

Patrick Vennebush* - Using Free Resources from NCTM to Promote an Understanding of Proportion -

Karim Kai Logue* - Real-World Lessons the Mathalicious Way

*The above were (or will be) participant hosts of the Math 2.0 Live Elluminate event.

Follow Illuminations on Facebook. Find out what happened to Okta, the Calculation Nation® superhero. You could win a prize.

Taking a smartphone with you to NCSM and/or NCTM? Download NCTM conference mobile app (free) to find useful conference goer information.

Follow NCTM conference tweets at #nctm11 (Also check in #nctm for those not aware of #nctm11)

NCTM conference Tweetups!

Thursday, April 14 - 11:00am - Booth 326 in the exhibit hall. Use your smartphone app or online to find it! If you can't make it at 11 then stop by anytime so I can add you to the NCTM Conference twitter list. We'll schedule as many as interest indicates!

Thursday, April 14 - 6:00pm - Tweetup sponsored by McGraw Hill at Scotty's Brewhouse

Math educator Tweetup* in Indy - You are invited!

Date: Thursday, April 14, 2011

Time: 7:00pm

Place: Scotty's Brewhouse (Indianapolis Downtown)

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sponsored by McGraw-Hill for NCTM

Just in from Liz Strauss!

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1 Virginia Avenue  

Indianapolis, Indiana 46204

Phone: (317) 571-0808

Google map location

Let us know if you are coming!

Questions? Help? Contact Ihor email: ihor@clime.org twitter: @climeguy

*What is a tweetup? 

It is an event where people who Twitter come together to meet in person. Normally we connect with our friends online after we have met them. At a tweetup you meet the people you might only otherwise know virtually. Like finally putting a name to a face, a tweetup is a great opportunity to really connect with the people in your network and share just a little more than 140 characters at a time. Source: socialhat.com

NCTM Conference Buzz via Tweets

Here's a fact that that apparently not too many math educators know about: there are some great online math communities that are moving math teaching and learning towards a new paradigm - something that the Mathfuture and CLIME communities refers to as Math 2.0.  They are doing the kind of pioneer work that continues to inspire me.  Dan Meyer* has emerged has one of the more prominent math  bloggers. You might be interested in skimming the 209 rated math educator blogs listed at this site.

For that reason I want to get the word out to as many math educators as possible. Right now I'm focused on the folks who will be attending the NCTM conference in Indianapolis in April. But even if you are not going to the conference, I'm reaching out to those who would be interested in participating in the conference virtually in some way. 

If you or a colleague are interested in supporting the Indy Math 2.0 initiative that I will be hosting from my CLIME booth in the exhibit hall (April 14-16) please let me know by filling out this brief form.

If you happen to be a speaker (or wish you were one) at the conference and would like to contribute to the virtual conference check out the listing of technology themed sessions at the conference that CLIME has put up. It's a dynamic listing which I will be updating. So if you want to update your description (or add one if it's missing - even if your presentation was NOT accepted) please let me know by replying to this email. Also if you are not presenting and would like to present virtually let me know. I plan to add a list of vendors as well.

Please stop by the CLIME booth #326 to say hello and pick up a Math 2.0 button (actually its just a sticker) to wear  at the conference. :)

*Dan Meyer has a community of collaborators who contribute to his developement of ideas for teaching and learning math using dynamic math and Web 2.0 tools creatively. Check out what Dan does with a conventional word problem in this 90 sec. video. 

Preview of coming events

More CLIMEguy tweeting (click above.)