NCTM Regional Meeting Highlights

The main highlight for me was Karim Ani's presentation and his visit to the CLIME booth afterwards where he continued conversations he started earlier at his talk. For those of you who like Dan Meyer's work this is the guy to watch. He runs a shop called mathalicious.com where he is raising the bar on curriculum development with his own brand of quality math lessons.

NCTM Regional - Atlantic City

If you missed him at the regionals he will be speaking at the NCTM annual meeting in Philly next April thanks to a "write in" campaign by his fans - including me.
News Briefs

• The Resolution to the delegate assembly (see previous blog) was submitted and will be reviewed this month for inclusion in Delegate Assembly agenda.
• Michael Schaughnessy, NCTM's president says in John Lennon style "Give the Common Core Standards a Chance" Read here. Are they really that bad?
• Sue Hellman reports that The Computer Based Math Summit is going on in London Nov. 10th & 11th. Here are the links to two Twitter feeds #computermath and @mike_geogebra and to the conference website. Friends of CLIME: Maria Droujkova, Sol Lederman, David Wees and Gary Bitter will be presenting at the conference. They are recording it and it and archived sessions will be available in some form.

Math/Web 2.0 learning stations proposal to NCTM for Future Conferences

Tom Petra (realworldmath.org) sharing Google Earth Ideas

Learning Station Poster session-ISTE 2011

Each year at the annual NCTM conference there is an affiliate group Delegate Assembly where delegates propose ideas in the form of resolutions to the Board of Directors for review and possible adoption. The last technology proposal was back in 2008 (see Board's response to the technology resolution is in... and it ain't pretty) which the Board pretty much dismissed. So it seems appropriate that since technology is NCTM's Focus of the Year that we try again particularly since CLIME is it's technology affiliate. So here we go.

Be it resolved that the Delegate Assembly recommends to the NCTM Board of Directors that they provide an area in the convention center that would model how current technologies are changing and empowering math education. This area would include:

• Free Wi-Fi access to those with laptops, iPads, and smartphones (which run faster with Wifi.) The cost for this limited location access could be shared among the corporate sponsors for the conference.
• Tables where conference goers can comfortably sit, connect with their own personal computers as well as with colleagues and new acquaintances.
• Learning Station Poster session(s) could be scaled appropriately and modeled similar to the ISTE learning station poster sessions described as "...All poster stations located in a public space and will include access to power, wireless Internet connectivity, and (optional due to expense)  a large-screen monitor or projection device to connect to their own laptop. They will also include a counter-height presentation table. (See photo above.) This area can become the Math/Web 2.0 Space and replace the dated Cyber Cafe model.*

Rationale:
In 2008 the board responded to RESOLUTION O.NR.08.01, which recommended that the board increase the opportunities for participants to use technology in sessions at the Annual Meeting. The board offered one option that included a limited number of workshop and session rooms will be provided with Internet connectivity for the presenter. CLIME believes that this recommendation should be revisited and revised to reflect the current trends in technology. By offering an area where Wifi is available conference attendance can interact with selected poster session presenters (teachers) who would share how Web 2.0 tools combined with dynamic math software can significantly enhance mathematics education and model the unique blend of activities that occur in a 21st century classroom.

As a friend of CLIME please let me know what you think of this draft of the resolution and share any ideas you might want to add to it. The deadline for submitting this resolution is today, so I hope you will respond before the end of the day.

Thanks - Ihor

ihor@clime.org

*Note: NCTM has been hinting at a replacement by setting up independent computer kiosks at recent conferences for email checking/surfing for those without Wifi/Smartphone access.

cc blog #92

NCTM Regional Meeting in Atlantic City - The Technology Strand

This is the year (2011-2012) that NCTM celebrates technology at their regional and annual meetings. Since CLIME is exhibiting at the regional meeting in Atlantic City this week, I thought I would highlight the technology events at the conference.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

         More about Greg

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Thursday is the day to follow the technology theme. Here's what you do.

1.  Start your day with the morning Kick-Off session:

2. Choose from a variety of presentations throughout the day focused on Technology and Mathematics.  See list.
3. Conclude with a Reflection session:

Learn <-> Reflect Strand: Reflection Session with discussion leaders Cheryl Giordano, Brian D. Rawlins and Christina Tondevold
Thursday, October 20, 3:30-4:30 p.m.

This culmination session of the Learn↔Reflect strand will facilitate a discussion of four reflection questions. Those who attend the Kickoff, at least one Learn↔Reflect session, and the Reflection session will earn a personalized certificate. The four questions are as follows:

1. What role does technology play in providing multiple representations and opportunities for communication to help students develop mathematical understanding?
2. How does technology influence your instructional decisions?  And, how do your instructional decisions influence your use of technology? 
3. How can technology increase access to significant mathematics to all students? How do you promote social justice for access to and facility with technology in learning mathematics?
4. How are you thinking differently about your use of technology as a result of participating in the Learn-Reflect strand? What are some of the steps you plan to take to promote growth in your own use of technology

Where to find Wifi?

You can check email and browse the Web at an internet kiosk near the registration area. But Wifi? We're looking into it. So far the word is that it is free everywhere. This I got to see. More about that when I arrive in AC.
Lost your program book?
 

You can access it online. (click on book's image.) See also how you can use the Conference app on your smartphone to help you find sessions. You can download it here.

Where to find CLIME (in person):

• October 19-21, 2011 - NCTM Regional Conference in Atlantic City. CLIME will be exhibiting and promoting Math 2.0. Visit them at Booth #116.

CLIME in Exhibit Area-
Atlantic City

• February 14, 2012 - AMTNJ Winter Conference, Somerset, NJ. Talk: Math 2.0 Teaching and Learning Maths with Dynamic Math Tools in a Web 2.0 World
• April 25-27, 2012 - NCTM Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA. Presenting and exhibiting. Read more about it.
• April, 2012 - CLIME sponsored online math & technology conference (tentatively planned) More details to follow.

Dear NCTM regional conference technology speaker

As you probably know the theme for this year's NCTM conferences is Technology & Mathematics: Get Connected! The session description that you submitted for the NCTM regional conference in Atlantic City is now listed on NCTM's conference website including a PDF version of the final program book. If you are like me someone who likes to update their description and add relevant links before the conference to better inform and connect with conference attendees – you’re aware that it can't be done on the NCTM listing. For that reason CLIME (the Council for Technology in Math Education) an affiliate of NCTM puts together a website where you can! Go to the site 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 (i.e. smartphones) at NCTM conferences more attendees will be able to get the latest information before and during the conference to help them make better informed decisions as to which sessions to attend. I hope to see you at the conference.
Thanks - Ihor

Ihor Charischak
Council for Technology in Math Education - CLIME
NCTM affiliate group since 1988
Email: ihor@clime.org | Blog: http://climeconnections.blogspot.com | Twitter: @climeguy

More Atlantic City Information

Just out. Program book for Atlantic City. Link below to get the PDF file.

Link for PDF

See NCTM conference flipbook for a preview of the conference.

Open Flipbook

Visit Clime at booth 116 in Atlantic City Convention Center.

See Exhibit hall dynamic map

Listing of all technology sessions at the Atlantic City Conference.

See previous blog entry for more about the technology strand.

CLIME 2011-2012 Moving Forward

Hello,

CLIME is kicking off the 2011-2012 season. 

Highlights:

Latest blog: "Yesterday I found out that I won a lottery that will cost me money" (I'll be speaking at the NCTM 2012 annual meeting.)

Invitation to participate in Conrad Wolfram's math summit in London in November

Sol Lederman writes: I'm helping to organize a summit in London in November to further the vision of Conrad Wolfram and his organization, computerbasedmath.org, which aims to recreate the math curriculum to have computers do the computing while kids do the thinking. 

We would love to see people at the summit who have a strong commitment to math education reform, whether those people be in education, government, or the private sector. If you are aligned with Conrad's vision (more information below) and would like an invitation to the summit, please send me an email and I will send you an invitation.

Sincerely,

Sol Lederman for computerbasedmath.org

sol@wolfram.com

From the twitter feed

Keith Devlin will be speaking at the Momath event in NYC on Sept. 6th and 7th. I hope someone tapes him. Maybe I will.

Click to see Keith's recent tweets

Where is CLIME?

• October 19-21, 2011 - NCTM Regional Conference in Atlantic City. CLIME will be exhibiting and promoting Math 2.0.
• February 14, 2012 - AMTNJ Winter Conference, Somerset, NJ. Presentation.
• April 25-27, 2012 - NCTM Annual Conference, Philadelphia, PA. Presenting and exhibiting.
• April, 2012 - CLIME sponsored online math & technology conference (tentatively planned)
• More details to follow.

Friends of CLIME news

• In case you missed Steve Rasmussen's (Key's Prez) 5min ignite presentation at NCTM11 here it is. -link

• Key Curriculum Press new iPad based Sketchpad Explorer announced - link
• Cisco, MIND Partner to Bring Math Program to Arizona Schools -link 
• Andrew Coulson who spoke at our 2005 CLIME BOF meeting is the president of Mind Institute. His twitter page.

Some CLIME nostalgia

References

I'm Looking Forward to the NCTM Conference in 2012 (or Maybe Not) - link

Yesterday I found out that I won a lottery that will cost me money

Theme: Technology!

NCTM accepted my proposal to speak at the NCTM annual meeting in Philadelphia next April. That's the good news. The down side is that getting there, hotel and registration ($241 for speakers) will set me back some. But the important thing for me is that I won. I’ve been submitting proposals annually since 2004 after Johnny Lott - then president of NCTM - informed me that affiliate groups were no longer going to get automatic invites to present at annual meetings. I did put up an argument about that since I disagreed with the decision to make it a completely level playing field since I thought affiliate groups deserved a perk for all the hard work they do in promoting NCTM interests. One of the NCTM board members at the time told me that even the president of NCTM has to submit a proposal. (Of course, that was a bit disingenuous since they do invite people to give presentations.)  At first glance that may seem to be a good idea, but after many years of observing presenters especially in the days pre-2007 when there were computer workshops I’ve been disappointed with what I’ve seen. I’ve brought up this issue many times with board members, presidents, etc. and they all had roughly the same response:  “That’s just your opinion. From our experience the sessions have been well received.” I can’t argue with that. But since my bias leans heavily in the direction of meeting the needs of 21st century learners through the use of technology, I’m almost always disappointed with what NCTM provides at the annual meetings technology-wise (as you might have guessed if you’ve been reading my blogs on a regular basis.)

It’s not always been this way. Back in the mid 90s when the Internet was just warming up NCTM had technology strands and even technology "conferences within a conference” (CWaCs) organized by the Math Forum in 1998 & 1999 which included the trucking in of computers from local schools so that there would be computer labs available at the conference. In 1996 Daryl Sternom a member of the local arrangements committee at the annual meeting in San Diego brought in a trailer carrying computers with Internet access and parked it near the convention center. (Read his report and watch short video below taken in 2010 as reminisces about that event.)




Those were heady times when an individual or group had some freedom to explore areas of interest. That's much more difficult to do today since the conference is a such a tightly woven enterprise. (I tried to do something this year. See the email I sent to this year's program chair. It was ignored.) But with the advent of Web 2.0 and its potential to help teachers and students learn math in dynamic new ways, it may be a good time to think creatively and shake things up a bit. Since doing a CWaC focusing on technology is not possible any more within the context of the conference - the cost factor is considered prohibitive by every member of NCTM's inner circle that I've ever talked to - CLIME would like to organize an independent event either before of during the annual conference next year that would highlight the power of Web 2.0 to change the ways students and teachers learn and teach mathematics.

A couple of years ago Gary Stager – a long time friend of CLIME’s initiatives (see description of his 2002 talk at a CLIME session) did a marvelous pre-Educon 2009 event  “Constructing Modern Math & Science Knowledge” event in Philly which I participated in.  I’ve been trying to convince him to hold a math themed one next April that could be held the day before the annual NCTM meeting. But if that doesn’t work out, I would like CLIME to do an online event that would model the power of cloud-based technology in math education. Please let me know if you are interested in helping to plan such an event. It would be great to have it be an onsite event, but an online version would be also be useful. Let me know if you are interested in helping with and/or supporting such an event. (Send Email)

From the blogs

Karim Kai Ani of mathalicious.com writes about his frustration with being wait listed for the conference in his latest blog NCTM 2012: We Need Your Help! He asks for your help in getting him on the program. Unfortunately, the conference planners still devote a huge block of conference time to what I call “Desert Island Math*” which still plays a large role in what’s on the conference agenda so there is little time devoted to more promising talks that speak to the issues of what teachers need to know and do in this Web based world.

Also, if you are presenting on a technology theme at the NCTM meeting please let me know. Maybe together we can send a strong message to the NCTM decision makers than technology should no longer be a conference frill but something that is part of the infrastructure of NCTM conferences. (For example, Internet access throughout the conference.)




Other related CLIME blog entries

• At the conference we can get by with a little help from our friends - link
• Karim Kai Ani - Math 2.0 Live! Elluminate session - link
• Board's response (2008) to the technology resolution is in... and it ain't pretty - link

*Math that can be done on a desert island (no batteries or electricity necessary or allowed.)