Our Events

The 2007 Lenses on Learning Supervision Institute is a residential institute that will prepare 2 person teams who will facilitate the course, Lenses on Learning Supervision: Focusing on Mathematical Thinking. In the Summer of 2007, from July 8 - 20, EDC will offer residential facilitator training in the Boston area for those interested in teaching Lenses on Learning Supervision: Focusing on Mathematical Thinking (once this institute is filled, we will open registration for a second institute, July 22 - August 3). In addition to introducing facilitators to the course materials, the two-week institute is designed to: expand facilitators’ perspectives on instruction for adults; provide in-depth explorations of mathematics; analyze how principals think about the ideas in the Lenses with a view to thinking about how to work with principals'' ideas about mathematics learning and teaching; and practice teach excerpts from the curriculum. The pedagogical orientation of the institute is aligned with that of the Lenses on Learning course itself as well as with the pedagogy of high quality mathematics classrooms

The program also provides opportunities to explore the mathematics of elementary school and to experience this mathematics from the perspectives of the student, the classroom teacher, and the coach. Participants consider issues of adult learning and analyze the process of teacher change. Institute participants examine the process of their own learning, and engage in discussion with coach colleagues to develop a deeper understanding of, and potential for, the coaching role. In addition, participants strategize with their coach colleagues and their team members attending other MLP programs, and discuss features of their own systems that can be used to support mathematics professional development.

DMI Leadership Institutes are designed for teacher educators, staff developers, teacher-leaders, and others who support teachers'' professional development. Institute participants inquire into the goals of professional development for elementary and middle school mathematics, reflect on the kinds of structures and activities that can support those goals, and become familiar with DMI as a tool to forward the mathematics education agenda at their site. The DMI leadership Institutes are two week programs held at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts.

This three-day conference will bring together mathematics coaches, those researching instructional coaching, and staff developers who train and support coaches. Because instructional coaching is a fairly recent means of professional development, coaches often lack a collegial network that connects them to their coaching colleagues. Frequently coaches lack mechanisms to provide information on promising practices and research that could shape and support their work in the field. To be explored at the conference will be: • Theories of instructional coaching in mathematics being developed and tested by researchers • Research questions that are important to practitioners • Varied tools and models of coaching that can be added to a coach’s repertoire • Strategies, tactics, and tools to support those designing professional development for coaches

EDC’s Division of Mathematics Learning and Teaching (MLT) is offering a range of professional development opportunities that are designed to help educators deepen their own mathematical content knowledge, connect the big ideas of mathematics to effective pedagogy and curriculum, and recognize the importance of professional learning and community. MLT’s development programs range from two day seminars to two week long institutes, all of which allow teachers, teacher leaders, preservice educators, professional development providers, and administrators to explore the diverse ways students construct mathematical understanding and provide useful strategies for integrating this knowledge into their own practice.

In this institute, teachers make explicit connections between the higher-level mathematics they may have encountered in graduate or undergraduate courses in linear or abstract algebra and the mathematics taught in middle and high school. Topics include investigating the patterns in the periods of repeating decimals, divisibility rules, such algebraic structures as groups and fields, modular arithmetic, and primes and composites in the integers and polynomials. Facilitator: Carol Findell

Geometer’s Sketchpad and Cabri Jr. (an application on the TI-83 Plus calculator) are dynamic geometry tools that allow learners to accurately construct geometric figures. They can then alter them dynamically in order to test conjectures and gain mathematical insight that is less readily available with static drawings by hand. In this institute, teachers investigate a variety of problem contexts, using dynamic geometry software to help them as they make, test, and prove (or disprove) conjectures, and create activities that allow students to explore mathematically. Facilitator: Steve Benson

In this institute, teachers deepen their understanding of teaching and learning mathematics through the focused study of one lesson. In “lesson study”, teachers collaborate through a cycle of goal setting, lesson development, observation of the lesson, and revision and reflection. A sense of mathematical community develops as teachers create a lesson together: selecting their own lesson topic, sharing expertise, discussing the mathematics of the lesson, exploring treatments of the topic in various texts, and anticipating varied student approaches to the mathematics of the lesson. Driving questions include: What do we want our students to understand in this lesson? What does it mean to understand this concept? How does this learning develop over time? What pedagogical strategies will best support this learning? Facilitators: Jane Gorman and June Mark

The 2004 Lenses on Learning Leadership Institute is a residential institute that will prepare 2 person teams who will facilitate the course, Lenses on Learning: A New Focus on Mathematics and School Leadership (Modules 1 –3). Instruction in the Facilitators Institute will be conducted in a pedagogy aligned with the pedagogy of standards-based mathematics classrooms and the pedagogy that facilitators will use in their own classes with administrators.

Considering New Mathematics Curricula is an online course developed for teachers and administrators who want to learn about high-quality mathematics curriculum materials based on the NCTM Principles and Standards.

From July 21 to July 25, 2003, developers of the Fostering Algebraic Thinking Toolkit will conduct the second Fostering Algebraic Thinking Facilitation Institute at Education Development Center in Newton, Massachusetts. The Institute is intended for teacher leaders, administrators, and university educators interested in leading study groups focused on algebra and algebraic thinking. The Institute is designed to help participants learn: * How to lead productive mathematics explorations and discussions * How to lead analyses and discussions centered on evidence of student thinking * How to develop a teacher learning community * How to think about the Toolkit materials strategically, in relation to other professional development approaches and programs. Commenting on their experience at the 2002 Institute, participants cited a range of new insights and skills they gained during the week, such as how to design with purpose; how to infuse facilitation with listening and questioning; how to employ different strategies to manage group dynamics; and how to capitalize on diversity in mathematical thinking. For more information about the Institute, please contact Angela Martino, 617-969-7100, ext. 2524, and amartino@edc.org. For more information about the Toolkit, visit www.heinemann.com.

WestEd and the Museum of Science are sponsoring a three-day institute that will provide tools, models, and strategies for designing transformative professional development for teachers of science and mathematics. This institute is designed as the first official premier of the Teachers as Learners: Professional Development in Science and Mathematics video series; a collaborative effort by WestEd, Boston Museum of Science, WGBH, and EDC; and the forthcoming second edition of Designing Professional Development for Teachers of Science and Mathematics. This series includes videotape images of professional development strategies in science and mathematics K-12 which will be used in interactive learning sessions. For more information, please contact Jackie Barlow at jbarlow@wested.org.

Leading Change in Mathematics Education is a two-day workshop that provides an opportunity for leaders in mathematics education to enhance their knowledge, skills, and effectiveness, in working with others. In particular, the seminar addresses understanding differences in perspective and influencing others through effective communication. The seminar uses cases and scenarios to focus the discussion on common challenges leaders face in influencing others and furthering mathematics improvement.

This Academy is based on the successful NCSM Leadership Academy Level 1 that has been offered for the past five summers and provides the foundation for the development of leadership skills in the diverse arenas that mathematics education leaders face. Designed to help participants understand the challenges they face in their work and develop strategies for success, the Academy program balances skills development and application. For more information: Developing Leadership Skills.

Providing Professional Development: Deepening Mathematical Content Knowledge is a two-day seminar for professional development providers who work with school districts transitioning to standards-based mathematics curricula. Participants will extend their knowledge about the importance of, and strategies for, strengthening mathematical content knowledge of K-12 mathematics educators. This seminar explores models of professional development focused on deepening content knowledge, examines principles for providing prfoessional development, and provides time for team discussion and plannint.

This institute brings together present and future leaders from around the country in order to:

*Address the pressing challenges of improving the teaching and learning of mathematics in our middle and high schools

*Help participants think differently about how mathematics professional development programs are designed

*Describe a successful mathematics professional development program, and discuss ways to adapt it to meet local needs.

Institute participants learn about the design and implementation of Building Regional Capacity (BRC), a two-year, NSF-funded project designed to develop mathematics teacher leaders in grades 7-12.

Aligning Curriculum and Assessment focuses on the alignment between standards-based mathematics curricula and classroom, district and high-stakes assessments and benchmarks. Sessions address classroom assessment issues and consider strategies and tools for supporting teachers in their understanding and use of assessments.

Chuck Garabedian, the Chair of the Mathematics Department, Watertown Public Schools and Jane Gorman will give a presentation at the Association of Teachers of Mathematics in New England (ATMNE) fall conference in Portland, Maine. Based on the Japanese model of school-based and teacher-directed Lesson Study groups, this model of professional development entails teachers collaboratively writing a detailed lesson, watching each other teach the lesson, and engaging in a colloquium to discuss the lesson.

Implementing Your New Curriculum is a three-day seminar focusing on strategies for thoughtful implementation of standards-based curriculum programs in mathematics. Participants learn about effective models for professional development that build teachers' expertise with programs' mathematics content and pedagogy. In addition, participants consider methods of building support among and communicating goals to parents, community members, school boards, and others.

Considering New Curricula is a three-day seminar designed to support districts interested in considering the use of new, standards-based curriculum materials. Participating district teams learn about effective methods for selecting, piloting, and implementing the programs, and consider how programs at different grade levels fit together.

Assisting Schools with Curricular Change is a three-day seminar for professional development providers who work with school districts transitioning to standards-based mathematics curricula. Participants explore the issues and challenges faced in this work; sessions are based on activities to help increase effectiveness and capacity to support others.