Session Description Tips

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The Minnesota Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference will be held in Duluth April 21-22, 2023. MCTM is accepting proposals for this year’s conference NOW! Below are some tips when writing a proposal. 

The following tips are from a blog post by Robert Kaplinsky based on his experience as a NCTM Program Committee member:

  • Be specific
    • If there isn’t enough space (because of character limits) in the description to talk about your presentation, make sure to explain it within the other questions.
  • Avoid filler text
    • Try not to use generic statements that don’t provide much clarity.  For example, “Come ready to learn about the latest trends in mathematics that will help your student excel in all areas.” doesn’t go far to help someone figure out what the presentation will actually be about.
  • Don’t assume
    • Realize that people may not be familiar with the acronyms you use or the people you reference.  What is obvious to you may be confusing to others and should be explained somewhere.
  • Triple check your proposal
    • Review your proposal’s content, grammar, and spelling before you submit. Spelling and grammar errors detract from the proposal’s overall quality. For example, if you’re doing a presentation on online learning and are spelling “Khan Academy” as “Kahn Academy,” it doesn’t reassure the reviewer that you are familiar with the content.

These session descriptions from the 2022 MCTM Conference are specific, clear, and avoid acronyms. 

Mathematics Identity

Come to this interactive session to learn how mathematics identity impacts student learning. We will first unpack YOUR mathematics identity through creative writing and visuals. Then, we will learn how to use this technique with your students.

Speaker: Fawnda Norman, Lesa Covington Clarkson
Making Middle School Math Come Alive with Manipulatives, Games and Activities

Participants will experience hands-on activities in data collection, game simulation, probability, and integer operations. This session is very interactive and the participants will leave with activities that create a high level of engagement and build equity among their students.

Speaker: Becki Schmidt
Thinking Classroom: Student Engagement, Discourse, and Thinking

The Thinking Classroom promotes student engagement, discovery, discussion, and more. This is an introductory session to learn how to transform your class into a thinking classroom. Leave with lesson ideas, resources to create your own lessons, and places to learn more about the thinking classroom.

Speaker: Jessica Strom