December 2024

2025 Spring Conference

Our conference theme this year is “From Standards to Success: Creating Pathways for Each and Every Learner.” Kicking off the conference will be Howie Hua during Friday's opening session. For our closing session, we’re thrilled to welcome Latrenda Knighten, the newly inducted president of NCTM. 

Symposium Description: As many teachers look to add high-yield tasks to their repertoire, the struggle to make it all work becomes real.  Let's examine how problem-based lessons can be used throughout the scope of a unit and how we can harness their power to move student thinking forward.  We'll identify strategies and explore tasks that help us find a healthy balance between application, conceptual understanding, and procedural fluency.

The Progression Videos are a series of videos that show how math concepts build and grown through the grade levels.

This session will address the proposed 2022 MN Academic Standard for Mathematics Number Five, Number Relationships.

Twitter: @gfletchy

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gfletchy/

All of us are smarter than one of us.” – Graham Fletcher

      WHEN: Thursday, April 24, 2025 9:00A.M. - 3:30P.M.

      WHERE: Duluth, DECC on Harbor Side

PRESENTER: Graham Fletcher,  Lead presenter with Howie Hua as a featured guest

COST:  1-4 participants $220 per person, after 4 registrations from the same district/group, the  next 5 or more participants are at $175. One free administrator registration for every four 4 registrations.

Limit of 10 registrations per district

REGISTRATION INCLUDES:

  • Coffee in AM
  • Lunch
  • CEUs

For more information and registration, go to mctm.org/events


Consider presenting at the 2025 Spring Conference this year!

Have you never presented? Are you nervous to present? Read last month's MathBits article about why your experience is valuable!

The final deadline for speaker proposals is January 3rd, 2025.

Submit speaker registration here: bit.ly/MCTMproposal25 

Articles

Message from MCTM President

Happy December! As we enter this bustling and festive time of year, we find ourselves reconnecting with family and friends. This often invites the meaningful question, “What’s new with you?” As mathematics educators, it’s an exciting opportunity to reflect on the positive changes that are taking place.One transformation is the beginning stages of the implementation of the 2022 MN math standards. Read more


Learn It Today, Use It Tomorrow! Practical Strategies and Inspiration Await at the MCTM 2025 Spring Conference

Why is the MCTM spring conference so great?? Read more

Article and reflection by Sarah Moffett, VP Elementary

From What They Know to Where They Grow: Activating Prior Knowledge in the Math Classroom

Along with the NCTM Effective Teaching Practices, I use the ICUCARE Framework to create equitable experiences for students. These frameworks are critical in planning units, lessons and when making responsive instructional decisions. To hear about what I learned from this session and links to resources, read more here.

Session by Dr. Pamela Seda, article and reflection by Laura Wagenman, President Elect

Language Development in Mathematics Classrooms

The following material summarizes new professional development materials found on the Minnesota STEM Teacher Center website. The material was developed with a grant from MDE & COMPASS. This is the third in a series of summary articles for MathBits

Every teacher in a mathematics classroom is a language teacher. The question is.... Read more

Article by James Brickwedde, Project for Elementary Mathematics

Teacher Language Choices that Support Number Sense Podcast Episode

Minnesota’s own, Jim Brickwedde, is on the Rounding Up Podcast’s December 5th episode, How you say it matters: Teacher Language Choices that Support Number Sense. The focus is on how educators’ language choices impact the development of our students’ number sense.  

The Rounding Up podcast is filled with great episodes to support professional learning. You can subscribe for this and the more than 50 episodes at https://www.mathlearningcenter.org/educators/free-resources/podcast

Article and reflection by Laura Wagenman, President Elect

Updates

MCTM Foundation Update: December

Thank you to all who have donated to the MCTM Foundation. This month's update includes news about the Teacher Incentive Grant awardee, Elisabeth Carlson and upcoming grant opportunities. 


Opportunity for Scholarship! 

If you know a former student who wants to be a STEM teacher then have them look into the Bemidji State STEM Teacher Preparation project. We have scholarships for the full cost of attendance for students’ final two years of their undergrad degree PLUS we have additional supports like a learning community and training in social emotional learning for teachers. Have interested students contact Jenna O’Dell (jenna.odell@bemidjistate.edu) or Todd Frauenholtz (todd.frauenholtz@bemidjistate.edu) at the Bemidji State Math department. This project is funded by the National Science Foundation, award #2344947.

Check out the MathMasters Update for more information about upcoming competitions. 


PAEMST Award

Nominate a 7-12th grade Math Teacher

“The Oscars of Math Teaching”

The 7-12th Grade Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching (PAEMST) is now accepting nominations for the 2025 award cycle.  Please nominate a teacher (you can nominate yourself) you believe should apply for this award. Up to 3 state finalists will be named  by March 2025.  The state finalists will be sent on to the national site with 1 person winning $10,000 and a trip to Washington DC.  This award is the ‘Oscars of Math Teaching’. 


Please take the name to nominate a 7-12th grade mathematics teacher.  Just being nominated feels like a win.  Let’s support those doing ‘the work’.  Link to nominate:

https://paemst.nsf.gov/nomination/nominate?awardYear=2025


2024 MN Math Leaders

2025 Math Leader Book Clubs

Sign-ups for the 2025 (January - April) Minnesota Math Leader Book Club Group sign-ups will open on the MCTM Events Page by late December.  Groups will meet virtually 3-5 evenings in informal conversations centered around the book.  More information will come out soon.  Buy your books and join MN Math Leaders in deepening your learning around mathematics learning and instruction.  All groups are free to join. BYOB (bring your own book).  

1) Rethinking Disability in Mathematics by Rachel Lambrect   Leader:  Christine Quisley 
2) MN Indigenous Communities Book Selection(s) Year 2. Book Selections from Birchwood Books.  Leaders:  Amy Nolte and Laura Wagenman 

3) Beyond Answers by Mike Flynn (The 8 Math Practices in K-2) Leaders:  Margaret Williams & Emily Payan
4) The Fact Tactics Fluency Program: Building Reasoning Skills for Multiplication in Grades 3-6 by Juli Dixon   Leader: Sarah Moffett
5) Invigorating High School Math by Steve Leinwand and Eric Milou   Leader(s): TBD

One Stop Shop Page for all MN Math Links and Resources

Are you struggling to find a Minnesota Math link or Resource?  Try starting with the One-stop shop google doc that links to Minnesota Math standards, assessment links, videos and more.  On this page you will find an updated 2024-25 PD calendar and information on MDE office hours.  It is recommended you bookmark this page as it is updated often.  ProTip ‘Ctrl F’ or ‘Command F’ allows you to FIND a word you are looking for on the document. 

MN Math Leaders has its own page on the MCTM website!

The MN Math Leaders Group has its own page on the MCTM website.  More information will be coming to this page soon.  Did you know it is FREE to join this group?  Find the link to join the group on this page and please share with others.  We are on a mission to have at least one person from all 500+ MN school districts connected to this group.  

As a reminder, the MN Math Leader group has monthly PLC meetings on the 3rd Tuesday (from 12:30-2:30 p.m) and 3rd Thursday’s (from 4-6 p.m.).  This group is open to all MN Math teachers and district leaders. November’s PLC dates are November 19th and 21st.

MCTM is on Youtube!

Did you know MCTM has an active YouTube Channel?  

Are you subscribed to MCTM’s YouTube Channel?

In the 2024-25 School year MCTM will be releasing  over a dozen Math PD videos, most of which come with PD module links in the description to be used by MN sites/districts to support math learning across the state. 

This fall we have released 7 videos of recent MCTM webinars:

Coming in January 2025 will be weekly short videos from a variety of MN Math creators.  If you are interested in creating math content for the MCTM YouTube channel, reach out to mctm@mctm.org .



Follow MCTM on your favorite social media platform.

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You can also join our private Facebook Group for Minnesota Teachers https://www.facebook.com/groups/146307206148226 


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