In 2010 I team taught a class in the grad math/science program at Fresno Pacific University. My teaching partner (Dave Youngs) was more a mentor than a colleague at that point, as I had only recently finished my journey through the masters in education program at FPU. I benefitted greatly from the opportunity to work side by side with someone …
Transition to Integrated Course Sequence with CCSSM
This is the sort of post that in years past I would have scribbled in some word processor or private blog. I often write to clarify my thinking and set personal and professional goals, and I’ll do so again here. My reasoning for making this round of reflecting and planning public is twofold: It will force me to consider my …
Rich Math Tasks
Thursday evening I asked Frank Noschese (@fnoschese) and Elizabeth (@cheesemonkeysf) a question about whether they thought there was any value in students using a reductive, drill-and-kill math practice exercise platform, provided that it was accompanied by rich tasks and assessments in a classroom that demands synthesis and critical thinking, and provides students with opportunities to develop mathematical habits of mind. I …
A New Kind of First Day
Today marked the first day of the 2013-2014 school year for me. It was, all in all, a wonderful day. Teaching at a relatively small K-12 school, I have an opportunity to work with some students for two, three, or even four years in their 7-12 grade experience. Seeing students who I’ve come to know so well over the past …
Goals for 2013-2014
I spent the summer alternating between tuning in to and checking out from Twitter and blogs, including my own. Inservice at my school begins in two days, and students will arrive August 12. As the summer winds down I’ve started thinking about my blog-related goals for the school year. This will be my first full year hanging out in the …
KCOE CaMSP Workshop Links
I spent this week with a group of about 60 teachers at a California Math Science Partnership grant in Kings County. This is our third summer together. In the past I’ve always shared resources through Dropbox and/or Bitly. This year I’ve decided to share links, handouts, and a bit of commentary with a blog post instead. On to the resources! …