Welcome to the 2011-2012 school year. I hope that everyone had a wonderful summer and is ready to provide
a wonderful learning experience for the students this year! We are looking forward to the challenge of
highlighting the Standards for Mathematical Practice in our teaching practices this year and beginning to think
about the impact of the Common Core State Standards. Please let anyone on the Math Team know if you have
questions or suggestions. Have a great year!
Ed Nolan
Kicking Off the New School Year
Whether you are in the classroom all day, a few
periods, or supervising classroom teachers,
learning new techniques can bolster your
instructional impact. Nick Provenzano aka The
Nerdy Teacher, suggests four simple ways to
make your classroom conducive to positive
conversation.
This is especially important for math educators,
as we move towards fostering student discourse
in an effort to apply the Standards for
Mathematical Practice in our schools.
Where’s My ActivStudio?
Common Core Resources
The Math Instructional Leadership SharePoint site
contains a wide variety of resources for the CCSS.
The DCI Math Office recently uploaded a talking
points document for your use.
Becoming a Leader
Many of you reading this newsletter are firsttime instructional leaders in your buildings.
Even if you are experienced in your position,
you may find these tips from Chris Canter on
The
Association
for
Supervision
and
Curriculum Development’s (ASCD) InService
blog helpful as you start the year.
According to the MCPS HelpDesk, schools that
went TechMod for the 2011-2012 school year
will no longer have access to ActivStudio for
lesson presentation.
If you are interested in a crash course on
ActivInspire, here are some selected webinars
from Promethean:
• Intro
• Basics
• Beyond Basics
• Advanced
• Using Activotes
Here are a few to whet your appetite:
• Admit when you make a mistake
• Make time for yourself and your family
• Even the best leaders need a break
Department of Curriculum and Instruction — Mathematics
850 Hungerford Drive Rockville, Maryland 20850
Get to Know Your Students
Teaching the iGeneration
The Beloit 2015 Mindset List
Your classrooms will be filled this year with
students who have never known life without the
internet, who have never crossed their fingers at
the sound of a dial up modem’s chirp, or had to
look up something in Britannica because Google
couldn’t find the answer.
Each year, Wisconsin’s Beloit College publishes
a list of pop culture facts that help professors
better understand the incoming freshmen. Maybe
these fun synopses will help you, too!
• Ferris Bueller and Sloane Peterson could
be their parents.
• Arnold Palmer has always been a drink.
How are we to adapt instruction to consider
these students? California State University’s
Larry Rosen has a few suggestions to get your
creative juices flowing.
MCTM Annual Conference
Back to School with the Census Bureau
Need some statistics to spice up your first week
back? If you think “Census Bureau” when you’re
looking for excitement, then these data are for
you:
• 9.21 billion pounds of apples were
produced in 2010.
• 50% of 18-19 year olds were enrolled in
college in 2009.
• 43% of K-12 students belonged to a
minority population in 2009.
The Maryland Council of Teachers of
Mathematics (MCTM) will hold the 2011 Annual
Mathematics Conference at Reservoir High
School in Fulton, MD on October 21, 2011.
The MCTM annual membership meeting and
Teacher of the Year banquet will be held on
October 20, 2011 at Turf Valley Resort in Ellicott
City, MD. For more information, please visit
https://www.marylandmath.org/events/conference
Have a Question or an Idea To Share?
Ed Nolan
supervisor
Cathie Peirce
admin. secretary
Brian Crane
content specialist
Katie England
content specialist
Jennifer Hallmark
content specialist
Colin Reinhard
content specialist
Brian Crane’s Nugget o’ Knowledge
Missy Sigley
content specialist
“Start the year with something new.
Verna Washington
content specialist
Heather Jones’ Pearls of Wisdom
“Discuss and develop a plan for
collaborating with your peers.
Become familiar with EIC grade level
overviews, expectations, and resources.”
Don’t lose your students with too much
review.”
or Contact us at 301-279-3161
Department of Curriculum and Instruction — Mathematics
850 Hungerford Drive Rockville, Maryland 20850