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Recently, I received an email letting me know about the National Math Festival.  This is an event I had never heard of before so I quickly went to check out their website and was amazed at what I found there! The National Math Festival brings together some of the most fascinating mathematicians of our time  to inspire and challenge participants to see math in new and exciting ways. Through a day of lectures, hands-on demonstrations, art, films, performances, puzzles, games, children’s book readings, and more, everyone from toddlers to teens and adults can experience the unexpected sides of mathematics. The National Math Festival is free and open to the public from 10:00 a.m. till 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 22, 2017 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Those outside the D.C. area can join in via events at dozens of science museums around the U.S. or explore math games, puzzles, books, and other resources available online . For more information ch...

This week we are wrapping up our Mathematical Mindsets book study.  I have loved reading this book and going deeper into the big ideas in my classroom.  If you are just joining us, be sure to check out part 1 , part 2 and part 3 .  Chapter 8: Assessment for a Growth Mindset Big Ideas -Teachers are being asked to test and to grade students to a damaging degree -Often what is easy to test is being assessed rather than valuable mathematics knowledge -It is common to start a math class with a pre-test to determine what students know.  This gives students a message that math is about performance.  -Research has shown that test scores demotivate students and convey a fixed messages that result in lower achievement -Boaler recommends assessing less -Use more formative assessment  Impact in the Classroom Test Less I am happy to get on board with this one.  We use standards based grading on our report cards so I don't have to worry about giving a percent score...

Welcome to week 3 of our Mathematical Mindsets book study! If you are just joining us, be sure to check out our launch , The Power of Mistakes and Struggle  and Creating Mathematical Mindsets .  Chapter 6: Mathematics and the Path to Equity Big Ideas -The myth of the mathematically gifted child: This section reminded me of my own math story !  - All students should have access to high-level content -Try to change ideas about who can do well in math - Make sure students have opportunities to think deeply about math - Importance of group work - Eliminate homework - Encourage minorities  Impact in the Classroom   Eliminating Homework  The strategy that resonated the most with me is the elimination of homework.  Last school year, I made the decision to stop assigning math homework altogether and it has been great.  The kids who were the most likely to do the homework were the ones who needed it the least.  Having parents and caretakers "hel...