Teaching Math Modeling for Problem Solving

The National Science Foundation has funded a pilot program to help elementary teachers learn to teach Math Modeling to their students. Elementary students learn from the beginning using modeling and manipulatives. But this concept is something greater. According to a recent article in Education Week, this type of mathematical modeling “is something different and more complex: It's the process of taking an open-ended, multifaceted situation, often from life or the workplace, and using math to solve it.” In keeping with new standards, the goal is help students see the relevance and application of math to everyday life. The focus is on critical thinking and problem solving with the outcome being sometimes “messy” - meaning there may not be one definitive right answer. Students are being taught to work logically through a problem and develop a solution that can be justified. 

This pilot program, the IMMERSION project, is part of ongoing efforts to improve student proficiency and critical thinking in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), project leaders say. The project is designed to provide professional development to teachers from three different districts over three years. According to an article on the project website, “IMMERSION will help K–8 teachers incorporate modeling into their mathematics teaching by providing intensive professional development training during the summer, followed by support and collaboration during the school year as teachers begin to implement mathematical modeling activities in their classrooms—a practice that can have far-reaching effects on how students perceive and use mathematics. The study will focus on increasing the achievement of all students, including special education and advanced students, students with limited English proficiency and economically disadvantaged students.” This focus on differentiating instruction in addition to the math modeling will prepare these teachers to better meet the needs of all students.

You can find a wide variety of professional development options for Math in the Pepper Course Offerings. All of these courses focus on helping teachers teach math in a meaningful and engaging ways. You will also find courses focused on ELL and Special Education.

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Teaching English Language Learners

“The face of the country is changing dramatically,” says Aída Walqui, director of WestEd’s Teacher Professional Development Program. According to data from the Economic Policy Institute, for example, the percentage of Latinos in the U.S. will increase by more than 300 percent in the next 15 years. Our education system must be prepared to meet the needs of these students and families. Traditionally, many have believed that a main difficulty for English learners is that they must learn the language before they can master the content being taught. According to WestEd’s recent report, “English Language Learners Need New Pedagogy to Meet the Latest Standards”, that mode of thinking is outdated. ELL students should be learning language and content at the same time. Language lessons should be connected to the subject matter the student is receiving in the classroom. However, doing this can be challenging for teachers. Teachers need support in order to better serve the growing ELL population. Teachers will need to be able to embed language lessons into their content delivery to assist students learning the English language.

Pepper is releasing a series of 5 ELL courses focusing on teaching English Language Learners. These courses were developed by the Understanding Language Initiative at Stanford University. Our next blog will highlight them - check back later this week to learn more.

Be sure to check out all our Pepper course offerings.

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FREE WestEd Webinar--Personalize Learning to Meet the Common Core

For educators who work with special education students, there are a number of questions about how Common Core State Standards will work in their classrooms. How can you balance the diverse needs of your students and meet the standards? How can you create personalized learning environments within your classroom?

This free 30-minute webinar from experts at WestEd can help you answer these questions and give you a better understanding of how personalized learning can support the Common Core.

CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBINAR and make sure to check out the supporting resources and PDFs as well.

Finding the Right Math Content for your Common Core Aligned Lessons!

The good news is that there are already thousands of great resources to be found online for math teachers who want to create fantastic lessons that are aligned to CCSS. The bad news is that there are thousands of great resources out there! How should you sort, sift, and dig through them all to find the resources and lesson ideas that are exactly right for your students and your classroom?

Check out ck12.org, a website run by the CK-12 Foundation, a non-profit committed to creating and aggregating top-quality STEM content. They have developed a Common Core Math Standards browsing tool that allows teachers to browse the standards and find aligned concepts, and then mine free, vetted resources to build out lesson plans for those concepts.

It may take a bit of practice to get comfortable with the tool, but it's a powerful resource that can help teachers find exactly the content they want to teach!

CLICK HERE TO TAKE A LOOK!

Unpacking Common Core State Standards: ELA

Without a doubt, if you're a teacher in a Common Core state, you're already aligning your instruction to the Common Core, and have been thinking about ways to implement new lesson plans, formative assessments, and other fantastic strategies for meeting your students' needs.

But sometimes it can be helpful to get back to the basics before you start the new school year, and reinforce your understanding of the standards in your area. This free resource from LearnZillion shows you three simple steps to understanding Common Core ELA standards. It also includes links to other helpful resources, and can serve as an introduction to the standards for those who may not have worked with them yet, or as a refresher for teachers who are planning for the next year.

CLICK HERE to check out the website. And by the way--if you create a user profile with LearnZillion, you can access a list of webinars, lesson plans, and other great, free, resources!

Calling All Math Teachers—Upcoming Free Webinar on April 30th on Standards of Mathematical Practice!

Curious about the role of Standards of Mathematical Practice (SMPs) in Smarter Balanced Performance Assessments? Looking for more information about mathematics classroom practices on the ground? Look no further—and register for this free, 2-hour webinar led by Cathy Carroll of WestEd’s STEM program as she walks you through an overview of SMPs. The webinar will take place live on April 20, 2014, at 4 p.m. PST. Click here to register!

Can’t make it? Don’t worry—the webinar will be archived on the WestEd website for viewing anytime!