Professional Reading for Math

I've learned with each grade level change my habit, my reaction, and my coping mechanism is to gather professional books so I can feel on top of my game.  I chuckle at this thought, because while I am still teaching and it's true my profession doesn't change it always feels like a new job.  The feelings of excitement, fear, and courage are all rolled up into one emotion right now.  

This time though I feel like I am coming home.  I taught second grade my first year of teaching as I taught a multiage 2/3 classroom.  I then taught it again while I did a 1/2 multiage classroom for five years.  However, I've been away from second grade since 2000.  Yikes, thus within the first three days of knowing I was moving grade levels I discovered lots of great books to come my way!  It's a lofty collection but I always say there should be the letter grade E, E for effort!

Today I am sharing my collection of professional resources I'm looking at for understanding the standards and mathematical practices while thinking about the big picture for mathematics.  I'll share the title and why I picked each book, in hopes of helping you think about math this summer.

                                  

5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussion - by Smith and Stein via NCTM

It's easy to say I know what the mathematical practices are, sure we do problem solving but they are really much more.  This text caught my eye when it said mathematical discussions need; anticipating, monitoring, selecting sequencing, and connecting.

Putting the Practices into Action K-8 - by O'Connell and San Giovanni via Heinemann

Another book to help me unpack the mathematical practices while offering suggestions to maintain and obtain math skills.  Promises to offer many classroom suggestions!

Implementing the Common Core State Standards through Mathematical Problem Solving - by Schwartz via NCTM

This book offers suggestions for creating the context needed for problem solving.  There are conditions needed for authentic problem solving and this book has the answers to help us create problem solving conditions.

Intentional Talk - by Kazemi and Hintz via Stenhouse

YEA, a book with strategies and a framework for fostering mathematical conversations between students and teachers.  

Common Core Mathematics in a PLC at Work - by Larson and team via NCTM

My district is implementing an enrichment/intervention block each day by grade level where no new material can be taught.  Teachers will be sharing kids during this block of time and this book peaked my interest because it's all about professional learning communities.  It's going to offer guidance, tools, resources, activities, suggestions for analyzing and interpreting the standards.

Focus in Grade 2, Teaching with Curriculum Focal Points via NCTM

What exactly will I be teaching this year and where are my students coming from in first grade?  I think this book will get me on the right track.

If you are reading one of these books this summer or pick up one of these books let me know.  I'd love to hear what others are reading and thinking about mathematically this summer and maybe it can become a discussion for the #nerdymathclub on twitter.

Where Have You Been? - Phonics Lessons Teaching Resources CD-ROM

Phonics Lessons grade K by Gay Su Pinnell and Irene C Fountas has been a resource I've dabbled in for a decade.  Their lesson ideas and kid friendly language for the purpose of each lesson has guided many lessons over the years.  I absolutely love their picture cards for each activity.  A huge assortment for word study concepts.  The size of each is perfect for little hands.  The pictures are black and white, clearly drawn. However, copying then cutting and pasting to make all the activities has been a labor of word study love. Honestly, sometimes this has slowed down my ever growing list of to do and didn't happen.

This does not have to be the case any more thanks to my friend at the end of the hall.  Jennifer shared with me one day over a casual lunch we try to fit in once in a while, "You know there is a CD for that."  I think I almost fell off my chair as she explained how easy making materials was using the phonics lessons teaching resources CD-ROM.  She went and got her first grade version and let me play around with it during my planning period.  I wanted to sing from the top of my lungs.  I was so giddy and bouncy with excitement.  

Phonics lessons Teaching Resources CD ROM, is teacher's dream.  You can search lesson materials and find ideas for a concept you want to teach.  There is also a feature providing letters for home with suggestions for support.  The templates, materials, and games are easily accessible from the CD and can be printed right to a printer instead of going to the copier.  Hands down the best feature is the custom card maker.  You can design, create, and print your own materials to meet the needs of your classroom and different students.  I love to do picture sorts for word study.  With Phonics Lessons Teaching Resources CD ROM, I can create a two way or three way sort for beginning letter sounds.  Then I can select and make four different sets of 6 cards so my students sitting at the same table do not have the same pictures to sort. These will print out on two sheets of paper, which might be hard to visualize but I feel like I'm saving paper too.  

I don't know how I missed this professional resource all these years.  It truly is a must for any primary classroom and I need to eat lunch casually with Jennifer more often.

The Illustrative Mathematics Project

I'm muddling.  I'm mixing, stirring, mentally confused at times, and jumbled.  Then I realize I am muddling through - to achieve a certain degree of success but without much skill, polish, experience or direction.  Thanks dictionary.com for helping me really think through how I feel about adopting the entire Common Core this year and the Ohio Model Curriculum for science and social studies.  I haven't said much here about this huge curriculum change in my life and those of my students because I was muddling but I think it's important for people to know muddling is part of change and change takes time.

The Illustrative Mathematics Project is a recent resource I found this week on the web I think very worthy of any classroom teacher's time.  The Illustrative Mathematics Project is going to be consulting with the creators of materials, test and curriculum developers.  The Illustrative Mathematics Project is also going to be a place to submit ideas to share with others and reflect on the tasks on a more global scale.  I'm not sure I'm excited about any of those things, right now.  Maybe later.

However, what I absolutely love about this website is the organization and the ideas shared to help classroom teachers implement content standards.  Here's the path I took to find a great activity which I used for a Morning Meeting activity.  On the left sidebar click K-8 content standards and illustrations.  Illustrations is the word used to show you an example activity/lesson you can do it directly target the standard you are trying to work on.  Then I clicked on Counting and Cardinality and just kindergarten came up because it's only in our Common Core.  Then I clicked on Kindergarten, to find Know number names and count sequences, Count to 100 by 1s and 10s, and then I found an illustrative lesson for counting circles.  My students LOVED counting circles and I didn't know how engaging it would be for them.

I recognize a couple of developers and consultants names for this project but as a group I feel like they understand math, learning, and kids.  I like how you can follow the content standards and find an activity or idea that directly relates to the teaching we are doing.  I can't wait to see the additions each week to help me organize and muddle through.

The Public Librarian Visits Us!

I have had the pleasure of spending a half an hour over the past two days with Mr. George the Librarian and I've enjoyed every minute.  My students have enjoyed every minute.  Mr. George contacted our school and wanted to come visit our kindergarten students with an invitation for a pajama party at the library to sign up and get library cards!  What a brilliant idea.  He is the public library manager of our quaint little public library and also has several other positions within this title.  Mr. George came and read books to us but his style of reading is not like any other.  He is over the top with animation, sound effects, body language, and singing.  I don't think anything in technology can match what he does!  I found myself mesmerized and it all seemed so natural.  It was interesting to learn he has done a lot of reading and studying about children, behaviors, psychology and incorporated it into his work.  My students were so excited about new books, his library, and hearing more from him next week.  Reading and spending time with books should be exciting!  I'm so grateful to have begun this relationship with another professional who has children and books at the forefront of what he does.  Thank you for becoming a partner with us and extending our learning to your quaint little library.

Katie Wood Ray Interview

I just discovered a great interview, Patrick Allen did with Katie Wood Ray on her new book In Pictures and Words. Patrick clearly thought through his questions in preparation and Katie's answers are honest and sincere. Here is my review of In Pictures and In Words.

Pam Allyn - Ning - Storytelling

I'm sure you have experienced being on your computer and you end up places and discover new things. Yesterday I was traveling along and found this great video clip about storytelling in kindergarten done by Pam Allyn. It's a short clip and a must see for teachers of young children and thinking about the importance of storytelling as a beginning stage of writing. I loved these words she says in her video, marinate and heart of writing. When I watched the video I was instantly recalling my reading of Talking, Drawing, and Writing which I shared here. I'm really thinking my school year will start with a unit on storytelling. I'm going to ponder having parents come and share stories with us.

I will be learning and exploring more about Ning. This is where I found the video clip and my first visit to a Ning site.

nctm.org website

I had the pleasure to attend my friend and mentor's retirement party last week. We taught together for the first seven years of my career and I tried to observe and learn everything I could. We have stayed in touch on and off through the years and even at his retirement party there I was motivated and pushed to reflect and think about best practices for myself and my students. After his current staff sang, carried out skits about his career, and spoke about him...he blessed us with his own thoughts. The room was filled with laughter and tears.

Part of his message led me to this post. In reflecting about his career, he urged his peers and shared some of his experiences with professional organizations and opportunities he's had being involved at levels outside the immediate classroom. There are opportunities for learning, sharing, and growing and I believe this is very important to keep fresh and a passion for what we do daily.

I had let my membership expire to nctm.org this year, The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. When I began to think about this over the weekend, I realized I needed to belong again. One reason, was the need to check out their professional resources that are just fabulous and purchase those related to kdg. Another was for the current information related to mathematics teaching and their publication Teaching Children Mathematics. You might look for this in your school library in the professional journal session, if you have one. Through their Members Only area, one is able to find more lessons and resources to use, and you can search standards and principals in mathematics. Illuminations is a free resource with lessons, activities, web links that have been reviewed to help educators teach mathematics. Figure This! is a great free resource to help middle school families with rich engaging math challenges and advice for communicating with your child's school about homework and their math instruction. I have found things here to extend my higher students with problem solving. Children grow when they have to think a bit harder and are feeling challenged. You can also find some helpful things without being a member. Definitely a site to explore.

I have a bachelor's degree in elementary education with a multidisciplinary focus. It wasn't until a few years ago, I realized why I chose this focus beyond the reason that most of my hours would fit into it when I transferred schools. I love the integration of learning and all areas of our school day. I think this blog might include this, too.

ohiorc.org website

Today I spent a few minutes at the ohiorc.org website after receiving an email with news and updated links to their website. If you aren't familiar with this website it's a project here in Ohio that promotes standards-based best practices in math, science, and reading. It's mission is to provide high quality and effective resources. Each resource is reviewed by educators before going on their website and rated either a best or promising practice. It's so easy to google a word or an idea and find a lot of ideas on the internet and then spend time reading to decide if it's something you could use partially or as a whole. I find comfort in knowing peers, fellow teachers have thought about the quality of an idea before it is posted. We are all busy and a little help is nice along the way!

During my quick visit today, I discovered a new project for ohiorc.org and that would be Literacy K-5. I instantly loved the areas I found on the homepage. Questions from the Classroom led me to questions and answers about fluency written by teachers currently in the classroom with resources to help me think further. The next section I found was about Reading Strategies with teacher information and ideas for teaching different comprehension strategies. This area has a plan for more strategies to be added. Primary teachers will love the K-2 Bookshelf. Here you can find children's literature reviews with the intent to help teachers find books to use as starting points for discussions and instruction. There is an area called Resource Collections with subsections that provide the reader with lessons, resources, assessments, video demonstrations, and professional reading. Then there are some articles and lessons to help teachers Develop Writers. I think this summer I will spend time looking for ideas to help with my transition to kindergarten.

Foreshadowing

Today I was talking to a friend of mine and sharing the three adult books I read on my spring break vacation. I was sharing with her how they all had a positive theme for life, daily. I didn't pick them with that intention in mind so as I was reading it was very interesting to reflect on how they the text had connections with each other. When I was sharing more information with her about, Why We Teach by Linda Alston she felt this book was a sign; a foreshadow of my future and teaching kindergarten.

This is a great book to read for reflection and easy to enjoy. Linda Alston shares with the reader her experiences while working with young children in diverse settings. Linda Alston has been a kindergarten teacher. Through her experiences Linda shares the secrets to her success, "Believe in the Child!, Do It!, and Catch Sight of Your Results!" Each chapter begins with a thought that inspires Linda, for example, "I trust my inner knowing." She shares snippets and stories that make her inspirations come to life and provides the reader with a reflection piece at the end of each chapter with questions to provoke your own thinking. I felt this book was a great read for any teacher who wants to reflect and feel renewed.