Note: You asked; we listened! Starting in September, we will be having two separate newsletters: one for elementary math and one for secondary math.
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Contents:
As we return to another school year, districts across the state are developing responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. I am sure many of you feel a great deal of uncertainty and may be overwhelmed. Some math teachers will be working virtually, some will be asked to teach in-person and online, and some will be returning to their buildings to work almost as normal.
Give yourself and others grace as you prepare to return to school. Remember, you already know a lot about teaching, regardless of the delivery method, platform, or schedule! Those delivery facets are not what will make the difference for your students—YOU will! Each one of you is amazing and will be able to overcome any obstacles that are thrown at you.
-Christine and Susan
 If you’ve checked out the suggested learning progression for your grade level on the OKMath Framework pages, you may have noticed for each grade there is a “Unit Zero.” This unit was designed to reinforce the idea that math is about learning, not about performing, math is about making sense of your surroundings, math is filled with conjectures, creativity, and uncertainty, and that mistakes are beautiful things. After engaging in Unit Zero, students tend to approach math with a mathematical mindset, understanding that everyone is a “math person” and can learn and do mathematics, and utilize the Mathematical Actions and Processes. By implementing Unit Zero at the beginning of the year, you are less likely to encounter student resistance to rich, multi-step math tasks and are more likely to see growth in students’ confidence and development of their mathematical identities.
Check out this sample lesson that includes a “Can you Grow Your Intelligence?” survey, a growth mindset video and activity, and a math activity that helps students develop their mathematical mindset. Then explore all of the lessons for your grade level in the “Unit Zero” section of your grade-level’s Suggested Learning Progression, found on the OKMath Framework.
Learn more about developing a growth mindset in math class on this OKMathTeachers.com blog post.
It is with great pleasure that we announce Gena Barnhill has been hired as the new Oklahoma Excel Mathematics Specialist at the Oklahoma State Department of Education.
Gena previously taught fifth-grade math and science at Lakeview Elementary School in Yukon Public Schools and taught at Rollingwood Elementary School in Putnam City Schools. She has served on the OK Math Leadership Class, the Oklahoma Math Instruction Advisory Group, and the Central Oklahoma STEM Alliance Leadership Class. She was recently honored as a national awardee of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching, the top award a STEM educator can receive in the nation.
Gena regularly used STEM practices in her classroom with a focus on real-world applications; she is passionate about bringing quality math education to Oklahoma students. She participated in an Oklahoma Excel Network Improvement Community last year, so we are excited we are able to welcome her now to the role of Math Specialist for the program!
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The Oklahoma State Department of Education has published a framework for Oklahoma school districts as they plan for the 2020-21 school year. Return to Learn Oklahoma: A Framework for Reopening Schools includes a host of considerations for how districts can plan for a variety of contingencies that may impact the upcoming school year amid continued incidence of COVID-19.
Planning for and starting the 2020-21 school year will be far different than the start of any school year in the past.
Math Instructional Support and Guidance begins on page 39 of the document, starting with general guidance and moving into specific math guidance on page 44.
As the nation and world learn more about COVID-19 and the many issues surrounding it, this guidance and the planning of districts are expected to evolve throughout the summer.
New, more in-depth guidance is coming tomorrow for teachers of mathematics at all levels, with sections on standards & pacing, effective instructional routines, considerations for blended & distance learning, classroom assessment, social & emotional well-being, equity & access, connection & integration with other disciplines, and safety considerations. See the OKMath Meet Up section of this newsletter for more information.
What would you like to see included in future math instructional guidance? After reading the initial document, please submit your recommendations using this survey.
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On July 15 and 17, Christine Koerner and Susan Kirk presented Using the OKMath Framework to Increase Student Engagement to hundreds of educators for EngageOK in the Cloud.
If you missed either session or would like to revisit them, recorded versions are now available.
During each ninety-minute webinar, we review the OKMath Framework, provide examples of student engagement opportunities, and highlight additional resources available to educators.
Once you watch the video and explore the OKMath Framework, you can engage in the 3-2-1 strategy (3 things you noticed, 2 things you still wonder, 1 thing you can use “right now”) on these interactive slides. We’ll feature these reflections in a future newsletter.
Elementary:
Another elementary virtual meeting will be held Friday, August 14, to present next step instructional guidance for classroom teachers. This guidance includes information for ELA, math, science, and social studies. The information for each meeting is below: as always, we ask that you do not share the passcode publicly.
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1st-2nd Virtual Meeting: August 14, 3:00-4:00 p.m.
Secondary Mathematics:
We will host a virtual meeting on Wednesday, August 12, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. to debut updated, more detailed return to learn math guidance, provide a follow-up reflection opportunity from the EngageOK in the Cloud presentations, and announce our professional learning opportunities for 2020-2021. Click here to register for this Zoom meeting.
 The Oklahoma State Department of Education is partnering with Bootstrap to equip mathematics teachers with curriculum, pedagogy, and skills to integrate Computer Science into the Pre-Algebra & Algebra 1 sequence, using free Bootstrap materials. Participants will learn, grow, have fun, and engage their students in a mathematics learning experience that connects them to the world of computer science. No previous coding experience is necessary!
This is not a “one-and-done” professional development; instead, this cohort offers an ongoing professional learning experience that spans the course of an entire academic year. By applying for a spot in the 2020-2021 Bootstrap Cohort, you will participate in the following (if selected):
- Introductory 1-hour webinar
- Approximately 5 total hours of on-your-own-pace online work, taking place before and between virtual synchronous sessions.
- 4 virtual, synchronous professional development sessions on September 12, October 10, November 14, and December 12
- Additional virtual professional development for ongoing implementation support throughout the 2020-2021 academic year
Participants who participate in the workshop, teach the curriculum, and participate in data collection (administering student pre/post tests and participating in multiple surveys during the year) will receive a stipend.
Apply here! Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. on August 17, 2020. Acceptance notifications will be sent via email by August 19.
 Oklahoma Excel has just launched two amazing learning experiences for math teachers and teacher-leaders in Oklahoma. Oklahoma Excel is a professional learning opportunity for districts and teachers across Oklahoma. These professional development opportunities are focused on student justification and reasoning in the math classroom.
The Facilitated Track is designed for large or small groups in which a facilitator leads teachers through the slides and professional learning experience. The facilitator is provided with complete slide decks, handouts, resources, and a detailed facilitator guide.
The Self-Study Track is designed for individual teachers to work on the new OK EDGE virtual platform. Materials and resources are online and teachers are able to complete this work at their own pace.
- See the “Online Math Learning Modules” section of this newsletter to get details on how to sign up for the Oklahoma Excel self-study track.
For more information please visit https://sde.ok.gov/oklahoma-excel or reach out to the Oklahoma Excel Math Instructional Specialist at gena.barnhill@sde.ok.gov.
During the academic year, the most requested professional learning opportunities were pre-made online learning modules that could be completed on an educator's own time. We have developed multiple math options to meet your needs:
Mathematics- Formative Assessment Probes
This module introduces the Oklahoma Formative Assessment Probes for grades 3-5, 6-8, Algebra I, and Algebra II. During this module, educators will learn more about the process of formative assessment and why it is vital to use formative assessments in any classroom. In addition, educators will see examples and non-examples of how the probes can be used in the classroom to evaluate student needs and progress. Finally, educators will practice sorting sample student work into common misconceptions and understandings.
Mathematics- PLC Common Assessment Discussion, Implementation, and Analysis
During this module, Math Professional Learning Communities will have the opportunity to reflect on current common assessment practices and practice scoring common performance assessment tasks at the elementary, middle, or high school levels. Once groups have practiced scoring for their grade band, they will be granted access to the OK MAP Performance Assessment Padlet for grades 3-5, 6-8, Algebra I, and Algebra II.
This module is meant to be used in a series of 4-5 PLC meetings. If there is not a math PLC available in a school, educators are encouraged to connect with other schools in the area and/or district to complete this module and establish an ongoing Professional Learning Community.
Oklahoma Excel: Justification and Reasoning in the Mathematics Classroom
This learning module, brought to you by Oklahoma Excel, is an opportunity for individual K-12 Math teachers to learn about and try out evidenced-based instructional practices. During the 2019-20 school year, 22 Math teachers from around the state implemented a set of instructional strategies called "Puzzle Problems" in order to help their students develop their ability to justify and reason mathematically. This module contains the professional development that those teachers received, as well as the tools to collect data for yourself to see the effects this work can have on your students.
Getting Connected to the Online Learning Modules:
To access online math modules, visit the NextThought Online Platform (https://osdeconnect.ok.gov/).
You will first need to create a user name and password by clicking on "Get Started" below the orange sign in bar.
Once you have logged in, you will be able to click the blue "+ADD" button next to the word "Modules" to find and "enroll in" the available Mathematics online module.
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Take all of the time you need to complete a module. When you are finished with all parts of a module, you will be emailed a Professional Development e-certificate.
Find additional, ongoing professional learning opportunities on the OSDE Mathematics Website.
To see all of the latest professional development opportunities, visit the OSDE Math Professional Learning Opportunities webpage. There you will find a calendar of events, details about the upcoming professional learning opportunities, online learning modules, and more.
Join the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) as they celebrate their Centennial with 100 Days of Professional Learning. Each webinar will be held at 6:00 p.m. on 100 selected days from April 1 leading up to the October NCTM 2020 Annual Meeting & Exposition in St. Louis. A variety of speakers and topics are geared to meet all grade bands and interests. Webinars will be recorded and available until the St. Louis Annual Meeting. Register for each webinar by visiting the OSDE Mathematics website and clicking on the links in the Professional Learning Calendar or by visiting www.nctm.org/100.
In the event that the virtual rooms reach capacity and you are unable to enter the session, you can watch the session on Facebook Live or view the recording on www.nctm.org/100. The recording will be posted the day after the live event.
Based on the success of their latest blended instruction workshops, SREB is launching a FREE series of 2-hour introductory workshops on innovative practices for teaching students in a virtual setting.
Choose from seven topics and explore how to use tech tools to adapt and modify your curriculum, lessons or assessments to embed proven instructional practices that promote student engagement and achievement. You will be prepared with tools and strategies for building lesson plans or activities and/or creating formative and summative assessments in the first weeks of school.
All sessions meet from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time; workshops are 90 minutes with an additional 30 minutes scheduled for peer collaboration or one-on-one support from SREB staff. Workshops will be recorded for those teaching during these sessions.
Sessions that may be of particular interest for math educators:
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Thursday, Aug. 27
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Successful Virtual Instruction This Fall
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Register
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Tuesday, Sept. 1
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Strategic Scaffolding
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Register
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Wednesday, Sept. 2
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Mathematics
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Register
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Thursday, Sept. 3
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Providing Social-Emotional Supports
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Register
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Friday, Sept. 4
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Project-Based Learning
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Register
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Imagine Math, a comprehensive, supplemental, skills-based online math program, will be free to all fifth-grade and eighth-grade students during the 2020-21 school year. Imagine Math includes content that is aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics, including authentic assessments, adaptive learning pathways, embedded scaffolds and actionable data. When students need extra support, they can receive live, 1:1 differentiated instruction from certified math teachers in English or Spanish. More information will be coming soon!
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