March 2022
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Rebecka Peterson, a mathematics teacher from Union Public Schools in Tulsa, was named the 2022 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year Thursday, March 3, in a ceremony at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum. Peterson teaches pre-calculus/trigonometry and Advanced Placement Calculus to grades 10-12 at Union High School.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister made the announcement, which comes with $10,000 in cash and prizes from community sponsors, including the use of a vehicle for a year to tour the state as Oklahoma’s next teacher ambassador.
“Rebecka’s success in the classroom can be measured not only through the achievements of her students, but through the professional growth of the colleagues she inspires as well,” Hofmeister said. “In addition to recruiting and mentoring, she leads through collaboration. Rebecka's enthusiasm and encouragement have motivated countless other teachers to strive to overcome the challenges of the pandemic and continue providing exemplary instruction to Oklahoma students.”
Peterson was recently named one of six state-level finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). PAEMST is the highest recognition a K-12 mathematics or science teacher may receive in the United States. Peterson has been teaching for 13 years and has spent the last 10 years at Union High School.
“I want my students to know they are accepted exactly as they are,” said Peterson, a proud immigrant of Swedish-Iranian descent. “I am so proud of our mission as public educators, our mission that everybody’s in -- everybody’s welcome, no matter the color of your skin, no matter your ZIP code, no matter your gender.”
Peterson, who describes teaching as her dream job, helps administer the blog “One Good Thing,” in which she posts positive results from her classroom every day. She has contributed more than 1,000 posts to the blog, inspiring her students to reflect on hope and positivity in their own journals.
“I am who I am because of teachers – both my own and my colleagues,” Peterson said. “Thus, first and foremost, I would say, ‘Thank you. Thank you for inspiring me to bring my best every day. Thank you for modeling grace, love, kindness, gentleness and perseverance in the classroom.’”
Beginning July 1, Peterson will assume full-time Teacher of the Year duties, which include speaking engagements and encouraging others to enter or remain in the profession. She will succeed Jessica Eschbach of Norman Public Schools, who will continue to tour the state until July as the 2021 Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
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Registration is now open!
The annual Oklahoma Council of Teacher of Mathematics (OCTM) Conference is back and in person! Saturday, June 4, 2022, join fellow mathematics educators at Norman High School for a day of collaborating and learning. Find the schedule and the registration form here, along with information about the keynote speaker, Sarah Carter, creator of the Math Equals Love blog.
Sarah Carter teaches high school math in her hometown of Coweta, OK. She is passionate about teaching math in a creative, hands-on manner and equipping other teachers to do the same. Carter regularly leads professional development for other teachers. Through her blog, she shares hundreds of free printable resources with teachers around the world. Carter was named one of NPR's 50 Great Teachers in 2015 and is a former finalist for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year.
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 Pi day only happens once a year, March 14th (3-14), but you can help your students celebrate the wonders of pi all year long. Visit NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory site to find posters, backgrounds, and lessons that show the usefulness of pi.
Send pictures of your Pi Day celebration to possibly be shared in next month's newsletter and on the OKMath Facebook group to Gena Barnhill or Brigit Minden.
Imagine Math has a PreK-2 program for our earliest learners. Imagine Math PreK-2 is an adaptive, online, early-learning math program intentionally designed to inspire a lifelong love of math. Learners are immersed in a storybook environment filled with connectible characters, memorable songs, captivating storylines, and rich graphics that engage students while teaching them to see how math exists all around their world. Imagine Math PreK-2 uses a game-based diagnostic assessment to personalize each student’s learning pathway. Early learners progress through a curriculum consisting of more than 2,000 exercises per grade level. Language assistance is in place to help support all learners.
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Students at Meyers Elementary in the Yukon Public School District gave witness to using Imagine Math in early childhood classrooms. In Mrs. Gilchrest's Kindergarten classroom, students were engaged in differentiated lessons on their iPads. Students were allowed to self-select manipulatives to help them think through the online games. Students were excited to celebrate and share their successes and offer help if needed to fellow classmates. When asked what the major benefit of incorporating the program into her classroom for thirty minutes twice a week, Mrs. Gilchrest replied, "This program is more at their level than any other program I have used in the past. It is true differentiated learning, it allows kids to work on the specific skills they need." Similar sentiments were expressed by Ms. Loud when asked about her award-winning first grade class. The students work for thirty minutes, three times a week on Imagine math after recess. This activity allows them to benefit from the increased blood flow and prepare themselves for their upcoming math lesson, while also taking bathroom and drink breaks, a time when it can be challenging to get young students to settle back into the classroom lessons. Thank you to Meyers Elementary for allowing us a glimpse into their classrooms to observe the benefits of Imagine Math with some of our youngest students.
Learn more about Imagine Math, including how to sign up and how to engage students in learning over the summer with the free 5th and 8th grade programs, fully aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics.
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 Dove Schools hosted the 4th Annual Oklahoma Math Challenge on Saturday, March 5, 2022! Fifth through eighth-grade students from across the state gathered in Tulsa and Oklahoma City to measure mathematical mettle.
In total, 35 schools participated, including 154 students: , 53 students from the Oklahoma City area and 101 students from the Tulsa area. Students (and their teachers) received awards for 1st-16th places.
Oklahoma Women in Technology 2022 STEM Day Retreat
Oklahoma Women in Technology (OKWIT) is hosting a FREE half-day-long event aimed to educate career exploring women (grades 9-12+) in Oklahoma about the breadth of career opportunities in STEM and specifically the Technology field. We want to inspire diverse enrollment into the array of technology training programs available to them, and cheer for their participation in the technology workforce. Join us on Friday, April 1st by registering using this link (max. 10 students per school).
The 2022 Retreat will be held in-person at the Tulsa Downtown Library: Pocahontas Greadington Learning & Creativity Center. The event will contain content from an array of STEM-enthused speakers, speed networking, college admissions tables, and more. For everyone’s safety, we will follow both CDC guidelines and venue protocols for COVID-19. All participants will be required to wear masks.
Elementary Mathematics Summer Workshops for Elementary Educators
The Oklahoma State Department of Education, in partnership with Math Solutions, will be offering regional elementary mathematics summer workshops in four regions of the state. These three-day workshops will focus on engaging and supporting students in developing foundational skills for understanding elementary mathematics concepts. PK-5 educators, as well as 6th grade educators in an elementary building, are encouraged to apply.
The OSDE will cover the cost to participate in the workshop.
Locations
- June 6-8: Atoka, Kiamichi Tech Center
- June 13-15: Tulsa
- June 20-22: Weatherford, SWOSU Pioneer Cellular Event Center
- June 27-29: Oklahoma City, Francis Tuttle Technology Center- Rockwell Ave.
Only 80 spots (40 for grades PK-2, 40 for grades 3-5) are available at each region.
Applications are due Friday, April 15th by 5:00 pm. Educators may apply here. Applicants will be notified by Friday, May 13th if they have been selected to participate.
Integrating Mathematics and Computer Science Professional Learning Cohort
Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, Senate Bill 252 will require all public and public charter elementary and middle schools to offer instruction aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Computer Science. By participating in the upcoming free Bootstrap professional learning cohorts and implementing the free and open computer science/mathematics curriculum, middle schools will meet the Senate Bill 252 requirement of providing integrated computer science coursework aligned to the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Computer Science.
Bootstrap, a non-profit organization based out of Brown University, has partnered with OSDE to provide free computer science/mathematics integration professional learning opportunities and free and open curriculum for pre-algebra and algebra teachers.
Pre-algebra and algebra teachers may apply for the next Bootstrap cohort taking place July 25-27 (in-person, Oklahoma City), August 20 (virtual), October 1 (virtual) and November 5 (virtual).
Applications for this training are due on Monday, April 18, 2022.
Access the application here.
For more information, visit the OSDE Computer Science/Mathematics Integration webpage.
College & Career Ready/ Ready for High School Math Training Workshop
In addition to the students who, in a typical year, would need extra support, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted learning for the majority of Oklahoma students, and national studies indicate that the core subject most impacted is mathematics. We now face a collective challenge – how to support students to be algebra-ready. Mathematics skills build over time, and algebra readiness is critical for success in higher-level mathematics and other postsecondary opportunities.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) is continuing to develop teacher capacity to teach the College Career Math Ready course and the Ready for High School Math course. Ready for High School Math (HSMR) is a course that emphasizes the understanding of math concepts and develops the critical-thinking skills students need throughout their high school studies. The curriculum is designed for eighth/ninth grade students. College Career Math Ready (CCMR) is a course designed to help seniors master math skills before transitioning from high school to postsecondary education and the workplace. In this course, students increase their problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills.
Teachers who have been trained receive the curriculum needed to implement the courses in their school. Math teachers holding an intermediate mathematics or advanced certification are eligible to teach both courses. There will be in-person training for both courses in June 2022! Be watching for the opportunity to sign up for the training.
If you have any questions about the math ready courses, feel free to contact Anthony Purcell, Director of High School and College Math Readiness at anthony.purcell@sde.ok.gov,or Brigit Minden, Director of Secondary Mathematics at brigit.minden@sde.ok.gov.
Rural STEM Educator Professional Development Program for Secondary Math, Science, and STEM educators
 Sustainable Energy Engineering For Empowering Rural Communities
The University of Oklahoma (OU) and Eastern Central University (ECU) have joined with the National Science Foundation to offer a year-long professional development program for Secondary Math, Science, and STEM Educators (grades 6-12).
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SUMMER 2022-Participants will work directly with engineering research faculty from OU and ECU on real-world sustainable energy research while developing relevant, guided inquiry curricula for their classroom.
*June 13 - July 29 M-F with the week of July 4-10 as a break*
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FALL 2022-Follow up workshops: Implementation of lessons, classroom visits
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SPRING 2023-Follow up workshops: Implementation of lessons, classroom visits, community STEM events.
Benefits:
- $5,200 stipend for participating in the year long program
- Engage in cutting edge sustainable energy research with OU engineering faculty.
- Network with educators from OU, ECU, and from rural Oklahoma
- Room and board provided during summer research
- Grant (up to $1,000) for classroom supplies
- Increased knowledge and skill regarding sustainable energy
- Continued support by OU and ECU faculty/staff throughout the year
For more information, visit the Rural STEM Educator website.
Ooodle
By now you have probably heard about the word game, Wordle, which has taken the country by storm. Wordle is a free web-based game that is now part of The New York Times. But what about a math version? Welcome to Ooodle, the math-y version of Wordle! Ooodle is similar to Wordle in format, but you get six tries to get the numbers in the correct order. This could be a great warm-up problem to review order of operations!
 Here are some similar games that you could possibly use in your classroom, along with some ways to incorporate them.
- Keep a leaderboard in your room to keep track of how many guesses it takes students to get the correct answer.
- Post the "game" of the day and allow students to work in groups to determine their groups' answer. Randomly pick groups and enter their solution into the game to check for correctness. This would be a great way to bring attention to how many solutions are possible.
- Challenge students to create their own Ooodle (or similar game).
Times Table Sequences Game
Times Table Sequences Game is like Wordle, except you try to guess a sequence of five numbers from a times table.
Nerdle
Nerdle is like Wordle, except you try to guess a calculation. Each guess must be a valid number sentence containing an equal sign.
Primel
Primel is like Wordle, except you try to guess a 5-digit prime number. Knowing divisibility rules can help you determine if a number is prime.
Find these and other Wordle-inspired games, including games for social studies and spelling, here.
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