Honoring Black History Month
Throughout February, the United States remembers the stories and lives of African Americans whose contributions are woven into the fabric of our nation’s history. The field of mathematics has – and continues to be – significantly influenced through the contributions of prominent Black mathematicians. Consider sharing the lives and impacts of some of these mathematicians with your students.
Similar to the experiences of Black people in the United States as a whole, the journeys of Black mathematicians have produced inspiring stories of resilience amidst tremendous adversity and discrimination. The Mathematical Association of America (MAA) has published a free collection of such stories in Living Proof: Stories of Resilience Along the Mathematical Journey. Dr. Robin Wilson, a mathematician from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, shares a shorter but equally powerful story in a blog post titled “A view of mathematics from behind the veil”.
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2021 Oregon Math Standards Q&A
With the adoption of the 2021 Oregon Math Standards, attention is now turning to implementation and alignment work needed to bring these standards to life for Oregon students. Our hope is that answers to these frequently asked questions (FAQ) will continue to provide support to districts, schools, educators, and families embarking on this implementation.
While the Oregon Math Project webpage is being updated with answers to FAQ, a running FAQ document has been set up. Additional FAQ will be added over time. Please send additional questions and comments to the ODE Math Project Team.
- Q: Why did the Oregon math standards change?
- Q: What is the similar between the 2010 and 2021 versions of the standards?
- Q: What is different between the standards?
- Q: What should I look for when reading? Where do I start?
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Oregon Open Learning Workshop
Do you want to learn more about open educational resources (OER) and the Oregon Open Learning Hub? This Oregon Open Learning Workshop will be an interactive virtual professional learning event that will provide participants an opportunity to learn about open educational resources (OER) and the Oregon Open Learning Hub, Oregon’s K-12 repository for OER.
Join the Oregon Open Learning team for this engaging, hands-on OER Workshop on Tuesday, February 15 from 4:00pm-5:30pm (PST). Register today!
Have additional questions about Oregon Open Learning? Check out our short video and answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). You can reach out directly to the team by emailing OregonOpenLearning@ode.oregon.gov.
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Oregon Math Leaders Network
The Oregon Math Leaders Network is a community of math practitioners who work together to implement and support math teaching and learning in Oregon. Participants include teacher leaders, TOSAs, program administrators, college faculty, and math community partners. If you identify as a math leader, you are! For the 2021-22 school year, the network meets virtually on the third Thursday of each month, with both morning (8:30-9:30am PT) and afternoon (3:30-4:30pm) options. To receive a calendar invitation and Zoom link, please join the Oregon Math Leaders Google Group. If you’re already a member, you don’t need to sign up again -- you’ll get the invite and link. Our next meeting will be Thursday, February 17, 2022.
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Join the Equitable Grading Practices Spring 2022 PLC
Despite our deepest commitment to equity, many of our current grading practices actually undermine effective teaching and perpetuate achievement disparities. Such disparities became apparent in many schools during the pandemic, and many leaders are more motivated than ever to support more consistent, accurate, and equitable grading practices.
ODE’s Equitable Grading Practices Team invites school-based learning teams of at least five people, including an administrator, to join the spring PLC. School teams will learn together and collaborate to design an action plan to implement equitable grading practices and grade reporting. Teams will connect virtually with other teams to share learning and best practices. Recruit your team now and sign up by February 18, 2022! A kick-off webinar for Team Leads is February 24, 2022 from 4-5pm. The link will be sent upon registration.
Contact ODE’s Equitable Grading Practices team for more information.
Upcoming “TODOS: Mathematics for ALL” Events
TODOS is pleased to once again partner with CASIO to offer webinars on important topics. Data Science is a rapidly growing field of study with implications for equity in K-12 classroom experiences. Learn from practitioners; bring your ideas and questions.
Data Science: A New Gateway to Identity and Belonging in Quantitative Fields
Speaker: Tanya LaMar
February 9, 2022, 4:00pm PST
Description and Registration here.
Data Literacy in Early Childhood Mathematics Classrooms
Speakers: Jennifer Ward and Courtney Koestler
February 23, 2022, 4:00pm PST
Description and Registration here.
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CANMEE Lesson Study Symposium: February 10
The California Action Network for Mathematics Excellence and Equity (CANMEE) is sponsoring a virtual lesson study symposium on February 10 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM PST on “Focal Students: How does focusing on a few students improve learning for all students?” Including focal students in the lesson study cycle and attending to both mathematics and equity can make a difference. Registration is free.
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The Mathematics of Opportunity 2022: Charting a Path to Equity
Register now for Just Equations’ 4th annual The Mathematics of Opportunity: Charting a Path to Equity conference. To prepare all students for higher education and 21st century careers, math must serve as a stepping stone, not a stopping point, on a student’s journey. At this year’s virtual conference, we’ll hear from policymakers, advocates, educators and research about how math education can be a force for equity and engagement. Registration is free.
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Data Science for Everyone Coalition - “Ask-Us-Anything” Panel
Join our “Ask-Us-Anything” panel event on February 16, 2022, at 10:00 AM PST, with out-of-school data science education providers! Our speakers are engaging students after school through project-based learning that gets students exploring datasets of THEIR interest. Students are empowered to use what they’ve learned for solving real-world issues. Our panelists include Andee Rubin from TERC, Lisa Neshyba from the Young Data Scientists League (YDSL), and Michelle Mann from NetApp.
This event is a part of a series of Ask-Us-Anything events, where you can chat with organizations and experts in key areas of interest to learn how successful program models can be replicated or adapted in your context. Register for free.
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Community Action Projects: Civics for Every Subject
Join the Classroom Law Project on Saturday, April 16, 2022 for a spring professional learning opportunity centered on Community Action Projects (Project Citizen) and its cross-curricular applications.
- Learn how Community Action Projects – an inquiry-based student action program – can be adapted to suit classroom needs in a wide variety of subjects.
- Earn PDUs and collaborate with other teachers on curriculum and projects for your classroom.
- Participants who teach in Oregon are eligible to receive a $50 stipend.
In addition to attending the session, invite your colleagues in other subjects to learn about using CAPs in the classroom. This workshop is tentatively scheduled to be held in-person in Portland. Masks are required. All state and local protocols, regulations, and recommendations regarding in-person gatherings in effect at the time of the workshop will be observed. Register for free here.
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Oregon Universities Offer Mathematics Education Courses for Spring 2022 Term
Western Oregon University: Take a single course to refresh your skills or apply these courses toward a TSPC Math Instructional Leader (K-8) Specialization, WOU Elementary Mathematics Specialist (K-8) Certificate, or Master’s Degree. Courses are always fully online and asynchronous. View and register for Spring 2022 courses now. For more information about graduate math education courses at WOU contact Dr. Rachel Harrington.
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Southern Oregon University: SOU will be offering a number of MTH505 courses in spring 2022. Registration opens Friday, February 11, 2022, and closes Friday, April 1. Course descriptions and syllabi can be found here. First, apply online for non-admit status and once you are admitted, you may register for the course online using the CRN number. Compete the registration process by emailing Francie Bostwick to request an instructor signature registration override. Each MTH505 course has a cost of $75 per credit.
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Free Online All-Girls Chess Tournament
On the Second Saturday/Sunday of every month, Jesuit High School sophomore student Nesara Shree will be hosting a free online All-Girls Chess Tournament, an event to help bring together and encourage female Chess players, bridging the large gender gap in the sport.
It will be a monthly recurring event and has been approved as a qualifier for Oregon's annual State Chess Championship event. All levels/experience are welcome! It is important that at this critical juncture, girls feel supported. Please encourage your female students to participate in these tournaments and the available benefits of Chess - improve logical thinking, decision making and strategizing skills, confidence, seeing patterns and thinking ahead. More details including registration info can be found here.
National School Counseling Week 2022
National School Counseling Week 2022, "School Counseling: Better Together," is happening this week, Feb. 7-11, 2022. This week focuses attention on the unique contributions of school counselors within U.S. school systems. National School Counseling Week, sponsored by ASCA, highlights the tremendous impact school counselors have in supporting students' mental health and well-being, academic achievement and career planning for their future. National School Counseling Week is always celebrated the first full week in February.
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Announcements or Opportunities to Share?
If you have an opportunity or announcement to share statewide, please contact the ODE Math Project Team. Our goal is to publish the Math Educator Update around the middle of every month except July. As always, we appreciate your participation as Oregon’s mathematics community!
The materials contained in the Department of Education’s Oregon Math Educator Update are drawn from both internal and external sources and inclusion of external materials does not necessarily indicate Oregon Department of Education endorsement.
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