Instructional Materials Aligned with Washington Educational Priorities
To better support Washington districts, schools, educators, administrators, and staff in providing standards aligned, culturally responsive and sustainable learning environments, OSPI is developing a list of instructional materials aligned with Washington educational priorities (AWEP). Teams of Washington educators will be trained and will then review standards aligned instructional materials for these priorities. While the materials review process is conducted, OSPI will offer districts a series of webinars to build their capacity to use the published list for making data informed decisions to adopt materials best suited to their students’ needs, and to implement their chosen materials for tiered academic learning recovery and acceleration.
Starting the Year Right
Culturally responsive teaching requires us to know our students deeply. The start of the school year to the perfect time to start this process and lay the foundation for ongoing work throughout the school year.
Culturally responsive teaching requires:
- Knowing students individually
- An openness to one’s own biases
- Building community
We encourage you to explore some of the suggestions below to start this work in your classroom at the beginning of the year.
Get to know your students
One fo the main goals in the beginning of the school year is to build relationships with students to ensure they feel respected, valued, and seen for who they are. Getting to know your students and the factors that make up the students’ personal and family lives will enhance the teacher/student relationship and provide opportunities to make lessons more culturally responsive, the learning experiences more personalized, better meet the students’ needs, and build relationships with their students.
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Student Names- Names are powerful and personal. Many students start the first day of school hearing teachers mispronounce their names. Rather than reading names, considering going around the room and having students say their names to you first. Another way to do this is have students record themselves saying their names and introducing themselves using an app like FlipGrid. Bonus—you can listen to them again later.
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Student check-ins - Start your class with a check-in to understand what students are feeling. These can be done whole class, paper & pencil, or on-line. Desmos has some great ones to get your started.
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Daily question - Start the class with a daily question. When taking attendance, instead of students saying "Here", have their response be the answer to a question. Try questions like:
- What is your favorite holiday?
- If you were an animal, what would you be?
- What is your favorite snack?
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Class meetings – Make space for community in your classroom and hold class meetings on a weekly or monthly basis. Class meetings provide us with information that we can infuse into instruction. Class meetings are teacher-facilitated but student-led and may look and sound a bit different depending on whether you teach primary or secondary students. You can use this as a space to gather student feedback, solve disagreements, plan class events or even just share! Consider using a Google Form or suggestion box in your classroom, then address the feedback as a group and develop solutions together.
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Morning Meetings – Morning Meetings is a daily gathering that provides a caring space for students to connect with each other, practice social and emotional skills, and transition into the school day.
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Partner interviews – At the beginning of the year, partner interviews give students a chance to get to know the other students in thier class better. These interviews can be as simple or elaborate as teachers have time for. They can be done many times throughout the year so that students can gain a deeper relationship with different student in the class. Students might discuss favorite movies, foods, or games. They might share what kinds of books they like, something about thier family, or what makes them most sad or happy.
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Scheduled phone calls home – By scheduling calls, teachers ensure they reach out to and connect with all families. Regular check-ins can be short conversations where you share a bit about what is happening in the class, highlight the great learning their child is doing, and give parents and guardians a chance to share their perspectives from home. The two-way communication will allow families will feel more included and more comfortable, allowing them to become partners with their children’s school.
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Letters and cards – A great way to show students you care is by sending a student postcards in the mail to celebrate a birthday or acknowledge a significant milestone or accomplishment. Check with your school to see if they can support you by putting them in their outgoing mail.
Exploring Math Through Stories
Great stories are a wonderful way to get young people of all ages excited and interested in mathematics. The annual book prize, Mathical: Books for Kids from Tots to Teens, recognizes the most inspiring math-related fiction and nonfiction books that bring the wonder of math to life.
Written by Lauren Child
Ages 5-8
Sometimes, as a treat, Mom takes Charlie and Lola to the store and says they may choose one thing. “One thing to share?” Lola asks. No, it’s one thing each, explains Charlie, or two actual things between two. Lola is nine minutes late getting ready, and on the way, there are ladybugs and birds to count and maybe a squillion leaves on a tree. At the store, Lola says she’ll choose three things, or possibly two. “How about no things?” asks Mom. With Lola hilariously bending everyday numbers to her will, the math goes down easy in this charming picture book loaded with visual appeal.
Key Math Concepts
- Counting, measuring, and estimating
- Comparing
- Imagination as a mathematical skill
Resources
Want to enjoy Mathical books with the children around you? Feeling uncertain about guiding them through the book?
Copyright © 2020 All Rights Reserved. Mathematical Sciences Research Institute.
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Modernizing Algebra II
OSPI is partnering with educators from K-12 and higher ed, as well as business, industry and military representatives across Washington to create Modern Algebra II. The course will meet university admission expectations while offering students prioritized algebra content and additional relevant mathematics to build their skills, problem solving capability and reasoning processes. Instructional materials are currently in development with plans to pilot during 2022-23. As with Bridge to College and Modeling Our World with Mathematics, Modern Algebra II will include professional learning for teachers to implement the complete instructional materials and offer students across the state new avenues for mathematics success.
Bridge to College Math
As schools prepare for the year and open their doors to students, we are wrapping up the Bridge to College Summer Institutes. During the week of August 2nd, nearly 60 new and returning Bridge to College Math teachers joined in virtual trainings to experience the course and its updates from both the student and teacher perspectives. As August closes, additional new and returning teachers are completing asynchronous courses to be ready to share BtCM with their students. All together more than 200 teachers will teach Bridge to College Math this year in 125 districts across Washington to offer students additional options to achieve in mathematics, complete graduation pathways, and earn direct college placement.
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Additional Information about the course can be found at bridgetocollegecourses.org and OSPI or contact OSPI Director of Mathematics, Arlene Crum at arlene.crum@k12.wa.us or 360-789-7143.
Modeling Our World with Mathematics Summer Institute
New to teaching MOWWM? There is still time to take part in training.
The Modeling Our World with Mathematics (MOWWM) Summer Institute is a free training designed to provide teachers with the familiarity and support to implement the full course and its accompanying assessments in the 2021-22 school year. Teachers familiar with the course will also have the opportunity to engage with updated materials.
Details
Self-Paced Course:
- Open now!
- Available in New and Returning Teacher formats
- A completely asynchronous version
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Additional Information about the course can be found on the OSPI website or contact OSPI Director of Mathematics, Arlene Crum at arlene.crum@k12.wa.us or 360-789-7143.
PreK-3rd Grade Resources for Fall 2021
The PreK-3rd Grade Resources for Fall2021 document was created by staff from OSPI and the nine Educational Service Districts as a resource to educators across the earliest years of school, PreK–3rd grade. It is intended to support a smooth transition this fall for students who are just beginning their formal education or who may have experienced disruptions to their early education due to COVID-19. The many tools and resources shared here reinforce prioritizing relationship development and taking time to learn about the strengths and needs that students bring.
For more information or questions about Early Learning, contact OSPI Director of Early Learning, Karma Hugo at Karma.Hugo@k12.wa.us or 360-725-6437.
Smarter Balanced Practice and Training Tests will be available soon!
Some students may not be familiar with the online testing interface for the Smarter Balanced ELA and math tests, or they may have forgotten how to answer different question types. The Practice and Training Tests will be available soon if students need a refresher on how the tests look, where different buttons are located and what they do, and how to navigate in the testing system in anticipation of fall testing.
Need Smarter Balanced Interim Questions for Class Discussion?
As a result of fall testing, the interims will not be available within the TA Interface until sometime in November. In the meantime, the Smarter Balanced Interim Assessment Item Portal (IAIP) houses questions from this year's interims. Those questions are available in the IAIP now! The IAIP is accessed within Tools for Teachers (bottom of the grey menu, on the left side of the landing page) and provides access to interim questions, information including DOK, difficulty, and an answer key, and questions can be searched for either by test name, or standard. Additionally, it is possible to select individual questions from different interims to create custom groupings of questions for more tailored class discussion. A brief training on the IAIP will be available in September. More information about the 2021-2022 Smarter Balanced Interims can be found in the Interim Assessment Overview document.
For more information or questions about mathematics assessments, contact OSPI Mathematics Assessment Specialist, Serena O’Neill at serena.oneill@k12.wa.us or 360-725-6437.
Roadmap for addressing unfinished K - 12 mathematics learning!
Over the course of four sessions, participants will explore, develop and apply strategies for supporting student math learning as we begin our 3rd Covid-Impacted school year. Learning will include: ways to approach unfinished learning, determining what (and what NOT) to teach, strategies for engaging students, and formative assessment strategies with an asset based view of learners.
When: September 8, 15, 29 and October 13.
Sessions will be held via Zoom from 3:30 – 5:30
Register: pdEnroller
8 clock hours will be available for purchase.
Inspire Joyful Curiosity in Math-Themed Kids' Literature
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 from 3-4pm Eastern Time via Zoom
Join the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (MSRI) and School Library Journal at this free webinar for librarians and educators on September 21 from 3-4pm Eastern Time (12-1pm Pacific). This session will explore math in children's literature, and attendees can pick up tips on how to encourage kids to love math in the world around them. Meet K-12 school librarians who will share programming ideas for using titles from the Mathical Book List in their Title I schools, as well as Steve Light, author/illustrator of the Mathical award-winning Have You Seen My Dragon? Connecting with kids' interests and showing how math is woven into every aspect of the world around us is at the heart of the Mathical Book Prize, which recognizes math-inspiring kids' literature for Grades PreK-12.
"Mathematics: The Key to a Hidden World" with Mathical Author, Educator, and YouTuber Eddie Woo
Tuesday, September 21, 2021 from 2-3pm Pacific Time via Zoom
Join educator, author, and YouTuber Eddie Woo for "Mathematics, The Key to a Hidden World" on Tuesday, September 21 from 2-3pm Pacific Time (5-6pm Eastern). Registration is free for this online, interactive event geared at middle and high school students as well as adults!
Do we really need to learn about mathematics in our modern world? We all carry calculators around in our pockets and so much of what we're taught in school mathematics can seem irrelevant to our lives. However, the reason we learn mathematics is not just to solve problems. It's to unlock a world hiding in plain sight, to enable us to appreciate its patterns and navigate its secrets. In this session we'll explore some of those secrets and see how mathematics helps us to wonder at the world we live in.
Teaching Personal Finance & Earning an Income
FEPPP is proud to present “Teaching Personal Finance & Earning an Income” workshop for educators teaching grades K-5. This workshop will help you understand how to encourage your students to think about where they are going and how to get there.
We will review the six competencies of the Washington State K-12 Financial Education State Standards and how they relate to earning an income. We will explore ways to demonstrate an understanding of jobs, careers, and entrepreneurship to your students. You will be offered introductory activities for the classroom and book suggestions which will help convey this message. You will also learn how to adapt in a virtual classroom.
What: Teaching Personal Finance & Earning an Income
When: September 23, 2021 from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
Who: Educators Grades K-5 - Clock Hours Available!
How: Zoom! Once you're registered, you'll receive an email with the Zoom link invite.
Register TODAY!
Do you have news that is of statewide interest you would like to share?
Do you have stories that recognize Math educators doing good work in grades K-12?
We encourage administrators and educators to submit stories of districts, schools, classrooms, or community organizations promoting Math. Please send your submissions to: mathematics@k12.wa.us
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