ATTENDEES

Alderwood: Margaret Engle, Kent Quigley Birchwood: Carl Cozier: Chris Carty, Kerry Draddy Columbia: Shannon Sampson Geneva: James Larrison, Kelly Eret, Tom Jerns, Mark Danielson Happy Valley Patsy DeCastro, Sarah Sokolow Larrabee: Andrea Roper Lowell: Deborah Hanson, Nicole Anderson Northern Heights: Karen Blum, Sheryl Binning, Sandra Chorvat Parkview: Tom Gresham Roosevelt: Sarah Fairchild Silver Beach: Angela Hayes Sunnyland Doreen Richmond, Courtney Gates, Joy Sawyer

OUTCOMES

To provide consistent, powerful instruction in all classrooms across our district by learning from each other and refining our individual practice

OBJECTIVES

New – Through a deeper understanding of each unit, teachers will explore and design a yearlong structure for implementing Investigations

Shared - By sharing experiences with implementing the Investigations, teachers will refine their practice, the structure, and the management of each unit

Alignment – By understanding the purpose of a clear articulated curriculum, teachers will discuss strategies for a consistent implementation of Investigations

NEW LEARNING

Teachers read a statement on table tents from Improving Student Achievement in Mathematics, Part 2: Recommendations for the Classroom. The full text can be found at: http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-1/math3.htm. Everyone had an opportunity to read the research that supported the statements and to discuss their current thinking about the article. Teachers shared teaching strategies and practices that support student achievement in mathematics.

SHARED

Teachers chose an investigation that they would like to discuss with others at their grade level. A recording sheet was provided to support table discussions and included approach, grouping, resources, technology, materials management, assessments and parent connections.

ALIGNMENT

Teachers regrouped to include members from each of the shared learning discussions.

The teachers discussed the suggested pacing and sequence for the Components of Investigations in Number, Data, and Space for the school year.

Table leaders used a recording sheet, to guide the discussion and to make recommendations to the Elementary Math Task Force about pacing, sequencing, curriculum connection and challenges to overcome at their grade level. This work will be used by the Elementary Math Task Force in creating the Bellingham School District Math Support Guide.

ALIGNMENT

Members from the Elementary Math Task Force shared progress and current work they are doing. They are planning to have a Bellingham School District Math Support Guide out in September 2005. Input and questions were gathered from the teachers and will be shared with the Task Force.

Math WASL scores from Grades 10 and 7 were shared with the group. Both middle school and high school levels are implementing new math curriculum and using resources that are similar to Investigations. Both levels are receiving professional development to support implementation of the new direction in mathematics instruction. The data indicates a clear upward trend in student math scores.

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Q A

grade level meeting minutes

FOURTH GRADE SUGGESTIONS & KEY LEARNINGS

SUGGESTIONS

TERC is great and we use it, materials are needed that don't take hours to prepare.
Special Ed teachers need sets of TERC, Investigations and Manipulatives.
Directions for Sunken Ship – Post to web
Book Connections per unit – Get list – Order books for libraries
Excellent pacing of this inservice. This was wonderful – thank you so much!
Make attendance voluntary (2)
Evening hours after school (2)
Focus on big ideas in math instead of specific resources
Continue with small group time with teachers to talk and share teaching ideas
Variety of math, reading, writing talk time
Now that ELL will be in the classroom, go over SIOP implementation & training.
Other helps/management/use of support personnel, etc.
I would like more time to be spent at my building with my grade level team. The team can focus on the needs of our students at our building.
Carry on with implementing math
Manipulatives to support TERC
More time to share ideas from different sessions
Kathy Richardson and Marilyn Burns discussions
Be respectful of students and classroom effects and schedules!

Key Learnings

Kids listening to kids, responding with eye contact, focus & respect for ideas
Number sense mathematical power relates over a much broader surface area of life
Number talk conversation, I have witnessed, translates
I did get feedback on pacing and order of the Investigations units.
Need proper support materials in order to implement curriculum (TERC)
I have some new resources to fill in the gaps in the strands.
Most people don't think it's necessary to teach all units.
Okay to supplement with other resources - most people do this.
In small groups we decided on units we could do without, the order we thought they should be taught.
Sequencing and pacing ideas
Technology resources
Input from others on the unit I am beginning for the first time “Shape of the Data”
I learned about the Changes Over Time unit and how to manage plants and substitution materials
Different Shapes unit – not all sections are needed, pacing is difficult
No concrete ideas about sequence but had a good discussion
Would like to know what parts of TERC need to be supplemented
More ideas for teaching measurement
Report cards do not reflect what we are required to teach