Here are the latest 2012 dates for my Bureau of Education and Research (BER) seminar “How to Use the Best Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction”

(Click though for specific location and registration info.)

• Mar. 5 – Hartford, CT
• Mar. 6 – Providence, RI
• Mar. 7 – Albany, NY
• Mar. 8 – Burlington, VT
• Mar. 9 – Manchester, NH

• Mar. 19 – Ottawa, ON
• Mar. 20 – Hamilton, ON
• Mar. 21 – Toronto, ON
• Mar. 22 – Cincinnati, OH
• Mar. 23 – San Antonio, TX

This in-depth look at strategies from Singapore math will put your students on the road to success with number sense, computation and problem solving.  (Plus you a get a handy-dandy handbook!)

More dates for “How to Use the Best Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction”

Dates for “Boost Students’ Math Problem-Solving Skills Using Singapore Model Drawing”

As promised, here are the first batch of 2012 dates for my BER  seminar “How to Use the Best Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction”

(Click though for specific location and registration info.)

• Jan. 30 – Long Island, NY
• Jan. 31 – Baltimore, MD
• Feb. 1 – Northern Virginia, VA
• Feb. 2 – Richmond, VA
• Feb. 3 – Roanoke, VA
• Feb. 29 – Baton Rouge, LA
• Mar. 1 – Houston

This in-depth look at strategies from Singapore math will put your students on the road to success with number sense, computation and problem solving.  (Plus you a get a handy-dandy handbook!)

More March 2012 dates will be posted soon!

After the lesson, she asked me for two yeahs and two hmmms from her lesson. When I observe teachers, I try to focus more on the students’ understanding during a lesson and how that relates to what the teacher was doing. Put on the spot then, I mentioned that sometimes she spoke too quietly. I think the students missed some of the discussion. Right away, I knew that was a lame thing to say. When I do teacher observations, I typically take time reflect before sharing my thoughts. So the next day I went back with better insight.

Her lesson had been strong. There was a focus on the key concept of sorting objects into groups, manipulatives were used (stuffed animals and school supplies), there were opportunities for extension. Overall, it was a well-planned lesson. And yet, the students weren’t as engaged as I would have expected. I typically use the 5 Whys technique to get me quickly to the root of a problem. As I reflected on the lesson, my internal dialogue was:

1. I noticed that the teacher sometimes speaks too quietly for the kids to hear her. Why?
2. Well, actually, she’s speaking loudly, then softly. She’s trying to be very engaging to a class of new kindergarteners. Why is she working so hard?
3. She can see the kids are wiggly and having trouble focusing. Why are they having this trouble?
4. They are sitting at their tables, spread out across the room,  four to a table, facing each other. They are focusing on each other, instead of the teacher. Why are they at tables?
5. They’re at tables because they are going to work in their workbooks after the discussion part of the lesson. Aha!

So I say to the teacher:

What if the discussion (or teacher-directed) part of the lesson, with the stuffed animals and the school supplies, took place on the rug? Isn’t that where you do most of your other critical, ‘Hey kids, I need your attention work’ with the students? Then, when you are done discussing the concept, in this case, sorting objects into groups, the students can go back to their tables for the guided practice part of the lesson, and work in their workbooks.

“Doh!”, says my friend,” why didn’t I think of that? I always introduce lessons and give directions on the rug. You have changed the way I am going to teach math, forever” and then we had a High Five! moment. Because she is a friend, after all and sometimes we tend towards hyperbole…. Not all observation discussions are as full of love and happiness.

Take note, though. This teacher ASKED for feedback from a random lesson I had wandered in on and was open to ideas to improve a pretty good lesson.

And when put on the spot, I gave an analysis I might otherwise have not. Reflecting on the lesson led us to dig deeper into the what was really happening in the classroom. In the end, it yielded an “aha!” moment that will change the way the students experience this teacher’s  math lessons.

Thumbs up for more great Singapore Math Seminars!

I’ll be presenting “How to Use Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction” for the Bureau of Education and Research in several cities this May. You can read more about these one-day seminars and register by clicking on the city. Whether you’re new to Singapore Math or just interested in learning more about some of the strategies, you’re sure to leave with a new understanding of the curriculum, strategies that you can use tomorrow and renewed energy for teaching math. (Plus a handy-dandy handbook!)

• May 9 – Providence, RI
• May 10 – Albany, NY
• May 11 – Hartford, CT
• May 12 – Dallas, TX
• May 13 – Phoenix, AZ

That’s all
til next fall
for BER’s
seminars.
Don’t be blue,
I can come to you!

email me for more information.

When I go speak at a school’s Parent Night about Singapore Math, I get asked a lot of different questions. The most common one, however, is how can I help my child with his/her homework? To help out in Northern Colorado, my home base, I decided to take my Parent Boot Camps to another level. A monthly or bi-weekly level through Meetup.com. Each meetup, we’ll work through an elementary mathematical concept, review strategies, and learn a fun activity or game that supports the concept.

As we get going, I’ll post more about the meetups and the questions and issues that concern parents the most.

From the Read more about us page (where you can register to join, too):

Does your student struggle with his or her math homework? Are you arguing over who’s way of solving problems is right, yours or the teacher’s? Wouldn’t it be nice if your child thought math was FUN? It’s time for a math boot camp for parents! Each Meetup will engage parents with strategies to help their child as well as some time for home-enjoyment review. (Really, why should it be homeWORK?)

Who: Parents who want to help their elementary school students with mathematics.

Why: While math hasn’t changed much since we were in school… virtually everything else has, include teaching methods, curricula, homework, and expectations

How: Using math strategies from Singapore Math and other World-Class curricula, we’ll focus on understanding elementary math concepts. Why do we invert and multiply when dividing fractions? What are we doing when we “borrow” from a number? Why don’t kids memorize their multiplication tables anymore?

Bonus: At each Meetup, I’ll provide Math-Campers with some handpicked resources that engage students and strengthen their mastery of math facts. We’ll play games that focus on mathematics content and discuss your child’s homework assignment, so bring them along!

(Image courtesy of Indexed.)

I’ll be presenting “How to Use Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction” at four workshops this winter. You can read more about these 1 day seminars and register by clicking on the city.

February 10 – Harrisburg, PA – Rescheduled for March 9th

February 11 – Atlanta, GA – Rescheduled for March 10th

March 29 – Rochester, NY

March 30 – Buffalo, NY

Whether you’re new to Singapore Math or just interested in learning more about some of the strategies, you’re sure to leave with a new understanding of the curriculum. (And a handy-dandy handbook!)

(Image courtesy of Indexed.)

I’ll be presenting “How to Use Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction” in Cincinnati on May 13, Atlanta on May 14 and in New Jersey on May 20 & 21, 2009. You can read more about these 1 day seminars and register through the Institute for Educational Development.

All seminars will be “buzzword” free!

These are the only public sessions I’ll be doing until the 2009 – 2010 school year.

Thinking about a field trip to see the world’s top-scoring math in action? There are just a few spots left for this July’s Singapore Math Summer Program.