Singapore Mathematics 2013 Seminar Dates

Best Strategies from Singapore Math BER Evaluation by Cassy Turner

Hot off the presses, here are the Winter 2013 dates for my BER  seminars “How to Use the Best Strategies from Singapore Math to Strengthen your Math Instruction”  and  “Boost Students’ Math Problem Solving Skills Using Singapore Model Drawing” You can read more about these one-day seminars and register by clicking on the city.

(Click though for specific location and registration info.)

Current 2013 dates – “How to Use the Best Strategies From Singapore Mathematics to Strengthen Your Math Instruction” (BER)

This overview of  Singapore Math® strategies will put your students on the road to success with number sense, computation and problem solving.  (Plus you a get a handy-dandy handbook!)

Current 2013 dates – “Boost Students’ Math Problem Solving Skills Using Singapore Model Drawing” (BER)
A whole day of problem solving PLUS that handbook for your own home enjoyment!

Your city not on the list? Contact me and I can bring my Singapore Math® workshop(s) to your school or district – email

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Direct from the classroom: Challenges & Successes with Singapore Math implementations

Some teacher challenges & successes with Singapore math one year or three months after adopting the program are below. Click to see larger images.

During follow-up in-services, I like to have teachers meet in grade level groups and spend time discussing the challenges and successes they have had thus far with their teaching of Singapore Math. Each grade level is then asked to list these challenges and successes on a poster and share with the group as a whole. This allows us time to compare and share lessons from the content fresh on their minds.

There is so much challenge the first year when implementing a new curriculum, it’s helpful to take a few moments to reflect on how many successes the teachers and students have had. These posters then guide subsequent  teacher learning as we focus on the concepts that they are finding challenging.

 

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By Math Teachers, For Math Teachers: Helping Students Succeed in Math Conferences

Helping Students Succeed in Math: Conference for Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade Teachers
I’m so excited, I’ve been asked to be a part of a new series of conferences for the Bureau of Education and Research (BER). We will be visiting:

This conference is going to be a doozey.  My sessions during each two-day conference include:

From “Chore” to “More!” – Mastering Complex Problem Solving with Bar Modeling from Singapore (2 hours 40 minutes)
Start solving multi-step word problems with your students tomorrow using the bar model drawing methods popularized in Singapore, the nation that produces the world’s top math students. You’ll see the power of this innovative approach and receive the tools to enable your students – at all skill levels – to see, manipulate and understand how math works.

Unlock the Secret to Mastering Fraction, Ratio and Proportion Concepts with Bar Modeling from Singapore (75 minutes)
The Common Core is loaded with standards that begin, “Solve real world problems involving …” Model drawing from Singapore provides a powerful method to demystify fraction, ratio and percentage problems. In this lively interactive session, you’ll learn to use a signature feature of math from Singapore to help your students work with these higher‑level concepts with ease. Freaked by Teaching Fractions to Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders? Here are the Keys to Success

Using the Best Technology Resources to Enhance Your Math Instruction in Grades 3‑5  (75 minutes)
Looking for some outstanding resources to supplement your math instruction? Cassy cuts through the Web’s clutter and shares some gems – student‑friendly websites that promote math comprehension above all else. You’ll leave this session with more than a dozen time‑tested websites that Cassy enthusiastically recommends for their positive impact on students’ math skills.

Make it Easier to Master Math Concepts with Motivating Math Games for Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders (75 minutes)
Hands‑on activities enhance math comprehension by giving your students visual reinforcement of key concepts. Join Cassy as she shares games that you can easily play with materials you already have in your classroom! You’ll leave this dynamic session with “use them tomorrow” ideas for games and activities to support number sense, place value and mental math with the four operations.

Freaked by Teaching Fractions to Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders? Here are the Keys to Success!  (75 minutes)
The Common Core is loaded with standards that begin, “Solve real world problems involving …” Model drawing from Singapore provides a powerful method to demystify fraction, ratio and percentage problems. In this lively interactive session, you’ll learn to use a signature feature of math from Singapore to help your students work with these higher‑level concepts with ease.

Key Strategies to Empower Your Third, Fourth and Fifth Graders’ Mental Math Abilities  (75 minutes)
In this fast‑paced session, Cassy will share tools you can immediately use to teach students to master mental math. Working with sample addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems, you’ll learn methods to enable your students to develop strong mental math skills, number sense and life‑long confidence with these best strategies for manipulating numbers.

Here They Are: The Best iPad Apps for Teaching Math in Third, Fourth and Fifth Grades!  (75 minutes)
More and more people are turning to iPads as motivating teaching tools. With thousands of math applications available, how do you choose the right ones to support and strengthen your classroom teaching? Discover the best, most valuable math apps currently available. Your students will love practicing number sense, fractions and problem solving in an engaging new way, and they’ll love you for introducing them to these outstanding apps.

But that’s not all, my co-presenters Dr. Barbara Blanke, Dr Nicki Newton, and Mary Peterson will also have sessions on the Common Core, Storytelling in Math and more. Better click the nearest city links above to see all the great sessions offered!

Be sure to check out my other seminars for BER

 

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Singapore Math in Ghana: Working with Teachers at the Association International School

Association International Teachers gives "thumbs up" on Singapore Math

Sometimes, life throws you the most wonderful curve balls. Late in July, I was contacted by Audrey Doryumu, Head of the Association International School in Accra, Ghana. Six weeks later, I was on my way to spend a week working with her teachers as they prepared to teach Singapore Math.

Association International School (AIS) has a student body that is both local and global; many students attend AIS while their parents are posted in Ghana for work, giving it a wonderful diversity of experience. International teachers provide unique perspectives to the school’s students as well.  The school prides itself on working with the Ghanian, British, and American systems of education and plans to offer an International Baccalaureate Diploma Program when it grows to include 11th &12th grades.

Morning Open House for new students was crowded!

Implementing Singapore Math

Association International School  is so excited to be the first school in Ghana to use Singapore’s Primary Mathematics. Head of School Audrey Doryumu considered starting the Primary Mathematics Standards Edition for the students last school year, but wanted to ensure students had the necessary place value skills to truly be successful and on grade level. The teachers spent last school year backfilling some gaps and hitting place value concepts hard, and feel students are ready to go with Primary Mathematics materials this year.

Delivery to Ghana is a challenge, so the books were delivered first to New Jersey, then sent in shipping containers to Accra. The school is still awaiting some workbooks for new students.

 Always more to learn!

After four invigorating  days of training with Singapore Math concepts and materials, we ended our week with a test. That’s right, each teacher took the “A”-book placement test for the grade level they will be teaching.

The 5th – 7th team tackled the 5A placement test and found much to discuss (and debate!) over this question:

Estimate the value of 492,396 x 7.

Should they be thinking 500,000 x 7 or 500,000 x 10?

The fourth grade team discovered that teaching mental math was going to require some practice on their part. I always mention that we, as teachers are “handicapped by our superior knowledge“. We know algebra and we have certain strategies for computation that we are used to using. The mental math strategies taught in Primary Mathematics are different than many teachers have worked with and it is important to practice to become fluent with them, particularly if teachers are used to relying on pen & paper. (Or mobile phones).

Second Grade was surprised to see students were expected to know the equivalence of pounds and grams.

18. Fill in the blanks with lb or oz.
(a) The apple weighs about 6 _____.
(b) The watermelon weighs about 5 _____.
(c) 28 grams weigh about the same as 1 ______ .

We pulled out the 2A text book and found the only reference to this on a textbook page. There was no additional discussion included in the Teacher’s Guide.

Having teachers new to Primary Mathematics take their placement test was a fabulous learning exercise for the teachers and one I’m sure I’ll be using again.

It was such a pleasure to visit AIS and spend time with their committed, professional teachers and staff. Thank you Audrey Doryumu, for inviting me to Ghana and giving me the opportunity to work with Association International School. I look forward to visiting the school next spring to get an update on their Singapore Math  adoption and to see how far the students and teachers have come.

By the way, Association International is always interested in bringing exceptional teachers to Ghana. If you’re looking for a rewarding teaching experience, contact their Human Resources department.

Last year, former U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan visited the school:

[youtube]http://youtu.be/e9TFn7LLIvw[/youtube]

 

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More Singapore Math Strategies Seminar dates

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.)

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”

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