Points & Angles
Newsletter of the Metropolitan Mathematics Club of Chicago
Volume XLIV No. , Jan 2015
The Problem With Problem Solving
January Speaker
Ismael Zamora
From I-90 & Southbound I-294: Exit at
I-190 West to O’Hare; Exit
onto North Mannheim
Rd.; Take Mannheim Rd.
North 2.25 miles.
From Northbound
I-294: Exit at West
Touhy Ave.; Take Touhy
Ave. to Mannheim Rd.;
Turn right on Mannheim
Rd.
Public Transit: Take
the CTA Blue Line to the
Rosemont Bus Terminal;
Take Pace Bus #223 to
Touhy Ave. & Lee Rd.;
Walk East on Touhy to
Mannheim Rd.
Friday, January 9, 2015
5:30 PM Doors Open, 6:00 PM Social Hour
7:00 PM Dinner & Talk
Fountain Blue Banquets &
Convention Center
2300 Mannheim Rd., Des Plaines
(847) 298-3636
$43 for Members, $49 for Nonmembers
Reserve by Noon, Monday, Jan. 5
Online at www.//mmcchicago.org/
or by phone at (630) 907-5023
Be sure to join us for the MMC Dinner on January 9, 2015.
Our own Ismael Zamora will share thoughts on “The Problem with Problem Solving”. Ismael will share some of his
personal beliefs about student learning, such as
• Students have a deeper understanding of mathematical
ideas than we give them credit for.
• A single activity can be used to introduce and begin to
anchor an entire unit of mathematical ideas.
• As educators, we must create the time to do really good
mathematics.
• Students deserve to see how we use math every day.
Based on these beliefs, Ismael will share ways to teach problem solving. We’ll look at some interesting old problems in
a new way and see how we can develop ideas in students.
We will also see some creative ways to get students to see
patterns. We will work on finding as many problem solving
methods as possible on a single problem. We will also look
at math tasks that introduce and develop concepts. Ismael
will also share thoughts about frontloading the math class
so we start with great activities that are then supported by
student’s questions and motivated by what students see.
Ismael Zamora has been teaching since 1997. He has taught
7th grade math through AP Calculus and everything in
between. He has started the AP Statistics class at 2 different
districts. He has been math department chair at Rich South
HS, Rich Central HS, Hinsdale South HS, and is currently the Math/Science Division Chair at Lyons Township
High School in charge of 70+ teachers and staff. Ismael
has expertise with educational technology. He has been a
member of Casio CTAC since 2010. He has presented at
USACAS, ICTM, MMC, NCTM, NCSM and various
local and national conferences. He has been selected to be
the US representative at Casio’s Global Teachers Meeting
twice, representing the United States in product research
and development. He has served as MMC President and
is a member of NCTM and ICTM.
Points From The Interior
By John Diehl
I have just read the President’s Message from Diane Briars, NCTM President, at www.nctm.org. The month
the message is “Curriculum Materials Matter! Evaluating the Evaluation Process”. I highly recommend reading the entire message. There are very many good points.
After reading the message, I reflected on my own experience from 33 years of teaching and a couple of terms as
Department Chair. I often felt that the temptation was to let the material drive the curriculum, especially with
the primary textbook. The process was to decide which chapters /sections we can include, given the number
of days that we have. However, I think that process is backwards. The real approach should be to design the
overall curriculum, then the content for each course, and finally select the materials for each course. I believe
this is even more important for those making a sincere effort to adopt the Common Core State Standards
for Mathematics.
I also have to add this. Changing materials is not easy. It will likely be met with some resistance. We’ll all
agree that teachers are very busy. Life is easier when this year is a lot like last year, and lessons, materials, and
assessments won’t need big changes. However, I don’t accept “it will be easier” as a reason why changes are
not made. If newer materials will improve student learning, we must consider them.
Again, I hope you will read the entire message, but I’ll try to provide some motivation with a few highlights.
Statements in quotes are, of course, directly from the message, otherwise they are my own comments.
First “Focus on the central evaluation question: What curriculum materials best support students’ learning
of the standards?” Student learning is central, and it includes both what we teach and how we teach it. Our
materials should include what we plan to teach, but also help with how we teach it.
Here are a few ways that they should do so: “The development of students’ problem solving, reasoning, and
other mathematical habits of mind—the set of processes identified in the CCSSM Standards for Mathematical Practice—receives explicit and regular attention” and “To what extent do lessons regularly feature tasks
that engage students in problem solving, reasoning, and making sense of mathematics as core instructional
activities…”. Our session at the MMC December dinner certainly reinforced that our teachers believe these
habits are very important. Our materials must help us develop these habits.
Also “Recognize that additional content is less problematic than gaps that are difficult to fill.” Publishers want
to sell books. Sometimes they hear that a book wasn’t adopted because in didn’t have topics K, Q, and Z. So
those topics get included in the next edition. Books get longer. Often there is material we won’t need. Don’t
reject for that reason. Focus on the content you do need.
Find a way to “Try out your top choices in the classroom.” This is a great suggestion. At a minimum, if you
believe you have a top choice, use a pilot. Select at least one teacher with a couple of sections, or even better,
if possible, two teachers. They can support each other during the pilot and you get two sets of opinions.
The CCSSM are helping us take a serious look at what we teach and how we teach it, and to review and possibly replace the materials we use. Let’s make choices for the right reasons.
Don’t forget that January is a bonus month. We have both a dinner and our Saturday Conference of Workshops. See details elsewhere in this issue.
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Points & Angles
Vol. XLIV No. 4
December Meeting Summary
By Peter DeCraene
Get Ready! Get Ready! Helping Students Prepare for Success in AP Calculus and AP Statistics
This December’s meeting provided us with a panel discussion by Lynn Bond (Plainfield HS, AP Stats), Ruth
Dover (IMSA, AP Calculus and Test Development Committee), Greg Hill (Hinsdale Central, retired, AP
Calc), and Tim Sirois (Highland Park HS, AP Stats) on how to better prepare students for AP Calculus and
AP Statistics beginning in earlier classes. The panel also connected the topics and instructional strategies to
helping students meet the Common Core Standards for Mathematical Practice. The panel answered some
prepared questions as well as some questions posed by audience members during the talk. Here are some
responses from the panel.
Teachers can help students build confidence in their thinking skills in any class prior to an AP class. The panel
also encouraged teachers to help students develop their abilities to compare and contrast ideas and problems,
write to display their thinking, and learn from mistakes. In discussing how to develop these habits in all students,
the panel suggested encouraging them along the way, providing guidance through questioning and feedback,
looking for opportunities for praise, and giving them enough practice so they can feel confident. Encouraging
a classroom culture that sends students the messages that they can become proficient and that the teacher will
support them is also important helpful; teachers may need to review their grading practices to be in line with
this culture. Teachers should be intentional about establishing the classroom as a safe place where students
are encouraged to work together, use each other as resources, and ask questions.
Key topics which the panel felt students should experience prior to taking an AP class included basic algebra
skills, particularly in the area of working with functions, and an understanding of vocabulary, with the ability
to use it correctly in explanations. Over time, the CCSSM will help prepare students by incorporating more
explanations and probability and statistics into prior courses. In terms of specific details, working with piecewise functions before calculus should be encouraged, along with a visual sense of transformations of functions.
Communication skills in explaining student thinking in these areas should also be encouraged prior to AP
courses.
In terms of calculator and other technology skills, the panel suggested focusing on: setting an appropriate
window by thinking about the behavior of the function, using parentheses correctly, and working with lists,
regressions, and scatter plots. It was also suggested that calculators and technology in general should be used
to help students explore ideas and develop concepts themselves, looking for patterns and generalizing.
When talking about assessment, the panel agreed that the students need to be challenged with interesting
problems and encouraged to explain their thinking. Feedback is also important; formative feedback without
a grade can be part of an ongoing process of helping students develop their thinking. Students need to have
practice answering multiple choice questions that are not just calculation-based, and questions that provide
challenges and opportunities for explanation.
Whether or not you teach an AP class, the thoughts and ideas presented by the panel can all become part of
our daily routine to strengthen all of our students’ abilities to reason and think.
November Board Report
By Lynn Bond
The Board of Directors met on November 10, 2014 at ECRA Group in Rosemont. Thanks to a generous
donation from the Filliman family, MMC will again be able to offer three $1500 scholarships for high school
seniors who will pursue a mathematics teaching career. More information about the scholarships is available
at the MMC website, mmcchicago.org,
The first Saturday Workshop was well-received, and another will be planned in the near future.
The Board will meet before the January 9th dinner meeting. The next regular Board meeting will be Wednesday, February 11th at 6:00 at ECRA Group in Rosemont. MMC members are welcome to attend any board
meeting. Please contact Kevin Wiland at [email protected] if you plan to attend.
Jan 2014
Points & Angles
NCTM
Charter
1
Metropolitan
Mathematics
Club of
Chicago
MMC Scholarship
By Laura Kaplan
1913
Officers
John Diehl, President
Patricia Trafton, President-Elect
Kevin Wiland, Past President
Lynn Bond, Secretary
Carol Nenne, Treasurer
Directors
Stacy Ambrozich (2013-2016)
Lyons Township H.S., La-Grange
Lynn Bond (2012–2015)
Plainfield Central H.S., Plainfield
Peter DeCraene (2014–2017)
Evanston Township H.S. Evanston
John Diehl (ex officio 2013–2016)
Hinsdale Central H.S. (retired), Hinsdale
Michelle Eggerding (2013-2016)
Schaumburg H.S., Schaumburg
Dan Hall (2012–2015)
York Community H.S., Elmhurst
Sheila Hardin (2014–2017)
Oak Park & River Forest H.S., Oak Park
Laura Kaplan (2014–2017)
Chicago Academy for the Arts, Chicago
John McConnell (2014–2017)
ECRA Group, Rosemont
Matthew Moran (2013–2016)
Whitney M. Young Magnet H.S., Chicago
John O’Malley (2014-2017)
Glenbrook South H.S., Glenview
Richard Stalmack (2012–2015)
Illinois Math and Science Academy, Aurora
Patricia Trafton (2012–2015)
The Metropolitan Mathematics Club of Chicago is offering a $1,500 scholarship for a high
school senior who will pursue a career in the teaching of mathematics. In addition, up to
two Filliman Scholarships may also be awarded for the same amount (funded by a gift from
the Filliman estate). The selected students, their parents and their sponsoring teachers will
be invited to the May 15th MMC dinner meeting at which time the scholarship recipients
will be honored.
A selection committee of MMC members appointed by the Board will determine the
scholarship awards. To be eligible, an applicant must submit the application, have an official transcript sent, and request a letter of recommendation from a member of MMC such
that all of the materials are received by March 15, 2015. The committee will establish its own
guidelines for evaluating applications, and will make a recommendation to the Board as
to the awarding of the scholarship. No member of the selection committee may nominate
nor recommend a candidate.
The guidelines used for selection shall be:
A. Demonstration of overall academic scholarship with an inclusion of at least eight
semesters of college preparatory mathematics. (A minimum cumulative grade point
average of 3.0, where A = 4.0)
B. A statement of the intention to pursue a career in mathematics teaching.
C. Indication of participation in extra curricular activities, especially those that may have
a positive influence on a teaching career.
D. Applicants must have a letter of recommendation from a member of the Metropolitan
Mathematics Club who is familiar with the applicant’s academic performance and his
or her potential as a mathematics teacher.
E. Applicants must submit an essay (400-word maximum) explaining why they would
like to be a mathematics teacher.
** Up to 3 awards are possible based on candidate qualifications. The organization reserves
the right to award fewer scholarships if these are not met.
Lincoln M.S., Schiller Park
Kevin Wiland (2012–2015)
School District U-46, Elgin
Mary Wiltjer (2013–2016)
Glenbrook South H.S., Glenview
Officials
Board Chair
Sheila Hardin
Community Relations and Development
Michelle Eggerding
Conference Co-Chairs
Carol Nenne
Mary Wiltjer
Finance Committee Chair Matthew Moran
Historian
Paul Christmas
Membership Coordinator Mary Wiltjer
NCTM/ICTM Affiliate Representative
John McConnell
Points & Angles Editor
John O’Malley
Publicity and Posters
Paul Christmas
Scholarship Chair
Laura Kaplan
Social Media
Laura Kaplan
Webmaster
Dan Hall
ln(blogs)
By John O’Malley
At this time of year, I feel like I sometimes get lazy with feedback. With the craziness of
the holidays and now many other things going on in my life, I feel like I am not giving my
students enough feedback. Michael Pershan has recently been blogging on a series of posts
about feedback in the classroom and it is really interesting to read. I am always debating what
feedback is appropriate and when to give it. Check out his blog for this interesting discussion
(and other great things as well) and join in. This is not a topic that will go away anytime soon.
http://rationalexpressions.blogspot.com/
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Points & Angles
Vol. XLIV No. 4
COMING SOON: The MMC Conference of Workshops!
Registration is now open for the
2015 MMC Conference of Workshops.
When? January 24, 2015
Where? Adlai Stevenson High School, Lincolnshire, IL
Conference program books have arrived, and the conference program
is also available on the MMC website (www.mmcchicago.org)
Workshops are filled in the order that
registrations are received, so register early!
FINAL DEADLINE for registration is December 26, 2014.
Don’t Delay - Register Today!
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Points & Angles
MMC
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HOME ADDRESS
Upcoming Events
Index
1 January Meeting Info
2 Points From The Interior
3 December Meeting Summary
3 November Board Report
4 MMC Scholarship Info
4 The Log Of Blogs
5 MMC Conference Of
Workshops Info
6 Upcoming Events
6 USACAS Information
Fri., Jan 9
Sat., Jan 24
Fri., Feb 6
Fri., Mar 6
Fri., May 15
Ismael Zamora
MMC Conference Of Workshops
Jaclyn Murawska
Bob Horton & Mike Reiners
Dave Bock
The Problem With Problem Solving
Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Choosing Tasks For Productive
Struggle In Mathematics
Mathematical Meanings In Music
What’s The Probability
You Understand Probability?
USACAS Upcoming Event
Attend the NINTH U.S. Conference on CAS in Secondary Mathematics
Speaker Proposals are being accepted online until January 15, 2015 at
http://bit.ly/USACAS9_speakers
Saturday, and Sunday July 18-19, 2015
Hawken School, Lyndhurst, OH 44124
More information available at usacas.org.
We have preliminary speakers, etc.
Organized by MEECAS
Send upcoming event items to [email protected] no later than the date of the MMC
dinner meeting preceding the issue in which the item should appear. All items are subject to editing.
Your membership renewal date appears in the upper right corner of the label.
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7339 W. Ibsen St.
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