News

Plan Summer Learning Opportunities with CSDE and Defined Learning PBL

The CSDE in partnership with Defined Learning has designed a series of informational sessions to assist with your planning efforts and use of the Defined Learning Summer PBL Backpack for a seamless summer learning experience. Whether you are new or looking to learn more about how to effectively use Defined Learning to engage students in problem based learning or to supplement your summer learning program, these timely sessions will help assure you are ready. Register using the link https://learn.definedlearning.com/ct-pl-summer-2022  to start the summer learning planning process.  Inquiries can be sent to Chief Academic Officer Irene Parisi at Irene.Parisi@ct.gov.

The Materials & Manufacturing Summer Teachers' Institute is open to all educators and educational professionals interested in STEM and Manufacturing Professional Development. It is designed to acquaint educators with real-life applications of Manufacturing and STEM. It will be held July 21st and 22nd. Please see the attached flyer for additional information and to register.

Flyer can be found here 

Hi mathematics educators!

1) We are announcing the final workshop of the academic year which will be a week from today. The Mathematics of Trust is about game theory, decision making, and building trust in the classroom and we envision this session as a way to incorporate a mathematical activity into establishing classroom norms in the fall. See below for registration and more information.

 5/24 Registration

2) Our new Spotlight Educator is Sacha Kelly, a math teacher at the Academy of Arts and Sciences in New Britain and an artist that has contributed to many social justice murals in Connecticut. Read more about Sacha here!

3) This is a reminder that the application for our *2022 Summer Stars* cohort is due May 25th (next Wednesday). Please share with your colleagues and visit our website for more information and the application form and reach out with any questions.

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Workshop Title: The Mathematics of Trust

Date/Time: Tuesday May 24, 6:30-8:00pm (EST)

Presenters: Susan Budde, New Haven Public Schools; Evan Green, Common Ground High School

Description: Data shows that Americans’ trust in each other has attenuated significantly over the last 50 years. This investigation uses game theory, functions and bivariate data analysis to shine a light on the mathematics of trust and the systems, large and small, that support or subvert trust. Through this process, students work to create practical solutions to conflict, in both personal relationships and in larger social systems, that foster greater cooperation and disincentivize selfish behavior. The lesson is intended for high school but can be adapted to middle and elementary school.

MTC 4 Social Justice 

Summer Stars 

They are looking to gather between 10-14 Connecticut secondary mathematics educators (grades 6-12)  for the purposes of developing more social justice math lessons and expanding our digital book and resource guide . Teachers, coaches, curriculum writers, etc. are all encouraged to apply and all participants will receive a small stipend, a T-shirt, authorship, and leadership opportunities.

See the attached flyer and our website for more information and please contact us with any questions! The application is due by May 25.

See the flyer here. 

On Wednesday evening May 11, CCLM will be holding its first in-person event since the pandemic hit all of us. And we are doing it in style with our Spring Dinner Event, featuring nationally known author-educator Dr Shelly Jones as our guest speaker. We will also be sharing an overview of the CT Mathematics Leadership Committee's Math Ed Equity Position Statement. ​You will enjoy an amazi​ng dinner buffet in a beautiful setting and several opportunities to network with colleagues from around CT as well as to participate in table discussions related to the issue of equity in math education. It should be a wonderful evening for all! CCLM is subsidizing a significant portion of the cost of this event as an additional encouraging factor to encourage your participation in this special event. Please download the attached flyer, which includes the event registration link. We sincerely hope to see you there!!

We are excited to announce next week's workshop Caloric Intake: What Matters? for next Tuesday the 19th at our usual time of 6:30-8:00pm (EST). See below for more information and the registration form. Please invite colleagues and we hope to see you next week!

 4/19 Registration

Workshop Title: Caloric Intake: What Matters?

Presenters: Taryn DiSorbo, Cheshire Public Schools; Christian McCarthy, Hamden Public Schools

Description: Currently about 1 out of 4 youth identify as being in the LGBTQIA+ community, and the fastest growing sub-population within that community are transgender and non-binary individuals - people challenging societal norms about gender identity. In this workshop, we engage participants in a lesson that introduces Algebra I vocabulary and concepts in an accessible way while allowing students to critically parse the relative importance of several factors that affect the recommended caloric intake for different people, including gender. Participants will also explore other situations where societal biases or stereotypes might be reduced or eliminated through the application of a mathematical lens.

April marks an important month in education. This month we celebrate both Financial Literacy Month and Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month. This is an opportunity for schools to encourage students and their families to engage in learning that sets the foundation for a bright future. It is critical for students to be financially literate and to understand mathematics and statistics as important drivers in our current world. The Connecticut State Department of Education encourages districts, schools and informal education partners to promote this month by visiting the Personal Finance Showcase of Appreciation and Innovation and the Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month  webpages. Together we can increase financial knowledge and appreciate the diverse applications of mathematics and statistics.

Hi mathematics educators!

First we are excited to announce the return of our Spotlight Series and that we are featuring Lindsay Keazer this month! Lindsay is a mathematics education professor at Sacred Heart University - read her feature here.

We are also announcing this month's workshop Broccoli or Cake? The Equity of Healthy Food Choices next Tuesday (the 15th) from 6:30-8:00pm (EST) featuring three incredible middle school educators. See below for the registration link and more information. Please invite colleagues and we hope to see you next week!

 3/15 Registration

Workshop Title: Broccoli or Cake? The Equity of Healthy Food Choices

Presenters: Maria Enrique, Ellington Public Schools; Sherryl King, Hartford Public Schools; Sarah Poppel, Hartford Public Schools

Description: Rated as the 9th most expensive state to live in, Connecticut has a high cost of living, including above-average grocery prices. In addition, the urban and rural areas tend to have more convenience stores than grocery stores. Join us for this session to participate in a lesson that engages students in a hands-on experience that causes them to think critically about the equity of healthy food choices. Participants will have the opportunity to consider a variety of social justice topics such as budget, access, cost, types of markets, and transportation.

Note: This lesson is geared towards a middle school audience, but is adaptable to other contexts.

Join CCLM for our second session of the: BOLD Mathematics Leadership Series: Using Your BOLD Leadership to ADVOCATE for Equitable Practices to Increase Student Access and Achievement. 

Details can be found here on the flyer.  As always, registration is free to CCLM members.  If you are not yet a CCLM member, register here. 

Model Curriculum:

As you may be aware CSDE is in the proceess of developing model curricula. We are currently seeking individuals with interest in volunteering to assit in this process. This will include reviewing, providing feedback, and adjusting units of study. Educators for both the K-2 and the 3-5 grade bands are needed. If you are interested please complete this form no later than March 1, 2022. If selected, you will be notified by mid-March.