March 2014 Letter from Carolyn
Dear US Math Recovery® Members,
In a recent conversation with a teacher, she expressed concern that she uses a five-cube train with one of her second graders nearly every day as the child enters the classroom, yet that student is unable to determine the quantity that the teacher is hiding, even when the child has four cubes. When I inquired as to the child?s success with five frames, the teacher immediately realized that she might consider using a setting with greater structural support for the child (the visible boxes). When attending a course, each participant grasps and applies different pieces of content. All of us have times when we need supportive conversation or need to revisit a topic.
Three employees of Math Recovery® have a significant amount of Math Recovery® training. We are available for your emails, calls, and questions and desire to support educators as much as possible. We are also working on ways to facilitate online learning and other opportunities for collaboration.
We are in the midst of professional conference season. Earlier this month, I attended the Kentucky Math Conference and was honored to be both an attendee and speaker. The enthusiasm for and impact of Math Recovery® programs in the state of Kentucky was apparent in many sessions, and the commitment of math educators to grow professionally and to serve their students warmed my heart. Thank you to the Kentucky Center for Mathematics for the dedication of the organization and individuals in supporting improvements in numeracy education!
On the near horizon, Math Recovery® will have a speaking presence at NCSM and NCTM in New Orleans, our own conference, and many state conferences. We hope to see you at one or more of those upcoming events.
The Difference is YOU in Transforming Numeracy Education! The US Math Recovery Council® Annual Conference will be held in Austin, TX, May 6-8, with pre-conference on May 5. Although some of our pre-conference sessions have already filled, we still have openings in some of the sessions, and we welcome regular conference attendees as well. Registration by April 15 is appreciated. Please visit http://www.mathrecovery.org/2014-national-conference for details. Please consider bringing a video as we have some sessions encouraging a video sharing/analysis. We have an outstanding group of energetic professionals that are sure to inspire your teaching!
In addition to conference opportunities, Summer Institute registration is open. This year we have a new offering, Deepening the MR Conversation, designed for MRIS, Champions, Facilitators, Leaders, and those who have attended both AVMR Courses 1 and 2. This two-day professional development opportunity will focus on structuring and Progressive Mathematization. We are pleased to offer tuition assistance for attendance at Summer Institute attendance through a competitive application process. You may view the brochure and application and register at http://www.mathrecovery.org/2014-summer-institute.
On March 11, US Math Recovery® announced tuition assistance for, not only Summer Institute, but also tuition assistance for Math Recovery® professional development in a school. See the complete announcement and application at http://www.mathrecovery.org/news/2014/03/2014-tuition-assistance.
We look forward to maximizing the difference you are able to make in transforming numeracy education!
Best,
Carolyn Olijnek
Chief Executive Officer
