September 2016 Letter from Carolyn
Dear US Math Recovery Council® Members,
Welcome to another exciting school year! As we prepare to get to know a new set of learners and set up our classrooms for success, we are also thinking hard with colleagues about directionality for the upcoming year.
Here at the US Math Recovery Council®, we have also been gearing up for our learners and classrooms. We are eager to open blended-learning classrooms for new and returning members of the Math Recovery® Community.
Earlier in 2016, Castle Worldwide conducted an in-depth study of our programs by looking at instructional design and course objectives while gathering and analyzing participant feedback. Castle evaluated our programs against components of well-designed professional development (as determined by Hammond, et al, 2009) and other criteria, such as what teachers want (Gates Foundation, 2014). Math Recovery® professional development receives very high marks in several areas, including the following:
- Respected mathematical pedagogies
- Teacher engagement with colleagues in meaningful ways that are directly connected to the classroom
- Intensive, sustained professional development
- Links among formative assessment, instructional analysis, and student learning
- Coaching, observation, and feedback
- Collaborative learning teams
- Relevant, interactive, sustained, professional, and delivered by someone who understands the teaching experience
The design of the Add+VantageMR® Fractions Course utilizes much of the feedback from the Castle report to provide sustained learning in a blended-learning course over a period of several weeks. Participants will study research, conduct assessments, teach lessons, and participate in learning cohorts with Math Recovery® professionals. The connections between research and practice truly come alive in this course! While our current AVMR Fractions courses are full, watch for additional AVMR Fractions opportunities to begin in early 2017.
I wish you the best for a rewarding school year and look forward to connecting with you at the conference and in future courses!
Warm wishes,
Carolyn
