This Week in Math Ed: June 24, 2016

From the better-late-than-never department: It took me parts of four different days to finally put this together, but here's TWiME for the seven days beginning June 17.

Math Ed Said

Matt Larson at the 2016 NCTM Annual Meeting

June 17: NCTM President Matt Larson blogged about his vision for NCTM. As I've said before, I'm pleasantly surprised at how NCTM has moved in the past couple of years to be more open, responsive, and innovative. Matt Larson's vision echoes some thoughts of my own, but as I went to the comment section, my critique now turns to the online math ed community: Three comments? That's it? Two of the comments I'm pretty sure belong to past NCTM presidents Michael Shaughnessy and Johnny Lott, which leaves only one from a teacher. I'm writing this more than 10 days after Larson published the post, and while there was enough Twitter activity to make this the most-shared thing on the 17th, the lack of comments troubles me. And since I'm amongst the non-commenters, I'm as guilty as the rest. I may have to change that. Will you?

Shared by: TODOS, Matt Larson, NCTM, TCM - NCTM, Derek Pipkorn, April Pforts

June 18: Mike Lawler showed us "A fun way to estimate e with kids." I don't find much of anything with e and natural logs to feel natural at all, so I watched all three videos with interest.

Shared by: Mike Lawler, Patrick Honner, Earl Samuelson, Amy Hogan, Mike Lawler, David Hallowell

June 19: A nice thing about writing versus talking is that when I want to salute the U.K. for something good, I can just use a word or phrase without attempting the accent. Here's Hannah Fry with a cracking interview in The Guardian, "There's a mathematical angle to almost anything."

Shared by: Ilana Horn, Jo Morgan, John A. Pelesko, Ben Orlin, Patrick Honner, Amy Hogan, Sherri Burroughs, Josh Fisher, John Golden, Gary Davis, Egan J Chernoff, MsJBrown, Ilona Vashchyshyn

June 20: In the latest installment of the story that just won't quit, Rebecca Mead in The New Yorker writes, "Andrew Hacker, an outspoken critic of mandatory algebra education, is asked to defend his contentions at the National Museum of Mathematics."

Shared by: Patrick Honner, Amy Hogan, Taylor Belcher, Egan J Chernoff, Dave Radcliffe, James Tanton, Scott Baldridge, Jennifer Blinzler, Ralph Pantozzi, Julie Reulbach

June 21: A Katrina Schwartz article from last August made the rounds again, featuring comments from David Wees in "Seeing Struggling Math Learners as 'Sense Makers,' Not 'Mistake Makers'."

Shared by: Melinda Knapp, David Coffey, Federico Chialvo, Amy Spies, Bridget Dunbar, Lois Burke, Brandon Suever

June 22: With clever (and bad) drawings, Ben Orlin illustrates Sfard's process/object divide with "What Students See When They Look at Algebra."

Shared by: Ben Orlin, Shauna Hedgepeth, Simon Job, Jo Morgan, Tracy Johnston Zager, Max Ray-Riek, Bryn Humberstone, Malyn Mawby, Earl Samuelson, Ilona Vashchyshyn, Judy Larsen, John Golden, Taylor Belcher, Ryan R Ruff, Jennifer Lawler, Jim Wysocki, Cathy Campbell, MsJBrown, Martin Joyce

June 23: An interesting outcome of the Fordham survey described in Education Week is that, on average, teachers seem to say some things that might seem contradictory. Here, they say there is a higher priority on computation, yet memorization is down. Similarly, when Choppin, Davis, Drake, and McDuffie (2013) surveyed middle school math teachers about Common Core, in which some teachers said Common Core requires them to teach more conceptually and more procedurally. Results like these are a good reminder that survey responses sometimes have to be taken with a grain of salt.

Shared by: Mike Rashid, Anthony Purcell, Egan J Chernoff, Samuel Otten, Karen King, Lane Walker, Tyler Anderson

Around the Math Ed Web

You can check out the recording of Sara Van Der Werf's Global Math Department presentation, "The Pursuit of 100% Engagement: Practical ideas to get you closer." It doesn't appear there was a new presentation tonight, and I don't see one for next week, yet, but you can check the GMD website to see when the next one is announced.

Otherwise, the math ed web seems pretty quiet. I think either teachers are taking a well-earned break, or they're too busy at conferences or in PD to be doing as much online.

Research Notes

New in Mathematical Thinking and Learning:

• An Exponential Growth Learning Trajectory: Students' Emerging Understanding of Exponential Growth Through Covariation by Amy B. Ellis, University of Georgia; Zekiye Ozgur, University of Mississippi; Torrey Kulow, University of Georgia; Muhammed F. Dogan, Dicle University; and Joel Amidon, University of Mississippi
• Evolution of Unit Fraction Conceptions in Two Fifth-Graders with a Learning Disability: An Exploratory Study by Jessica Heather Hunt, University of Texas at Austin; Ron Tzur, Colorado University at Denver; and Arla Westenskow, Utah State University
• Leveraging Structure: Logical Necessity in the Context of Integer Arithmetic by Jessica Pierson Bishop, University of Georgia; Lisa L. Lamb, San Diego State University; Randolph A. Philipp, San Diego State University; Ian Whitacre, Florida State University; and Bonnie P. Schappelle, San Diego State University
• Semiotics as a Tool for Learning Mathematics: How to Describe the Construction, Visualisation, and Communication of Mathematical Concepts by Adalira Sáenz-Ludlow & Gert Kadunz (Eds.) book review by Norma Presmeg, Illinois State University

The July 2016 issue of ZDM is themed, "improving teaching, developing teachers and teacher developers, and linking theory and practice through lesson study in mathematics: an international perspective."

• Improving teaching, developing teachers and teacher educators, and linking theory and practice through lesson study in mathematics: an international perspective by Rongjin Huang, Middle Tennessee State University, and Yoshinori Shimizu, University of Tsukuba
• Designing and adapting tasks in lesson planning: a critical process of Lesson Study | SpringerLink by Toshiakira Fujii, Tokyo Gakugei University
• Implementing mathematics teaching that promotes students' understanding through theory-driven lesson study by Rongjin Huang, Middle Tennessee State University; Zikun Gong, Hangzhou Normal University; and Xue Han, Dominican University
• Characterizing mathematics teaching research specialists' mentoring in the context of Chinese lesson study by Feishi Gu, East China Normal University, and Lingyuan Gu, Shanghai Academy of Educational Sciences
• Teaching to add three-digit numbers in Hong Kong and Shanghai: illustration of differences in the systematic use of variation and invariance by Ming Fai Pang, The University of Hong Kong; Ference Marton, Gothenburg University; Jian-sheng Bao, East China Normal University; Wing Wah Ki, The University of Hong Kong
• Improving mathematics instruction and supporting teacher learning in Korea through lesson study using five practices by JeongSuk Pang, Korea National University of Education
• Revitalising mathematics classroom teaching through Lesson Study (LS): a Malaysian case study by Chap Sam Lim, Universiti Sains Malaysia; Liew Kee Kor, Universiti Teknologi MARA; and Hui Min Chia, Universiti Sains Malaysia
• Critical factors in the adaptation and implementation of Japanese Lesson Study in the Australian context by Susie Groves, Brian Doig, Colleen Vale, and Wanty Widjaja, Deakin University
• Collaborative lesson research: maximizing the impact of lesson study by Akihiko Takahashi, DePaul University; and Thomas McDougal, Lesson Study Alliance
• Learning to lead, leading to learn: How facilitators learn to lead lesson study by Jennifer M. Lewis, Wayne State University
• A focus on exploratory tasks in lesson study: The Canadian 'Math for Young Children' project by Catherine D. Bruce, Tara C. Flynn, and Sarah Bennett, Trent University
• Connecting observations of student and teacher learning: an examination of dialogic processes in Lesson Study discussions in mathematics by Paul Warwick, Maria Vrikki, Jan D. Vermunt, Neil Mercer, University of Cambridge; and Nicolette van Halem, University of Utrecht
• How does lesson study improve mathematics instruction? by Catherine Lewis, Mills College
• Lesson study, improvement, and the importing of cultural routines by James W. Stigler, University of California; and James Hiebert, University of Delaware

Math Ed in Colorado

Mark your calendars for next year's Math on the "Planes" conference, presented by the Colorado Council for Learning Disabilities. The conference is February 24 and 25, 2017, at the Student Achievement Resource Center (SARC) in Centennial. You can download a flyer here.

We're still heavily into the math teacher hiring season:

• NEW: Roaring Fork Schools (Re-1) is seeking a dynamic and engaging, full-time alternative math teacher for Bridges High in Carbondale. This is an immediate hire to start in August for SY 2016-17. Roaring Fork Schools is 2.5 hours from Denver, has a world-class hot springs, and recently passed a $122 million bond issue. Apply here and contact Nate Adams if you have questions.
• NEW: Prospect Ridge Academy in Broomfield is actively seeking an additional HS Math teacher due increased enrollment and the addition of sections. We are a college prep, math/science focus school with exciting growth potential. The position is currently a 0.6 (3 section) part time HS math position with the possibility of adding middle school math intervention and additional responsibilities to make the position full time if needed. Apply here.
• Arapahoe High School in Littleton needs a long-term math substitute.
• A secondary math instructional coach is needed at Prairie Heights Middle School in Greeley. Email Vida Trevino for more information, or go here to apply.
• Platte Canyon in Bailey needs someone to teach Algebra 1 through Precalculus. Apply at www.plattecanyonschools.org.