A Good Investment of Time!

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Sharon Rendon, Director of Professional Learning, sharonrendon@cpm.org

Professional development refers to many types of educational experiences related to an individual’s work. Doctors, lawyers, educators, accountants, engineers, and people in a wide variety of professions and businesses participate in professional development to learn and apply new knowledge and skills that will improve their performance on the job.

Many fields require members to participate in ongoing learning approved by the profession, sometimes as a requirement for keeping their jobs. Professionals often also voluntarily seek new learning.

In education, research has shown that teaching quality and school leadership are important factors in raising student achievement. For teachers and school and district leaders to be as effective as possible, they need to continually expand their knowledge and skills to implement the best educational practices. Educators learn to help students learn at the highest levels.

Because of the commitment to supporting better math learning experiences for both students and teachers, CPM continues to invest in opportunities for educators to learn.  The workshop series that is provided complimentary with adoption is having huge results in successful classroom transformations.  CPM’s teacher leader corp provides three phases of multiple day learning experiences. Read on to learn more!

What are  participants saying about CPM’s workshops?

  • 94.9% indicate there is a clear path to integrate learning into their classroom
  • 95% would recommend this workshop to another educator

“Our TL ws awesome! I wish all PD presenters had her passion and patience. She makes learning a new curriculum way less stressful and overwhelming by having hands on activities and going over new concepts in small pieces. I love the way she shares things that have worked for her in her own classroom and encourages us to share our ideas with each other every time we meet in our workshop.”

“Evaluating my questioning to make sure it is purposeful. This is important to advance my student’s learning and to help the groups work more smoothly.”

“These follow ups [workshops] are so important. Now that we have taught for a few months, I am able to learn how to keep progressing towards better implementing the strategies we have practiced in these follow ups.”

From the participants attending our workshops, it is clear that a day spent in a CPM workshop is time well spent.  If you are looking to go a little deeper, CPM has a Professional Learning Progression that includes learning opportunities around the Eight Teaching Practices from NCTM’s Principles to Actions.

The workshops are offered locally, regionally, and in a residential model every summer on the campus of the University of Utah. Contact your RC or workshops@cpm.org for more information.

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Algebra Tiles Session

  • Used throughout CPM middle and high school courses
  • Concrete, geometric representation of algebraic concepts.
  • Two-hour virtual session,
  •  Learn how students build their conceptual understanding of simplifying algebraic expressions
  • Solving equations using these tools.  
  • Determining perimeter,
  • Combining like terms,
  • Comparing expressions,
  • Solving equations
  • Use an area model to multiply polynomials,
  • Factor quadratics and other polynomials, and
  • Complete the square.
  • Support the transition from a concrete (manipulative) representation to an abstract model of mathematics..

Foundations for Implementation

This professional learning is designed for teachers as they begin their implementation of CPM. This series contains multiple components and is grounded in multiple active experiences delivered over the first year. This learning experience will encourage teachers to adjust their instructional practices, expand their content knowledge, and challenge their beliefs about teaching and learning. Teachers and leaders will gain first-hand experience with CPM with emphasis on what they will be teaching. Throughout this series educators will experience the mathematics, consider instructional practices, and learn about the classroom environment necessary for a successful implementation of CPM curriculum resources.

Page 2 of the Professional Learning Progression (PDF) describes all of the components of this learning event and the additional support available. Teachers new to a course, but have previously attended Foundations for Implementation, can choose to engage in the course Content Modules in the Professional Learning Portal rather than attending the entire series of learning events again.

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Building on Instructional Practice Series

The Building on Instructional Practice Series consists of three different events – Building on Discourse, Building on Assessment, Building on Equity – that are designed for teachers with a minimum of one year of experience teaching with CPM instructional materials and who have completed the Foundations for Implementation Series.

Building on Equity

In Building on Equity, participants will learn how to include equitable practices in their classroom and support traditionally underserved students in becoming leaders of their own learning. Essential questions include: How do I shift dependent learners into independent learners? How does my own math identity and cultural background impact my classroom? The focus of day one is equitable classroom culture. Participants will reflect on how their math identity and mindsets impact student learning. They will begin working on a plan for Chapter 1 that creates an equitable classroom culture. The focus of day two and three is implementing equitable tasks. Participants will develop their use of the 5 Practices for Orchestrating Meaningful Mathematical Discussions and curate strategies for supporting all students in becoming leaders of their own learning. Participants will use an equity lens to reflect on and revise their Chapter 1 lesson plans.

Building on Assessment

In Building on Assessment, participants will apply assessment research and develop methods to provide feedback to students and inform equitable assessment decisions. On day one, participants will align assessment practices with learning progressions and the principle of mastery over time as well as write assessment items. During day two, participants will develop rubrics, explore alternate types of assessment, and plan for implementation that supports student ownership. On the third day, participants will develop strategies to monitor progress and provide evidence of proficiency with identified mathematics content and practices. Participants will develop assessment action plans that will encourage continued collaboration within their learning community.

Building on Discourse

In Building on Discourse, participants will improve their ability to facilitate meaningful mathematical discourse. This learning experience will encourage participants to adjust their instructional practices in the areas of sharing math authority, developing independent learners, and the creation of equitable classroom environments. Participants will plan for student learning by using teaching practices such as posing purposeful questioning, supporting productive struggle, and facilitating meaningful mathematical discourse. In doing so, participants learn to support students collaboratively engaged with rich tasks with all elements of the Effective Mathematics Teaching Practices incorporated through intentional and reflective planning.