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Fall 2007 MCTM NEWSLETTERFrom The President
From the PresidentJennifer Taylor-Cox Have you ever extended your hand to shake someone's hand and they opted not to shake yours in return? Well, it happened to me today at my son's middle school orientation. Guess who didn't shake my hand? It was his new math teacher. I couldn't believe it. I waited, excited to meet my son's teacher, while she engaged in a conversation with one of her former students. When she finished, she turned to my son and me. I extended my hand to greet her, but she didn't shake my hand. She turned directly to my son, extended her hand and said, "It is great to meet you. What's your name?" After they introduced themselves to each other, she turned to me, offered her hand and said, "It is great to meet you, too, mom." I was so impressed. She put him first because he is her student. I believe this small gesture of shaking his hand first speaks volumes about her values and expectations. He is important. He is responsible for his learning. He needs to establish a relationship with his teacher. He has an important job as the student and she has an important job as his teacher. My first impression of her is that she is the kind of math teacher that all students deserve. First impressions matter. How we treat our students matters. Simple things that we may take for granted can have tremendous impacts on students: showing students how important they are or empowering students through our words and deeds. These are the things that matter. By the way, I didn't tell my son's new math teacher that I am the current president of Maryland Council of Teachers of Mathematics. That didn't matter.
MCTM ElectionsDon't forget to cast your ballot for new MCTM Officers and Board Members. All members should have received a copy in an August mailing. Completed ballots are due by September 28, so don't delay in lending your participation. Help us to continue the work of mathematics education in Maryland; vote in this year's election!
MCTM Annual ConferenceThe MCTM Annual Conference will take place on Friday, October 19, 2007 at Reservoir High School in Howard County. The theme this year is Mathematics: Life's Functional Base. A copy of the registration form is available at http://www.marylandmath.org/events/annual-conference.asp. Pre-registration ends on September 28. In addition, there is on-site registration. If you are able to volunteer for the conference please contact the conference chair Stew Saphier at StewSaphier@aol.com. See you there! MCTM Annual Conference 2007 Vendors and Exhibits
Teacher of the Year NominationsKnow a great mathematics teacher and want to recognize them for their work? Nominate them for MCTM Teacher of the Year! Nominations for MCTM Teacher of the Year Awards are now being accepted. To qualify for this award you must be teaching mathematics during the year you apply, show evidence of professional growth, complete an application, write an essay describing your view of mathematics instruction in today's classroom, and submit two letters of recommendation. Finalists for each award will be observed or video-recorded by a member of the awards committee. Please visit www.marylandmath.org for application materials.
Teaching ResourcesCheck out the following for good information about your mathematics teaching practice. If you have any suggestions for future segments, please email Mike Lueke at hmlueke@aacc.edu.
MSDE NewsDonna Watts The Maryland State Department of Education has awarded nearly $2 million to local school systems to support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Programs. STEM programs are especially important to our students and our state as a whole, with Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) initiatives placing a new focus on industries of the 21st century. Local systems will use these funds in planning and/or implementing various STEM Initiatives. Planning grants will be used to explore successful STEM initiatives inside and outside of Maryland to better inform local STEM planning teams as they focus on their local needs. Implementation awards provide a dedicated source of initial funds, which are used to move local STEM initiatives forward.
2007 MathalonThis year's MATHALON will be held on November 3, from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM at Meade Middle School. The event is open to all middle schools in the state of Maryland. The mathematics event consists of three rounds, each scored independently. The individual test and the team test are written examinations taken by individuals and a school team of four students respectively. In the invention round, teams of four students-each from different schools-choose one of five "inventions" to design and build. Then, without help from any adult coach, the team is given 20 minutes to completely build their invention using only the materials provided. The rules for judging this part of the competition are explained in advance. The entry fee is used to defray the costs of holding the event and is only $30 per school team. Schools are entered on a first-come, first-served basis, so please sign up early. For details and registration information visit www.marylandmath.org/events/mathalon.asp.
NCTM Regional Conference in Richmond, VAThis year's NCTM Regional Conference is in Richmond, VA and is Co-Chaired by Maryland's own Honi Bamberberger. Featured speakers include past NCTM presidents Glenda Lappan, Cathy Seeley, Gail Burrill, and Johnny Lott, in addition to over 300 other presentations. Please visit http://www.nctm.org/richmond.aspx for more information.
Higher Education UpdateHoni Bamberger Welcome back from your summer hiatus! Have a wonderful fall semester and be certain to share events that are happening at your University or College with me (mathworks@earthlink.net). I will post information about colloquia, symposia, and conferences for all to see at http://www.marylandmath.org/levels/higher-education.asp. Let me know if your department chair has changed so I can update my distribution list. I'll communicate with you using this list whenever something of interest comes my way.
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