CoMath Update for October 19, 2023

October is more than half over but feels like it just started! I wanted to make sure I got out a CoMath Update before heading to Washington, D.C. next week for the NCTM Annual Meeting and other associated conferences. I've talked to a number of other Colorado math educators who will be attending, and I'm happy to see some districts increasing their support for teachers to attend (looking at you, Jeffco!) after years of COVID disruptions and budget constraints were preventing this kind of professional travel. Whenever I think about ways to support teachers as professionals, helping any teacher of math be more connected to their state and national teacher organizations is always near the top of my list.

Happy 40th, PAEMST!

Today marks the 40th anniversary of naming of the first awardees of the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching! Created by Congress in 1983, and first awarded by President Reagan, the PAEMST program continues to recognize excellent mathematics and science teaching across the United States. This year we're honoring K-6 teachers and the nomination window is open until January 8.

CCTM Book Study: Teaching for Thinking

It's not too late to join CCTM's latest book study focused on Teaching for Thinking, the most recent book from Grace Kelemanik and Amy Lucenta. There is no charge to join the book study (you'll need your own copy of the book) and there are two study sessions to choose from each month. November's sessions are scheduled for Thursday, November 9 from 6:30-8:00 and Tuesday, November 14 from 4:30-6:00.

Colorado Math Leaders

The next meeting of the Colorado Math Leaders is Tuesday, November 7 from 12:30 to 2:30, and you're welcome to join Zoom at noon for casual conversation over lunch. We'll share our experiences attending next week's NCTM and NCSM conferences in Washington, D.C., and get an update on interventions and math pathways work.

CML is also hosting a book study this year for the book Productive Math Struggle: A 6-Point Plan for Fostering Perseverance by John SanGiovanni, Susie Katt, and Kevin Dykema. Study dates for the year will be 11/2, 11/30, 1/18, 2/1, 2/29, 3/28, and 5/9.

NCTM MET Grants

NCTM members, don't forget that November 1 is the deadline for applications for one of NCTM's many Mathematics Education Trust Grants. These grants typically range between $3000-$10,000 and include everything from doing classroom research, connecting math with other subject areas, supporting equity initiatives, and paying for advanced course work.

Math Milestones

Math Milestones is a project of Student Achievement Partners that uses exemplar tasks to illustrate the work of the Common Core State Standards at each grade in K-8. (Think of it like a fresh take on the now decade-old Illustrative Math tasks.) The Math Milestones team is looking to partner with educators who want to contribute to an asset mapping project and are offering a paid opportunity for K-8 teachers with at least 3 years of experience. Applications are due Wednesday, November 1 and questions should be directed to info@studentsachieve.net.

Equity and Excellence Conference

The Equity and Excellence Conference, "Strengthening and Expanding Best Practices: All Students and All Educators Emerging Stronger," will be held at the Hilton Denver Inverness on November 1-2, 2023. The goal for this year's conference is for attendees to share ideas, strategies, and plans for how to improve Tier 1 instruction through evidence-based and best practices used by a diverse set of Colorado educators. The E&E Conference is free and registration is open.

Ninth Grade Success Grant

CDE is accepting new grant applications for the Ninth Grade Success Grant through Monday, October 30. The Ninth Grade Success Grant Program provides funding to local education providers and charter schools to help improve the ninth-grade student experience by ensuring that students enrolled in ninth grade develop the skills they need to continue to 10th grade and graduate from high school ready for a career.

OER Grant

If you're looking for a grant to support the development of open educational resources, there is up to $100,000 available through a grant from CDHE and the Colorado OER Council. Large awards will go for full sets of materials to cover an entire higher education degree, while smaller awards can cover single courses and collaborations between K-12 and higher ed. Applications are due December 18 and email OER@dhe.state.co.us with questions.

CDE Grant Writing Training

CDE is hosting full-day grant writing training sessions at various locations around the state:

• November 14: Edwards, CO
• November 16: Loveland, CO
• December 14: Monument, CO

Lunch and snacks are provided. Complete the registration form to attend. Registration for each session closes a week before the event.

Student Competitions

MathMadness

MathMadness is an online math competition where teams play head to head in 4 weekly rounds followed by a bracket tournament. Preliminary rounds have begun but teams have until the week of October 22-28 to register for the bracket rounds. The online competition platform is also available for within-class competition, called ClassMatch, at a cost.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow is a nationwide STEM competition that is now in its 14th year. Public school students in Grades 6-12 are invited to participate in this competition by submitting an application between now and Friday, October 27.

Managing Your CoMath Subscription

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