Common Core Elevator Speech - Day 1

For the next week, I will challenge myself (and you) to work on an elevator speech each day about Common Core Math. I will try to be as fluid as possible in my thinking as if I were describing Common Core to a complete stranger as we rode an elevator together. And with that, here's today's elevator speech:

For me, Common Core is a tool to help students see how the world around us can be explained using critical thinking and mathematical properties. My favorite part of Common Core are the 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice. No matter what grade level, the practices emphasize that both teachers and students are problem solvers and how important it is to understand why mathematical properties and procedures exist, and not just the answer. I get to see my students thinking and focusing on finding solutions through hard work and collaboration instead of me just standing up at the front of the room, telling them a procedure they will most likely forget in a day or two. I get to see students be creative in their mathematical thinking and I help guide them when they need teacher support.

Come along for the ride and share your elevator speech in the comments. Take a minute or two to compose an elevator speech. It's a work in progress...

Going up,
504

[Update] More days:
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7

DLC

The first day of school is this coming Wednesday. I've never been two days away from the start of school and done so little preparation. It's weird. It's really weird. Here's why:

I won't be:

• greeting students at my door
• having students estimate my height
• having students estimate the total class' height
• passing out papers with school/class procedures
• setting up grade books
• making seating charts
• hanging up stuff in my room
• preparing for back to school night
• preparing homework, notes, photocopies, etc.
• sharing with my students the math I saw during the summer

My favorite vacation #estimation180 moment from this week. pic.twitter.com/KIBI8uUjYk
— Andrew Stadel (@mr_stadel) August 16, 2014

Admittedly, I won't terribly miss items four through nine. However, the first three and the last always hold a special place in my math heart.

I'll be one of about fifteen Digital Learning Coaches (DLC) in my district this year. I'll be supporting 8-10 middle school math teachers who volunteered to be a DLC Fellow. Together, we'll be finding ways to integrate technology in their classrooms to meet the needs of their students while providing powerful learning experiences. Every time I look at technology or think about implementing some program, application, or digital tool, I look to ask myself (and the teacher), "will this [digital tool] be a more effective and efficient way for student and teacher to learn mathematics, gather data, assess understanding, or communicate?"

I will be:

• frequently in the classroom with students and teachers (thank goodness!)
• listening to teacher needs, desires, and goals
• building relationships with students and teachers
• building number sense with students and teachers
• having (mathematical or non-mathematical) conversations with students and teachers
• developing/designing lessons
• teaching (co-teaching or modeling), if necessary
• sharing many of the wonderful resources from you (the MTBOS)

I know I will miss the classroom and having my own students. However, I look forward to designing lessons and testing them out on different students throughout the district.  I look forward to learning so many things from both the teachers and students. It'll be an extreme pleasure, honor, and learning experience for me to be working alongside so many different teachers and students.

DLC,
249

People Circles

I'm lucky to flesh out some ideas with some great people at Encompass this week. Due to my recent fascination with circles, I had the chance to share an idea I've been wondering about for a few weeks now. I'm extremely curious where you would go with this idea and how you'd weigh in.

Say you have a room full of students or teachers (for a training).

You ask them to stand up and form a circle in the room.

You know how everyone immediately gets that awkward look on their face? The look where people are mentally calculating (or estimating) if there's enough room? Can we actually form something that looks like a circle? What if we can't form a circle, what do we do now? AGHHHHH!

Here's my idea: I'd want to know what size room you'd need to form a near-perfect circle with your students or teachers?

• How would you facilitate this with students?
• What questions would you ask?
• What different question might you ask instead of the one I asked?
• Can you even form a perfect circle?

I'll share some ideas next Monday or Tuesday, but I'm curious what you think first and appreciate any insight. GO!

People circles,
222