Dear Rhode Island Math Educators,

As the President of the Rhode Island Math Teachers Association, I am thrilled to extend a heartfelt welcome to each of you as we embark on a new school year. Our commitment to nurturing curiosity, fostering critical thinking, and inspiring a love for mathematics is more important than ever.

We have an exciting year ahead, filled with professional development opportunities, collaborative events, and resources designed to support you in your teaching journey. Our association is here to provide you with the tools and community you need to thrive. I encourage you to take full advantage of our workshops, conferences, and networking opportunities.

This year, let’s continue to support one another, share our innovative ideas, and strive for excellence in our classrooms. Together, we have the power to make a significant impact on our students’ educational journeys and help them discover the beauty and utility of math in their everyday lives. I am confident that with your passion and dedication, we will achieve great things and create a positive, enriching environment for both students and educators alike. Together, we can create a vibrant and supportive network that enhances our collective impact on mathematics education in Rhode Island.

Thank you for your unwavering dedication and passion. Let’s make this school year a memorable and successful one, filled with discovery, innovation, and growth.

Best wishes for a fantastic year ahead!

Warm regards,

Elizabeth Brownlee
President, Rhode Island Math Teachers Association (RIMTA)

      Congratulations to our 2024 RIMTA Excellence Awardees who were recognized this spring.  We are so pleased to recognize the excellence they show each and every day!

       RIMTA Student of the Year is awarded to a student in grades K-12, who brings multiple strengths to mathematics learning in support of their own and others' success.  This year's awardee, ISHA from North Providence High School was nominated by Jocelyn Alexandre and the entire mathematics department for her keen analytical mind, infectious curiosity and passion for mathematics and dedication to the betterment of her community.

      RIMTA's Rookie Teacher of the Year is awarded to a teacher who has taught mathematics to grade K-12 students for 3 or fewer years and who has shown outstanding promise.  This year's awardee SOPHIA DELUCA from Cranston East and West High Schools was nominated by Vivian LaFerla for her "intense dedication to her students" and "who makes students feel like they have a voice in all discussions". 

     RIMTA's Teacher of the Year is awarded to a teacher who has instructed mathematics to students in grades K-12 for 5+ years and who has demonstrated effective characteristics of an outstanding practitioner.  This year's awardee Pamela Garabedian of Central Falls High School was nominated by Principal Robert McCarthy because she "embodies both the routines and rituals necessary to build a learning community with the technical expertise of determining how each student in her classroom learns best."

      Last but certainly not least, RIMTA annually awards the Amedeo DeRobbio Award to someone who demonstrates the spirit and enthusiasm for mathematics of Amedeo "Mack" DeRobbio, longtime RIMTA Board member who died in 1997. The 2024 Amedeo DeRobbio Awardee is Adelio Cabral, mathematics teacher at Smithfield High School for 36 years who was recognized as an educator "with ongoing and infectious enthusiasm, unwavering motivation, and profound eagerness to make a difference in his community."

     Congratulations to all of our awardees and we appreciate the devotion and enthusiasm you show each and every day in your mathematics classrooms!  We are pleased that the recipients of our educator awards will be recognized at RIDE's Salute to Rhode Island Educators on September 21, 2024.

     Please consider nominating a student or teacher you know for the 2025 RIMTA Awards!

It is well known that the students in our schools and classrooms are increasingly diverse in terms of cultural, linguistic, and cognitive strengths and backgrounds. In her opening message for this calendar year, the commissioner has challenged us as educators to work collectively to “ensure all students are equipped with what they need to thrive during their educational journey” and “address challenges and tear down barriers to student success” (RIDE, August 2023).  This call-to-action aligns with NCTM’s (the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics) position on access and equity which states:

(NCTM, April 18, 2014. Access and Equity in Mathematics Education: A Position of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.https://www.nctm.org/Standards-and-Positions/Position-Statements/Access-and-Equity-in-Mathematics-Education/)

As mathematics educators, RIMTA’s Access and Equity Committee is excited to share that we will be hosting a series of free collaborative learning sessions this spring aimed at helping Rhode Island educators support our increasingly diverse student body and NCTM’s and RIDE’s mission to break down barriers and provide access to high-quality learning and academic success for all learners.

Specifically, the goals for the three spring professional learning sessions are to:

• develop a refined understanding of what access and equity look like in PK-12 mathematics classrooms,

• promote pedagogical practices that will support access and equity for mathematics learners, and

• strengthen educators' confidence in their ability to facilitate effective and impactful mathematics teaching and learning. 

The sessions will center the Project MINE: Mathematical Intersections of Noticing and Equity work of the Mathematics Teacher Noticing team out of the University of Kentucky. As the project title indicates, this work highlights the value of combining research around three key components of effective teacher noticing (attending, interpreting, and deciding; Thomas et al., 2014) with key dimensions of educational equity (access, achievement, identity, and power; Gutierrez, 2009). More specifically, the modules within this project support educators’ ability to (a) attend to the variety of strengths and perspectives students bring to their mathematical thinking and problem solving, (b) interpret what that thinking indicates about students’ level of understanding through an equitable lens, and finally (c) use that information to decide what instructional moves will best promote access and achievement for each student. 

Through rich discussion around short classroom videos and language often used within professional conversations, the Project MINE modules will help us as mathematics educators from across districts engage in critical reflection around our own practices and beliefs related to students’ diverse mathematical strengths, personal identities, and community assets. It is our hope that this collaborative professional learning will then be brought back to and shared within our individual schools to help support NCTM’s work to address “factors that contribute to differential outcomes among groups of students” to ensure that “students from all racial, ethnic, linguistic, gender, and socioeconomic groups (can) attain the highest levels of mathematics achievement” in our state’s schools (NCTM, Access & Equity Position Statement, 2014).

Session Overview

How Can I Get Involved?

To promote equitable access to this learning opportunity:

• sessions are open to all interested educators who are open to engaging in this work and willing to set up a free, RIMTA Basic Membership (this will support our ability to communicate with you and support your ongoing professional learning);

• all sessions will be held virtually on Wednesday evenings;

• you may attend as many or as few of the sessions as you can/wish; and

• pre-readings/resources will be available to enhance your learning but they will not be required.

Steps to sign-up:

• If you are already a RIMTA member, you can simply go to rimta.net, click on the “Events” tab at the top of the page, and complete the registration form..

• If you are not currently a RIMTA member you will need to complete 2 steps:

• • First, go to rimta.net and click on the “Membership” tab at the top of the page. Choose the membership level that you feel is right for you and then complete the membership application.

  • Second, once you get a confirmation email for your membership, then you can go back to rimta.net, click on the “Events” tab at the top of the page, and complete the registration form.

If you have any questions or difficulties with this process you can contact one of the committee co-chairs: Liz Brownlee (elizabethbrownlee@rimta.net) or Sara Donaldson (saradonaldson@rimta.net). 

Greetings Rhode Island mathematicians!

As we dive into the start of the 2023-2024 school year, the RIMTA Access & Equity committee would like to take this opportunity to share some ways that you can create a culturally responsive mathematics classroom that engages and excites learners of all ages. In our monthly newsletters, we will provide examples of activities, research, and best practices that lend themselves to access and equity and that aim to develop agency and self efficacy in all students.

This month we take a look at the first weeks of school, also known as the induction period. According to Samuelsson, “there is a substantial amount of research that shows how negative relationships with mathematics affect students’ achievement in mathematics and it is also well known that affective factors such as a student’s intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, as well as self-efficacy and anxiety with respect to mathematics, are critical predictors of academic success.” Conversely, we know how impactful positive relationships can affect students' effort and achievement in mathematics and how important it is for teachers to foster a love of learning mathematics within all their students. Thus, the first two weeks of school are integral when setting out to build relationships that support students’ motivations for achievement and growth.

There are many activities that you can use to engage with during the induction period that will help you to get to know your students, that will help the students to get to know each other, and that will provide invaluable information that can make your curriculum more rich and relevant, making space for your students' prior knowledge and experiences. One such activity is a well planned icebreaker. We really love the Personal Number Bingo activity. This activity is suitable for students in all grades. However, we recommend limiting the numbers used so that the students are more apt to match with other students in the class and for younger students so that the numbers are developmentally appropriate. 

Materials needed: blank bingo cards, markers/pencils, timer, anchor chart/index cards (optional)

Objective: Match 5 of your numbers with other students in the class so that you have a bingo on your card.

Time needed to play: 15 minutes

Instructions:

First: Students are given one blank bingo card (can be modified from a traditional 5x5 to a 4x4 or 3x3 as needed to suit your individual student needs). They are instructed to fill in each blank square with any number from 0-31 (or whatever range is most suitable for your students) that is meaningful to them (e.g., birthday, number of pets). This should take no more than 5 minutes.

Second: Once all students have completed their cards, they are instructed to leave their seats and find classmates with a matching number. When they find their match, the students share why that number is meaningful to them and x out that number. This continues for 5, one minute rounds, or until a bingo is made. The teacher may repeat this process several times as needed. 

Third: Students return to their seats. Teacher leads a discussion about what the students learned about each other. Here, the teacher can annotate an anchor chart to make visible what the class has shared or they can use index cards to privately take notes on each student that will be used in future lesson planning.

We would love to hear about the activities you use in your classroom during the induction period that aim to support building relationships and creating a positive math mindset for all students. Please feel free to comment and share. 

Thank you and we look forward to sharing our monthly newsletters with you. 

Sara & Elizabeth, co-chairs Access & Equity

References: Joakim Samuelsson (2023) Developing students’ relationships with mathematics, Educational Action Research, 31:2, 180-194, DOI: 10.1080/09650792.2021.1899012

Each year RIMTA highlights the outstanding work and contributions made by Rhode Island teachers and students to mathematics education through its three RIMTA Recognition Awards categories:

• an “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” who has demonstrated the effective characteristics of an outstanding practitioner who positively impacts mathematics education for all members of the school community,

•  an “Outstanding Rookie of the Year” who has shown outstanding promise for positively impacting mathematics education within their first three years of teaching, and

•  an “Outstanding Student of the Year” who has shown “true grit” through sustained success and academic progress in the mathematics classroom.

Applications for these three award categories are now open and available through theRIMTA Website (rimta.net) under the “Awards and Grants” tab. 

Completed applications are due on or before January 31, 2022. The “Outstanding Teacher of the Year” and “Outstanding Rookie of the Year” will be recognized at RIMTA’s spring conference on March 26, 2022. The “Outstanding Student of the Year” will be honored at their school in March at a date and time to be determined.

Questions and completed applications should be directed to Sara Donaldson at awards@rimta.net.

Thank you for helping to promote mathematics excellence in Rhode Island!

Sincerely,
Sara Donaldson on behalf of the RIMTA Board of Directors

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM),  the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM), and TODOS: Mathematics for ALL have all called upon mathematics educators across the country to make social justice a key priority in our work in order to create systemic change that will promote “fair and equitable teaching practices, high expectations for all students, access to rich, rigorous, and relevant mathematics, and strong family/community relationships” (NCSM & TODOS, 2020). 

Heeding this call to action, the RIMTA board is working to establish a Committee for Access and Equity and to more actively engage our members (and future members) in our work to promote positive and inclusive math learning opportunities. To this end, we are seeking educators throughout the state who would like to help drive this work as members of the Committee for Access and Equity or through other RIMTA work (e.g.; conference planning and Twitter chats) to help empower Rhode Island educators and to hold us all accountable for ensuring equitable access and outcomes for marginalized students within our classrooms. If you are interested in joining this work or if you would like to learn more about these effort please contact Sara Donaldson at saradonaldson@rimta.net.

“You want us to see that there can be different approaches to solving a problem,” said one of my PrepareRI math scholars, his face showing up in a box on Zoom and a green band flashing indicating he has unmuted and is talking. “You really want to hear about our thinking,” typed another, in a chat window. A Seats at the Table task they were confronted with on this day.

Source: WestEd

Another day online for these incoming 9th grade Freshman students. A transition away from middle school and a new chapter in their lives while they are soon-to-be the class of 2024 high school graduates (in four years, that is). And, like the end of their last school year, device and camera on, meeting virtually through Zoom. Except, now it’s summer.. So, you may ask, “Why math over the summer?”

Well, first of all, these scholars chose to do this. They could have opted-out and said, no, I really want to enjoy my summer, but these scholars--they want to be ready for what high school math is going to throw their way. And, some nice incentives are also thrown their way in the form of gift cards. Yes, you heard it here -- they EARN MONEY while taking this High School Math Readiness eight-week course over the summer.

Source: PrepareRI

PrepareRI, in collaboration with our Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE), Carnegie Math Pathways by WestEd, RIDE’s Summer Readiness division, and our learning management system, Realizeit, that houses all of my scholars’ asynchronous work -- all of these groups contributing to a research-based, evidence-based opportunity for young scholars to learn math over the summer. 

Source: Rhode Island Department of Education

Here is what a typical day looks like for a student...

As for their math instructor, I was involved in an intensive one-week professional learning opportunity to gain pedagogical, philosophical, and best approach strategies to enact their curriculum. Although with any great curriculum comes opportunities for students to conduct deliberate practice with math, WestEd’s philosophical approach is more about “productive persistence,” tenacity, and the use of good strategies. 

During our online Zoom collaboration meetings, I encourage the use of sentence starters, such as, “I notice…, “ “I wonder…,” “I agree with ____, because,” and “I disagree with _____, because,” as a few examples. I really have to hold back and not interject my thoughts or opinions, but rather, facilitate online discourse and dialogue around mathematical thinking. That is, not so much what I’m thinking about with these mathematical tasks, but more so, what our math scholars are thinking. Making their thinking visible, is truly at the heart of this process.

They unmute and contribute to the discussion, using the chat feature to articulate their typed-responses, building on other peers’ ideas -- “I agree with Manya, because…” I do not affirm correct or incorrect responses, I just continue to facilitate the conversation. Eventually, students are able to drive the discussion and help make their mathematical sense-making very transparent with justifications and rationale. Again, this process of making their thinking visible is at the heart of the process.

I found Week 1’s curriculum to be strategic. There was one day with a focus on incorrect student responses and discussion around these. I framed these student work examples as some of my “favorite mistakes!” Then, the following day, we looked at three other student work examples (they all happened to be correct and viable solutions, all slightly different in their approach).

Source: WestEd

After our mathematical discussion around how many people can sit at 20 trapezoidal tables laid out in this fashion, I asked the question, “So, what was the method to my madness? Why did I present various incorrect and correct examples of student work?”

“You want to give us the tools to persevere,” said one scholar. “It’s important to understand what other people are thinking so that we can help each other,” said another.

As with keeping up with the philosophical stance of not necessarily confirming or judging any student response, I helped facilitate further conversation, where many other students expressed their thoughts. My heart was filled with joy to hear their responses, a small smile on my face was evident.

This is going to be a great summer!

Author: Timothy Marum (tmarum23@gmail.com) - www.techmarum.com

RIMTA is partnering with the Rhode Island Department of Education in assisting teachers in this era of Distance Learning.  RIDE/RIMTA have organized a Professional Learning Community as a forum for teachers to share ideas and resources.  The session scheduled for this Tuesday, May 12, will focus on blended learning with breakout sessions for elementary and secondary teachers.  Join this PLC every Tuesday at 3:30 to be a part of this extremely beneficial program.  To get on the mailing list for the PLC, fill out this Google Form.

 As of now, the ATMNE Fall Conference is scheduled to be held on December 4-5 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Danbury, CT.  The conference program committee is currently seeking dynamic professionals to present sessions and workshops across a wide variety of topics and grade bands. They need your expertise. If you are interested in presenting a session at the conference, submit your proposalhere by June 30. 

This is my final post as RIMTA President.  Starting soon, RIMTA will be in the highly capable (and far more organized) hands of Meredith Astrologo.  If you know Meredith, you know that her tireless work ethic, attention to detail, and willingness to cooperate with others will make RIMTA members the real winners for the next two years!

I want to publicly thank the entire RIMTA Board for their advice, support, and hard work throughout my tenure.  They are the stars that make RIMTA the active, vibrant organization that it is.  Hopefully, I did a good enough job staying out of their way!

Respectfully Submitted,

Steve Levesque

Outgoing RIMTA President

The Rhode Island Department of Education has compiled resources to help educators and parents navigate the current COVID-19 situation.  On this site https://www.ride.ri.gov/InsideRIDE/AdditionalInformation/Covid19.aspx , under the heading of "Resources for Distance Learning" there is a spread sheet with a Distance Learning Resource Guide by topic, subject and grade that will be updated regularly.

Thanks to Chris Castillero from RIDE for sharing this update with us.

     This is the new reality created by COVID-19, a pandemic that has impacted and will continue to impact our daily lives.  We are concerned as citizens. We are concerned as family members. And we are concerned as educators. Going forward, this will fundamentally affect how we conduct our daily lives; we need to be there for each other.

     We do not know when life will return to some sense of normalcy, but we know that until then, we are responsible for educating our students to the best of our ability.  How do we create a meaningful experience for our students while maintaining a semblance of order?  

     Fortunately, the education community is an incredibly supportive group.  We humbly suggest a few resources for you in this difficult time. There have definitely been a multitude of resources, and we don’t intend to add to the information overload.  Feel free to use some, all, or none of these resources. 

From the Rhode Island Department of Education

• RIDE has worked tirelessly to support educators as they implement distance learning.  https://www.ride.ri.gov/InsideRIDE/AdditionalInformation/Covid19.aspx

• The Highlander Institute, in partnership with RIDE, is launching the Rhode Island Distance Learning Helpline. A free statewide helpline, staffed byFuseRI Fellows for 6 hrs M-F & 2 hrs Sat & Sun.Fellows are RI educators supporting other RI educators w/online coaching.

From Tim “Tech” Marum

• Zearn has made their lessons available during this time.  https://help.zearn.org/hc/en-us/articles/360044029574-Resources-and-information-to-support-your-Coronavirus-COVID-19-Planning

• Desmos has dedicated much of their recent effort towards supporting teachers during the coronavirus outbreak.  You can access their work at learn.desmos.com/coronavirus.

From Dr. Sara Donaldson

• The Leading Equity Center has a free online course that is good (takes a bit of time but focuses on equity).  Their resource blog is at https://www.leadingequitycenter.com/blog/covid-19.

• Learn Zillion has opened up a lot of their videos for free access.  www.learnzillion.com

• Go on Twitter and follow NCTM, NCSM, ExploreMTBoS. There are a lot of great resources and support being shared.

From Susan Pagliaro

• Here is the link to an interesting article.  Resources For Teaching and Learning During This Period of Social Distancing - MindShift 

• A website with videos geared to students in middle school and up http://virtualnerd.com/.

From Dr. Drs. Danielle Dennis, Sarah Bularzik, and Dr. Kees deGroot, curated by Dr. Diane Kern and sent by Dr. Nicole Hersey

• We need to give ourselves permission to not expect perfection when shifting to online classes so quickly: https://anygoodthing.com/2020/03/12/please-do-a-bad-job-of-putting-your-courses-online/?fbclid=IwAR1798aI9YT4IbDJiFSCx2nCry4McBS9BpQtX517otuQD9IeKJboyXDrR5c

• How to Cope with COVID-19 Stress

https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/blog/how-to-cope-with-coronavirus-stress?fbclid=IwAR0OY5JBlkS99uNTWflLrwniEnQ7C7J1p6LO-Fv9ts_u24qmuy3paejPnRw

• Ten Percent Happier: Coronavirus Sanity Guide

https://www.tenpercent.com/coronavirussanityguide?fbclid=IwAR0RNRHfrr8ZjYYUuGB-gwPtwzUB9PJvleBijbHZZ2hIzYLtcii8N8b6LnI

• EDpuzzle is an easy to use video platform that allows you to take any video (preexisting or made by you) and personalize it to your lesson. You can crop the video, record your voice on top of it, and embed quizzes in the video to check for student understanding.  www.edpuzzle.com

From others

• diagnosticquestions.com is a site in which you can create assessments and assignments.  These questions are easy to score and diagnose misconceptions quickly...fantastic formative assessment!

• Visit www.mrbartonmaths.com/btn for videos on Diagnostic Questions that give students the most difficulty.

Being away from our colleagues and confined to our homes, we may feel more alone than ever.  But you are not alone now. You are not the only one nervous and unsure in these trying times.  Together, we can do this!