Bill Gillam President, SCCTM

The theme of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics annual conference in St. Louis was “Asking Questions – Generating Solutions”. The opening speaker was Neil deGrasse Tyson from the Hayden Planetarium in New York. Dr. Tyson gave an entertaining hour and a half presentation called “Fuzzy Thinking and Its Consequences” His presentation addressed the pitfalls of learning by simply accepting common knowledge into memory without analyzing it. Hearing his message right in the middle of testing season was a pleasant respite and strengthened my resolve to teach my students an understanding of mathematical processes that goes beyond anticipating and practicing problems that might show up on a state assessment.

In the South Carolina Standards, the tools for achieving this more encompassing understanding of mathematics are called the process strands: problem solving, communication, reasoning and proof, connections and representation. Students who can appropriately apply these mathematical processes will be masters at “Asking Questions” and “Generating Solutions”.  Here are some questions and solutions: Question: How can I get new ideas for my classroom? Solution:  Attend the SCCTM conference this fall.  Question: How can I meet with other math teachers from throughout SC? Solution: Attend the SCCTM conference this fall.  Question: How can I share my best lessons and practices with other teachers? Solution: Present at the SCCTM conference. The SCCTM Fall 2006 Conference will be held at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center on October 12-13, 2006. This conference will mark the thirtieth year of SCCTM. The working theme is SCCTM:  Celebrating 30 years of making WAVES: Watching Achievement and Vision Excel in South Carolina. In addition to our regular sessions, there are two new types of presentations planned this year. The first is the gallery style workshop. These workshops are set up in the exhibit hall and allow presenters to work interactively with participants in an informal hands-on format. This presentation style is particularly suited for, but not restricted to, teams of teachers. The second new type of presentation is the teacher display. These are kiosk-style displays that showcase student work related to specific practices or projects the teacher has implemented in the classroom. These displays are located in the exhibit hall area where participants can view them at their convenience. Directions, handouts and other materials will be supplied. These items may be supplied electronically. We also have several rooms emphasizing technology. There are four smart rooms, one of each dedicated to the early childhood, elementary, middle and secondary grade bands. Teachers will be sharing lessons, tips and instructional strategies focusing on their particular grade band. The lessons will be focused on interactive instructional strategies, rather than simple skills. There will also be a room equipped by Texas Instruments. It will be staffed it with teachers who use TI products extensively, and are eager to share their expertise. Please come to the conference to collaborate with your fellow math teachers in the state. The registration form is included in this issue of the MathMate and also available is online at:   http://www.scctm.org/Conferences/CONF_REGIS_FORM_2006.pdf At this time the hotel we have arrangements with is the Sheraton Myrtle Beach Convention Center. A link for online reservations can be found here: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/mathematics   We will post rates from other hotels in the area as we get closer to the conference dates. I look forward to seeing you at the conference, Bill Gillam President SCCTM

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May 21, 2006 10:40 AM