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November 8, 2012

Mathematics Education in Today's News

Teaching & Learning

Educators stick a pin in online resources
A growing number of educators say they are using the social cloud resource Pinterest for classroom resources and as a professional networking tool. One school counselor, Julia V. Taylor, has used her page to pin resources on school counseling, tech-savvy educators, education, leadership and other topics. This article also includes links to resources on Pinterest that may be of interest to educators. T.H.E. Journal (11/5)

4 questions to ask during parent-teacher conferences
Parents should be as involved in the education of their high-school-aged children as they are for elementary-school children, teachers say. This blog post includes four questions teachers say they wish parents of high-school students would ask during parent-teacher conferences. They include asking how the teachers are faring, what parents can do to make teachers' jobs easier and questions about students' performance. U.S. News & World Report/High School Notes (11/5)

Curriculum

Ohio schools pilot new math curricula
In anticipation of Common Core State Standards, Fairfield City schools in Ohio are piloting math programs and spending more time on the material at all grade levels. In kindergarten through fifth grade, the math programs being used now include Investigations, Go Math and Math in Focus, while students in grades six through eight are learning with Math in Focus, Big Ideas and Digits, the majority of which is online. "Instead of one unit, teachers are looking at half the year looking at fractions. That's what they mean by going deeper. It's learning something, learning it to mastery, and then building on that," said Debi Freimuth, an instructional specialist for the district. The Journal-News (Hamilton, Ohio) (free registration) (11/7)

Standards

Election raises questions about support for common core
Catherine Gewertz asks in this blog post whether some of the new faces in statehouses and Washington, D.C., will provide the same level of support for Common Core State Standards or if they will seek to alter the direction of the national movement. Time will tell, as newly elected officials are introduced to the standards for the first time and groups, such as those responsible for developing common core assessments, seek approval from new education chiefs and governors, she writes. Education Week/Curriculum Matters blog (11/7)

STEM

Graduate students share energy research in middle, high schools
Middle and high schools in the Reno, Nev., area have several guest instructors this fall, as graduate students from the University of Nevada visit classrooms and provide inspiration for studying science and engineering. The program is funded by a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation and seeks to help teachers and students learn more about developments in energy research, and get them excited about innovation and exploration in science and engineering. KRNV-TV (Reno, Nev.) (11/5)

Policy & Legislation

Collective bargaining measure fails in Mich.
A measure that would have increased protections for union employees in Michigan was rejected by voters on Tuesday. Supporters of the measure, which would have prevented union membership from being a condition of employment, say it would have strengthened collective-bargaining rights for workers, including teachers. The referendum effort was initiated after a move in Wisconsin to weaken collective bargaining. Bloomberg Businessweek (11/6)

NCTM News

Registration now open for NCTM's 2013 annual meeting

Join us in Denver, April 17 to 20, for the nation's largest math education event. Take advantage of this professional development opportunity to sharpen your skills, gain new techniques, and learn from innovative practitioners and experts in the field. Choose from more than 700 sessions, workshops and bursts on such crucial issues as formative assessment in the Common Core State Standards, reasoning and proof, research in algebraic thinking, research in proof, response to intervention and supporting new teachers. Register early and save up to $80 with our Early-Bird Registration rates. Learn more and register.