National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
A long-time member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (host of one of the most prestigious and largest professional conferences of its kind in the nation), NCSSM math teacher Maria Hernandez submitted to the organization a proposal for a session she was interested in presenting at the group’s 2012 annual meeting in Philadelphia. Titled “Using Videos to Capture Data in Calculus and Precalculus”, the proposal was accepted and an invitation to present extended.
Nearly 200 people, from K-12 educators to university education faculty to teacher training professionals from all across the country, attended Maria’s presentation. Matching video with specialized software, Maria showed the attendees how to use tools such as the iPad to mine data from videos (distance traveled from point A to point B, for example, or the arc of a child swinging on a swingset) that could then be further examined by students in the classroom using their established knowledge of mathematical principles.
Though a presenter at the conference, Maria also sat in on seven professional development sessions. “I always find something to bring back from these kinds of events that I can use in the work I do,” Maria said. She also takes time to gain the perspective of other attendees, looking for opportunities to promote NCSSM and the tools and materials its faculty have developed for dissemination to the teaching community as a whole. “I like to talk with the people sitting beside me, learn about the challenges they face in the classroom. A lot of times I find that they are struggling with concepts we’ve already developed material for. I’ll hand them my business card and say, “We’ve got some ideas that might help you.”
SITE: Science
NCSSM routinely offers outreach and professional development to educators statewide. In 2011-2012, NCSSM lead the development of online content to supplement a previous NCSSM on-site workshop called SITE: Science.
NCSSM staff worked with outside content experts to design and develop this six-week online course to further help prepare middle grade science teachers science to become confident and competent instructors of physical science.
Ten teachers from districts across the state including Rowan-Salisbury, Durham, Cumberland, Gaston, Person, Clinton City, Charlotte-Mecklenburg and Johnston and Edenton-Chowan, participated in the course.
All of these teachers had existing responsibilities to offer professional development to middle grades science teachers in their home districts. After completing the course, each teacher agreed to offer the course to a minimum of ten teachers in their home districts during 2012, thereby expanding the pool of trained teachers to more than 100.
Whether leading professional development activities that strengthen the skills of other teaching professionals, or participating in professional development workshops to sharpen their own skills, NCSSM’s faculty ultimately enhance the classroom experience of thousands of public school students each year throughout North Carolina.