Tuesday, September 09, 2008

MEDIA ALERT and Event Calendar

Calling All Math Teachers—Saddle Up and Head for Oklahoma City!

NCTM Regional Conference & Exposition, October 1–3

WHO: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

Local Hosts: Oklahoma Council of Teachers of Mathematics, Tulsa Council of Teachers of Mathematics

WHEN: October 1–3, 2008

WHAT: NCTM's Regional Conference and Exposition, "The Heartland: A Place for Everyone," will offer more than 200 sessions and workshops, covering all levels, pre-K–grade 12. Presenters during the three-day conference will come from all corners of the state—Guymon to Stillwater and Tulsa, and Oklahoma City to Chickasha and Durant. Other presentations will be given by educators from throughout the United States and Canada, and as far away as Australia, on topics ranging from developing algebraic thinking to linking research to practice, and high-stakes testing to math equity for all.

Presentations: Eric Jolly, former Oklahoman, expert educator, and a nationally renowned Cherokee basket weaver, will present the Opening Session, "Creating Community around Mathematical Literacy," on Wednesday evening, October 1, from 7:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m.

One of the first presenters on Thursday will be NCTM Past President Gail Burrill, whose session at 8:00 a.m. will examine how teachers can use new technology to help students understand and interpret graphs, a skill that state assessments clearly show is difficult for some.

From 11:00 a.m.–12:00 noon, NCTM President Henry (Hank) Kepner will present "Students' Mathematical Reasoning throughout the Focal Points and Beyond." The session will highlight how to make all students sound mathematical thinkers and prepare them to solve real-world problems.

Also of special interest on Thursday will be a full day of Learn and Reflect sessions that focus on equity for all. Sessions will explore innovative ways to teach English language learners, as well as differentiated instruction to create an equitable learning environment for all students.

On Friday at 12:30 p.m., NCTM Past President Francis (Skip) Fennell will discuss the importance of number sense as a critical foundation for students.

WHERE: Conference activities will be held at the Cox Business Services Convention Center and Sheraton Oklahoma City Hotel.

Registration: Attendees may register on site in the Exhibit Hall at the Cox Business Services Convention Center on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 5:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 2, and Friday, Oct. 3, 7:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Exhibits: Hundreds of the latest education products will be on display in the Exhibit Hall at the Cox Business Services Convention Center on Thursday, Oct. 2, and Friday, Oct. 3, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

WHY: To facilitate an exchange of ideas among mathematics educators on how students learn mathematics and the best teaching practices, thus enabling teachers to return to their classrooms better prepared to teach mathematics to all students.

To preview all the conference offerings, visit www.nctm.org, and click on Regional Conferences, Oklahoma City.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics was founded in 1920 and is a nonprofit, nonpartisan education association. With 100,000 members and 230 Affiliates in the United States and Canada, NCTM is the world's largest organization dedicated to improving mathematics education for all students. The Council's "Principles and Standards for School Mathematics" provides guidelines for excellence in mathematics education. Its "Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics," released in 2006, identifies the most important mathematical topics for each grade level.

Media interested in arranging interviews or attending the conference, please contact Gay Dillin, Media Relations Manager, gdillin@nctm.org, (703) 620-9840, ext. 2189.

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Gay Dillin

Media Relations Manager

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Reston, VA

703-620-9840

703-476-9027

First Url: Read the news release online.