Thursday, September 22, 2011

MEDIA ALERT and Event Calendar

Calling All Math Teachers to Meet in St. Louis, Oct. 26–28!

NCTM's St. Louis Regional Conference—the Gateway to Mathematic

WHO: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

Local Hosts: Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics and Mathematics Educators of Greater St. Louis

WHAT: NCTM's Regional Conference and Exposition, "Technology and Mathematics: Get Connected!" will offer more than 300 sessions and workshops, covering all levels, pre-K–grade 12. The three-day conference will feature many presenters from Missouri and the nearby states of Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. Other presentations will be given by educators from throughout the United States and Canada and from as far away as Kuwait and Australia. Topics will range from supporting teachers' management of interactive mathematics classrooms to engaging at-risk learners through reasoning and sense making and guidance on implementing the Common Core State Standards.

WHEN: October 26–28

WHERE: All conference activities will be held at America's Center.

Presentations: NCTM Past President Cathy Seeley will share what math educators need to do to seize the opportunity that the Common Core State Standards present, while also detailing how to achieve the real equity of deep, complex mathematical learning for every student. She will present the Opening Session, "Yes, They Can—Mathematical Habits of Mind for Every Student," on Wednesday, October 26, 5:30 p.m.–7:00 p.m.

On Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28, an interactive workshop will offer tips for all new and preservice teachers on how to manage their classrooms, work with parents, and handle homework. The sessions will run from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to noon Friday.

On Thursday, October 27, NCTM President Mike Shaughnessy will present "Empowering Students through Reasoning and Sense Making: Video Clips and Tasks," in which he will discuss NCTM's ongoing high school initiative on reasoning and sense making. This session will be held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Then from 11:00 a.m. to noon, Shaughnessy will discuss the Council's role in implementing the Common Core State Standards and accompanying assessments in the session "NCTM and Issues in Implementing and Assessing the CCSSM."

Registration: Attendees may register on site in Hall 1 of America's Center on Wednesday, October 26, 5:00 p.m.–8:00 p.m., and Thursday and Friday, October 27 and 28, 7:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Exhibits: Hundreds of the latest education products will be on display in Hall 1 of the America's Center on Thursday, October 27, and Friday, October 28, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

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

Preview all the conference offerings at the St. Louis Regional Conference and Exposition.

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a public voice of mathematics education, supporting teachers to ensure equitable mathematics learning of the highest quality for all students through vision, leadership, professional development, and research. With more than 100,000 members and 230 Affiliates, NCTM is the world's largest organization dedicated to improving mathematics education in prekindergarten through grade 12. The Council's Principles and Standards for School Mathematics includes guidelines for excellence in mathematics education and issues a call for all students to engage in more challenging mathematics. Its Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics identifies the most important mathematical topics for each grade level. Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making advocates practical changes to the high school mathematics curriculum to refocus learning on reasoning and sense making. NCTM is dedicated to ongoing dialogue and constructive discussion with all stakeholders about what is best for our nation's students.

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