OMSD teachers learn math instruction tips
ONTARIO - Ontario-Montclair School District teachers for the past two weeks learned how to make math more relevant to their students.
Thanks to an $8 million grant from the National Science Foundation, 50 elementary and middle school teachers were trained by experts on algebra concepts and ideas designed to improve student achievement.
"I've been taught so much in the past two weeks," said Robin Carr, a fourth-grade teacher at Lehigh Elementary School.
"Now I have better knowledge of why I'm doing math, and that helps my kids with knowing why it needs to be done."
Thanks to an $8 million grant from the National Science Foundation, 50 elementary and middle school teachers were trained by experts on algebra concepts and ideas designed to improve student achievement.
"I've been taught so much in the past two weeks," said Robin Carr, a fourth-grade teacher at Lehigh Elementary School.
"Now I have better knowledge of why I'm doing math, and that helps my kids with knowing why it needs to be done."
The Algebraic Concepts for Elementary Students project brought the district together with the educational nonprofit Think Together, math instructors from Cal State San Bernardino, math specialists from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools Office and a visiting scholar from San Diego State.
The project summary reads: "As OMSD students move through grade levels, their math achievement decreases, and the number of students with the prerequisite skills to succeed in eighth-grade algebra is extremely low. To address this challenge, ACES will target the critical juncture in the mathematics education continuum as students move from elementary concepts to algebra."
Carol Cronk, a math coordinator with the county superintendent's office, said students often need more math than they think.
"Newer careers require science, technology, engineering and math in their fields in order to compete in society, and a lot of kids want to design video games, but they don't realize how much mathematics is needed," Cronk said.
During the program that concluded Friday, teachers worked in groups to achieve the project's goals:
Increase mathematics understanding and achievement of students in fourth through eighth grades.
Increase teachers' knowledge of mathematical concepts and instructional knowledge.
Cultivate changes that result in continuous improvement of math instruction.
Conduct research that will determine how teacher performance predicts student achievement.
Aside from the standard pencils, paper and a calculator, teachers were given foam squares, circles and triangles to help bring algebraic concepts to life for them and their students.
"A lot of what we're doing is visual-based because a majority of students are visual learners, and that is unique because not many of them have every been taught to teach visually," said Davida Fischman, a member of Cal State San Bernardino's math department and director of the Center for the Enhancement of Mathematics Education.
In addition to the two-week summer instruction, teachers will have monthly workshops, professional learning communities focused on use of lesson study and teacher collaboration time.
"I have six teachers in this program, and I'm so excited for them to bring back their new strategies and ideas back to the classroom to help improve our students math scores," said Sultana Dixon, the principal of Monte Vista Elementary School in Montclair.
The project summary reads: "As OMSD students move through grade levels, their math achievement decreases, and the number of students with the prerequisite skills to succeed in eighth-grade algebra is extremely low. To address this challenge, ACES will target the critical juncture in the mathematics education continuum as students move from elementary concepts to algebra."
Carol Cronk, a math coordinator with the county superintendent's office, said students often need more math than they think.
"Newer careers require science, technology, engineering and math in their fields in order to compete in society, and a lot of kids want to design video games, but they don't realize how much mathematics is needed," Cronk said.
During the program that concluded Friday, teachers worked in groups to achieve the project's goals:
Increase mathematics understanding and achievement of students in fourth through eighth grades.
Increase teachers' knowledge of mathematical concepts and instructional knowledge.
Cultivate changes that result in continuous improvement of math instruction.
Conduct research that will determine how teacher performance predicts student achievement.
Aside from the standard pencils, paper and a calculator, teachers were given foam squares, circles and triangles to help bring algebraic concepts to life for them and their students.
"A lot of what we're doing is visual-based because a majority of students are visual learners, and that is unique because not many of them have every been taught to teach visually," said Davida Fischman, a member of Cal State San Bernardino's math department and director of the Center for the Enhancement of Mathematics Education.
In addition to the two-week summer instruction, teachers will have monthly workshops, professional learning communities focused on use of lesson study and teacher collaboration time.
"I have six teachers in this program, and I'm so excited for them to bring back their new strategies and ideas back to the classroom to help improve our students math scores," said Sultana Dixon, the principal of Monte Vista Elementary School in Montclair.
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