MathEd Forum

December 26, 2024

THE FIELDS INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH IN MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES

FIELDS MATHED FORUM MEETING AGENDA
Theme: CELEBRATING TEACHING
NOVEMBER
29 , 2014 at 10 am-2 pm
Fields Institute, 222 College Street, Toronto

10:00 AM – 10:10 AM Reports: OAME, OMCA, OCMA, CMESG, CMS, and other.

10:10 AM – 10:15 AM Introduction by Walter Whiteley (The Chair of the Margaret Sinclair Memorial Award Committee).

10:15 AM – 11:15 Kathy Kubota-Zarivnij (The first recipient of the Margaret Sinclair Memorial Award for Innovation and Excellence in Promoting Mathematics Education): Translating Japanese Mathematics Learning and Teaching Practices for North American Contexts.

Abstract: What are the key aspects of Japanese mathematics learning and teaching practices?  Which and how can North American discourses can be used to interpret these educational practices to understand and use in North American classrooms? An overview and key highlights of the findings from a research study that aims to explain, interpret and translate the underlying and significant aspects of an Eastern mathematics educational discourse of Japanese learning and teaching practices are provided.
Bio: Kathy Kubota-Zarivnij is currently the mathematics program coordinator, kindergarten to grade 12 for Toronto Catholic District School Board, York University course instructor for ABQ Intermediate Mathematics and AQ PJ Mathematics courses, curriculum developer/writer and doctoral candidate focused on mathematics education.  Prior experiences include principal of an elementary MST-focused school, past-president of OAME, LNS mathematics student achievement officer, and mathematics pre-service teacher education at York University.

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM Short presentations on a theme:  “From innovative practice to theory: The road [roller-coaster] less traveled”

1. Bronna Silver & Leslee Minitti (St. Andrews P.S.)

Bio: The important thing about Leslee is that she loves to read. She is a lifelong learner and a grade one teacher. Leslee has worked as a Literacy consultant, a Special Education resource teacher and taught grades one to six but the important thing about Leslee is she loves to read! 

Bio: Bronna Silver has been teaching at St. Andrews Public School for 13 years, all of them in the primary/junior division. She has worked in close partnership with her fellow colleague Iain Brodie and Professor George Gadanidis on Making Classroom-Home Math Connections. Research - Practice: Nurturing relationships for teaching, learning and well-being. She presented at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and continues to explore the benefits of integrating language, math, and the arts to meet the needs of every child’s multiple intelligence. She has embraced her schools philosophy that “Every child will receive what they need to succeed,” and is committed to ensure that each of her lessons are open ended, inquiry based, creative, interactive, and fun! Bronna is currently teaching a double grade 2/3 class, and is in her second year as part of the school leadership team as the Curriculum Primary Chairperson.

2. Amanjot Toor (Peel District School Board): My experiences teaching grade 6-8 and their relationship to PhD studies.

Abstract: The presentation will reflect on my experiences of teaching grade 6- 8 mathematics using stories. Further it will draw on my ongoing PhD thesis – a hermeneutic interpretive phenomenological research study, which aims to explore the meaning of teachable moments from the lived experiences of grades 6-8 mathematics teachers. A primary and necessary stage of hermeneutic phenomenological study is for researchers to begin their research with a personal story. Hence, I document personal and their cognitive faculties. In this presentation I will share some of these personal stories.

Bio: Amanjot Toor, a storyteller by nature, is a middle school Mathematics and French teacher in the Peel District School Board. She has Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Integrated with Computer Application from Brock University and Bachelor of Education in Intermediate and Senior from Queen’s University. She obtained her Masters of Education from Brock University where the focus of her research was on mathematical identity of undergraduate mathematics students. She explored undergraduate students’ perceptions of themselves as capable mathematics learners. Currently, she is a PhD student at Brock University specializing in the field of cognition and development. Her aim is to research the ways in which ‘teachable moments’ can be defined and utilized in mathematics class.

3. Jennifer Clark (St. Stephen Catholic Secondary School)

Bio: Jennifer has been teaching secondary school mathematics for 13 years, 11 of them in the Peterborough, Victoria, Northumberland, and Clarington Catholic District School Board. She is a strong believer that all students can find success in math class, and has an interest in the role that self-assessment can play in helping students to succeed. Jennifer is currently working as the Curriculum Chair of Mathematics at St. Stephen Catholic Secondary School in Bowmanville.

4. John Kezys (Mohawk College): My Blended Teaching Experience at Mohawk College

Abstract: One hundred percent of the courses taught at Mohawk College were to be blended starting January 2014.  Blending means that a course that is taught for three hours per week in class was converted to two hours of class time and the remaining hour of course content was to be covered by students with independent online work.  I will share my impressions of this teaching style.

Bio: For the past 31 years I really enjoyed my opportunity to teach a wide range of mathematics and statistics courses at Mohawk College. At present I teach developmental mathematics, primarily pre Health math. I am a past president of the Ontario Colleges Mathematics Association and a long standing member of the Fields MathEd Forum Steering Committee.

12:15 PM -1:00 PM LUNCH BREAK
(Light refreshments provided)

1:00 PM– 2:00 PM Panel Discussion on a theme:  “From theory to innovative practice: the road [roller-coaster] less traveled”

Panelists:

Hope Smith is a (very) mature student in the Concurrent Education program at York University. After spending 12 years volunteering and working in her children's schools, she was persuaded to get her teaching degree, and is now hoping to specialize in primary STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) to make sure that all students receive an early, quality STEM education.Hira Siddiqi has just recently graduated from the York University faculty of education concurrent program. Her goal is inspire every student to reach their highest potential. She is currently teaching high performing students in grades 3 and 4 at Spirit of Math Schools. 

Cheryl Teixeira graduated from York University’s Concurrent Education program in 2012. She is a firm believer in continuous professional development and through her experiences as a student and a teacher, has become especially interested in cultivating her teaching of mathematics. Cheryl is currently teaching at Joseph Howe Senior Public School in Scarborough.

2:00 PM ADJOURNMENT


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