More Math for More People
CPM Educational Program is a non-profit publisher of math textbooks for grades 6-12. As part of its mission, CPM provides a multitude of professional learning opportunities for math educators. The More Math for More People podcast is part of that outreach and mission. Published biweekly, the hosts, Joel Miller and Misty Nikula, discuss the CPM curriculum, trends in math education and share strategies to shift instructional practices to create a more inclusive and student-centered classroom. They also highlight upcoming CPM professional learning opportunities and have conversations with math educators about how they do what they do. We hope that you find the podcast informative, engaging and fun. Intro music credit: JuliusH from pixabay.com.
More Math for More People
Episode 3.21: Where Joel and Misty learn about upcoming CPM opportunities
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On this episode of More Math for More People, Joel and Misty first talk about National Hoodie Hoo Day. What is this, you ask? Well, you'll need to listen to find out!
Then they have a conversation with Dr. Lara Jasien about the Teacher Research Corps. You can find more information about TRC at cpm.org/trc and apply HERE.
Next Sara Thompson, the Regional Professional Learning Coordinator for the Southwest Region, stops in to talk about the National Teacher Institute that will run from June 24-28 in Salt Lake City Utah. You can find more information and links to register at cpm.org/nti.
And you'll delight in another update from Maggie, Grahame, and Mike on Join Them on Their Journey.
Send Joel and Misty a message!
The More Math for More People Podcast is produced by CPM Educational Program.
Learn more at CPM.org
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Facebook: CPMEducationalProgram
Email: cpmpodcast@cpm.org
Hello everyone . Today is February 20th 2024 , and this is Season 3 , episode 21 of the More Math for More People podcast . Cheers .
Speaker 2Hello , there , I'm . Joel .
Speaker 1And I'm Misty .
Speaker 2And you're listening to the More Math for More People podcast , an outreach of CPM educational program .
Speaker 1We have a lot of conversations about math and math education on this podcast . We're passionate about continually improving the way math is taught and we hope that you learn something in every episode that helps you become better at what you do .
Speaker 2And we hope that you have some fun and laugh as well . That always makes things a little more interesting .
Speaker 1Yep , we're pretty passionate about having fun Joel .
Speaker 2So please have a listen and we think it'll be well worth it . Boom .
National Hoodie Hoo Day
Speaker 1Alright , it is what's today , December 13th no . December 20th no .
Speaker 2Today .
Speaker 1Let me try again . It's .
Speaker 3February 20th .
Speaker 1It's not December , let's start again . So okay , here we are . It's February 20th . What's the national day .
Speaker 2Today is Hootie Hootie .
Speaker 1Hootie .
Speaker 2Hootie Hootie .
Speaker 1What the heck is it ? Hootie Hootie .
Speaker 2Well , before I tell you one of my favorite it's not a favorite movie , but one of my favorite things in this movie Did you ever see that Neighbors ? I think it's called Neighbors .
Speaker 2Maybe , it's a Seth Rogen movie and a frat moves in next door to his family and the hijinks that happens between a family and a fraternity . And whenever the people in the fraternity wanted to warn each other that maybe authorities were there and they had to hide stuff , they would yell out Hootie , hootie , hootie , hootie . I say that , but Hootie , hootie Day is actually . People look forward to this day because it means spring is almost here . We're sick of the sweaters , we're sick of the hats , we're sick of the gloves , so we throw those off , we go outside and we yell Hootie .
Speaker 1Hootie , who's this we ? I don't think that's what it is .
Speaker 2Well , it says we All right On my resource , on your resources Hootie , hootie , our transcription is going to have a really fun time with this . It's exactly a month before spring and we're just so excited for spring to get here .
Speaker 1I see , well as far enough after the Groundhog Day too . I guess we've forgotten whether or not the Groundhog Day said there was going to be more winter .
Speaker 2That's true . I always feel like it's always more winter . I'm not sure if I've ever had a . Groundhog that came out .
Speaker 1Never really bit it .
Speaker 2It's a short winter .
Speaker 1I always feel like . It feels to like the opposite too , Like if it's sunny and he sees his shadow , he goes back in , which means there's going to be more winter . It seems the opposite of what I would expect . If it was sunny , then it would be nice and he'd want to stay outside . Yeah , but that's just never made sense to me yeah . Well , that's sense anyway .
Speaker 2Anyway , this is not Groundhog Day .
Speaker 1This is Hootie Hootie .
Speaker 2Hootie , hootie . Do you think you get excited for spring before it actually gets here ? You like to be in the moment .
Speaker 1I mean , this has been not a great winter in some respects , but there's some part of I like I don't know Spring is . It's nice , but it also feels like it's this oh , you're anticipating it being nicer and it's actually not . That's what I feel like spring is . Spring is like this , like fake surprise . The weather's not actually that . It's just slightly warmer , but it's still raining a lot . It's still just kind of like you can't really plan around the weather , because it might be different every day or different in another hour .
Speaker 1So it's like that unpredictable phase . I do like spring , not so much for the weather but because you know things start growing . I do like that like seeing things pop up and grow , but there are already bulbs already coming up .
Speaker 2So that's true . It's not going to wait for spring . Here in Salt Lake we get a good spring snow also , like it kind of lingers . But spring is my favorite time of the year . I just love it . Turn off the furnace , open up the windows . I do like opening the windows .
Speaker 1That is one of my favorite things to take off the storm windows and the screens and the first days that you can , ah , open all the windows and it just feels the air moving in and out of the house is very nice . I like it .
Speaker 2I love it .
Speaker 1So it probably happens for like one day for people who live in Texas or Louisiana where they have to close the windows and they see , you know , other one day .
Speaker 2It's very short lived . Yeah , I like spring a lot . It's my fave .
Speaker 1All right . Well , if you want to start anticipating spring , today a month , early a month before the official a month before the equinox . It's not where spring weather starts . Just be clear , Don't be a mad . It is still wintery on the first day of spring , because that's not really when the spring weather starts . No , that's like false advertising .
Speaker 2That's right . So anyway but , if you want to be and anticipate that's right the equinox and the start of get out there , go out and shout it A month early you can throw off your sweaters and gloves and boots and got signed .
Speaker 1Yeah , who do you ?
Speaker 2That's right .
Speaker 1All right , so that's great . Okay , send us a video if you do .
Speaker 2Love it .
Speaker 1Hey
Teacher Research Corps
Speaker 1, so we're here today with Dr Laura Jason . She is the head of research here at the CPM and we're going to talk with her today about the teacher research core . We've talked about the teacher research core a bunch of different times , but in this particular time we're talking about it because I think the applications are open . So welcome to the podcast .
Speaker 2Laura yeah welcome .
Speaker 5Thank you , macy . Thank you , joel , happy to be here .
Speaker 1Awesome . So just remind us it's because we might have some first-time listeners . Everyone's like . You know maybe some first-time listeners out there . They don't know all these things , that's right . Tell us , tell us , what is TRC , the teacher research ?
Speaker 5The teacher research core is a group by teachers from across the country that are interested in inquiring into their own teaching , finding ways to grow their practice and also contribute not just to their own professional growth but potentially to the professional growth of lots of other CPM teachers and non-CPM teachers .
Speaker 5Our curriculum writers get feedback from the teacher research core , our professional learning group , our questions that we bring to the teacher research core . They pose their own questions , the brand strokes and what it needs to participate in . The teacher research core is just going to be a four-day summer institute . We're bumping it up to four . It used to be three , so we're very excited about that . And then you find teachers at that institute that are interested in looking into the same things you are and you meet once a month with them virtually and then an additional once a month with the TRC leadership team and your team virtually to talk about what's happening in your classrooms , talk about what you're learning , troubleshooting the issues that are happening , and it really gets to be a very close knit group of teachers that tend to go on even when they're done working with the TRC , keeping in touch with each other and being big contributors to the CPM community .
Speaker 1Yeah , I feel like there's people on TRC who reply and continue and do it several years and then still stay active coming to the conference and presenting and are really engaged with a lot of the things that CPM is doing .
Speaker 2Sure , yes , absolutely yeah and how would one apply for the teacher research core ?
Speaker 5Great question . Thanks , joel . So the application is open now . It's a really simple Google form . We just asked a couple of questions and mostly it's information for us .
Speaker 5But we want to know things like oh , why are you interested in the teacher research core ? What are things you might think you might be interested in investigating ? And sometimes what people put out in that form is what they end up investigating and what they're investigating . And sometimes when we have to go into summer institute and talk and reflect on their classroom more , they end up shifting more interest . So you don't have to have a full plan for what you might do with teacher research core . When you apply , it can really just see your way of expressing interest and then we do an interview with everyone who applies just to talk to them more and make sure that TRC is a good fit for them and that they feel like a good fit for TRC . And most often what comes out of those interviews is yes , this is gonna be a great fit for everybody . Come meet us in June or July for our summer institute .
Speaker 2Do you know where it will be ?
Speaker 5TRC this year will be July 8th through 11th , and I believe that it's going to be in Seattle . Oh , great Cool .
Speaker 2And is there a cost associated with TRC to be involved ?
Speaker 5The cost is just your tonight in effort and then CPN provides stipends to TRC teachers . So it's currently $300 stipends . So one after summer institute , one after your mid-year report and first vlog closed , and then one at the end of the year after you complete your end of your report .
Speaker 5So part of participating in TRC is you come to that institute , you do those meetings . We also request you spend about 15 minutes a week doing a reflection or written reflection that then we read before we meet with you A blog post in the spring and a blog post in the fall and then , collaboratively with your team , you do a mid-year report and CPN brings you to the CPN conference and we do a pre-conference there and then an end of your report . And yeah , cpn gets the stipending covers on travel that's associated with participation . It's a pretty good deal .
Speaker 2Yeah .
Speaker 5Yeah , Professional learning that you are in charge of . You drive it and we pay you to do it .
Speaker 1Yeah , it's awesome and I know a lot of the TRC from this year , which is 10.0, . Right , that's 10th year of TRC this year . Are they come to the teacher conference ? Some of them present some of their things . They do poster sessions . Almost all the TRC is at the conference , attending and participating as well , so you can check that out , right .
Speaker 5Absolutely . We're going to be walking around the teacher conference this year with TRC shirts on . Oh nice , so you will be able to identify us and come talk to anyone who's meeting or participating in the TRC . And yeah , so at Summer Institute , one of the things we do is we say that's about the time that applications to present at the teacher conference are due , so we give them some time to work on their application to the teacher conference . And then for teachers who haven't done the posters before , the leadership is here to give guidance and support in how you might do that . Like you said earlier , Missy , we do have plenty of veterans that return to TRC , and so that's the role good mentorship for newcomers who might be nervous about what never presented on a CPM conference where I'd never made a poster to share findings from my teacher research .
Speaker 5So all of those hurdle , there's definitely mentorship there .
Speaker 2Nice .
Speaker 1And then , I think , the one last thing . So you said one of his and you said applications open and what is the deadline for the application ?
Speaker 5Oh , I believe the deadline is March 1st , March 1st okay , okay , it's coming up pretty soon . Yeah , I would say if someone doesn't know there's someone reschedule and thinks that they might be available , you can go ahead and fill out the form , and if it ends up networking out , that's okay . Just cancel before we purchase your ticket for you , that's a reaction .
Speaker 1Exactly , that's great .
Speaker 2I know that in my work here with CPM as a professional learning specialist and on this podcast even , I've looked at those blogs from the teacher research core and gotten a lot of good information to help with my work as well . So that's really cool .
Speaker 5We are about to update cpmorg slash trc , and so more of those reports will be available in a new and customized way on CPM's website very soon . Cool , I'm quite excited about that Very cool , awesome , awesome .
Speaker 1Well , thank you for coming on the podcast and sharing about TRC with us , and if people are interested , then they get on the ball and get that application filled out , which sounds like it's pretty simple and straightforward and into interest , so that's great .
Speaker 5Thanks . Thank you so much for having me . This has been really fun to talk about TRC . It's one of the most fun parts of my job , and so I hope that we have lots of new people by this year and we can build that community . Very cool , awesome , thank you .
National Teacher Institute
Speaker 1So we're here today to talk with Sarah Thompson , who is the regional professional learning coordinator for the Southwest Region , and with Joel Miller , who is a professional learning specialist in Salt Lake City , because we're going to talk about the National Teacher Institute , or NTI . Oh , that's me , I'd like to shorthand it . So what is this National Teacher Institute ?
Speaker 4Tell us All right . Well , thanks for having me Excited to talk about NTI , formerly known as Residential .
Speaker 4So for all you who have already attended Residential in the past , same thing , different name . So National Teacher Institute is unique because it's kind of a one-stop shop for multiple learning events that CPM puts on for teachers , new to CPM , returning veteran CPM teachers , leaders , coaches , so the full gamut . So the nice thing is we have our regional events , which are great across the country , but this is unique because it pulls teachers from all over the country . So you're collaborating , connecting with teachers from multiple sites . So do you want me to do a little rundown of some of the event ? Yes , please .
Speaker 4What would be there ? Okay , so for teachers new to CPM they're just going to start teaching CPM next year we have the foundations for core connections in both high school and middle school and it covers the days one through three agendas , but it's unique because we are lucky to be together for five days . So it's our days one , two and three agendas , but we extend them to include more activities , and yours truly , here , joel Miller , is one of the facilitators . So Joel , which one are you facilitating ?
Speaker 2I'm doing the high school core connections foundations .
Speaker 4Okay , so that's a five day event . And then we also have the foundations for inspiring connections , which is our new middle school series . Now that's just for the middle school this year . We'll be rolling out high school in years to come for inspiring connections , and that also is a five day event . Also , we are going to be trying something new this year with offering our follow up days four and five for core connections as well . So normally it's a five day series , right , where they take the three days in the summer and the two days follow up during the school year . We do understand that it's difficult to get those two days and during the year Right . So we are going to put days four and five together at NTI for two and a half days of learning , and then you would be able to couple that with another two and a half day learning event for five full days at NTI , got it ?
Speaker 1Got it , got it .
Speaker 4So , moving on to those two and a half day learning events , we are going to have building on equity , which is going to be two and a half days , monday through Wednesday . Then you can also couple that with building on assessment , which is two and a half days Wednesday through Friday . Those are for teachers who have already attended foundations and are ready to continue their learning in year two and beyond . In addition , our other five-day event is Inspirations and Ideas . That is our support course for eighth grade , cc3 . That's five days as well .
Speaker 4What's unique for Inspirations and Ideas ? Nti is the only place where you're going to get that in-person . Definitely think ahead , work with your district to see if you can make that work . Then , in addition , we are rounding it out with two events for leaders and coaches . We have our site-based Leadership Academy , which is going to be Monday through Wednesday for two and a half days . Then our foundations for coaching , which will be Wednesday through Friday for two and a half days . We do want to say quite a few leaders joining us Monday through Friday of that week , taking both events back to back .
Speaker 1Nice . I will be helping to facilitate the foundations for coaching .
Speaker 2Yes , you're going to be here too .
Speaker 1Like said , he's the place to be . A couple of things .
Speaker 2I just want to say about that is we have so many offerings and , sarah , you laid them all out there , but for the details of those offerings , please look in our course catalog to find the one that's right for you to begin with , but- .
Speaker 1Yeah , We'll definitely put a link to where you can find that information on our website and get the rundown again of the dates and the times and the prices and so on . Sarah , I don't think we said when it is . Oh yeah , that might be a good detail to share .
Speaker 4It's coming up this June 24th through the 28th . Awesome , that's that Monday through Friday week . Yeah , if you could link the cpmorg backslash NTI . Everything you need to know is there . You will also find these events in the portal . Our CPM teachers are used to finding that . However , it is different . Usually you just register right then and there in the portal , but if you do find them in our learning portal , it will take you to a link to our web store because you will have to purchase your registration , and also on the website you'll find a lot of information about lodging . We have some room blocks of two hotels that are within walking distance . It's a gorgeous area of Salt Lake City , joel's kind of our on-site tour guide . That week I live here .
Speaker 2So yeah , he lives right there my stomping grounds .
Speaker 4Five minutes away right .
Speaker 1And remind me Well , let's not be too specific here , Sarah . Oh yeah , it's at the Westminster University .
Speaker 4Joel's background is really linked , you know it's up the podcast no no , no , no . He's hosting dinner .
Speaker 1No , it's at Westminster College , is that- ?
Speaker 2Westminster University .
Speaker 1University University , yeah , westminster University .
Speaker 2That's actually a recent change , just as we changed residential to the national teams here in . Soutoot , they changed from Westminster College to Westminster University .
Speaker 4Yeah everybody's changing Gorgeous , gorgeous campus , yeah , yeah .
Speaker 1Well , I can't wait to be there and I can't wait to see all the people that are going to be there . So you need more information , the link's in the description and get yourself registered . The registration deadline is May 31 .
Speaker 4I think we upped it a little bit because of some room blocks . So I think it's May 20th . All that's on the website .
Speaker 1Great .
Speaker 4Awesome .
Speaker 1Well , thanks , sarah , thanks for joining us today . Thanks , Ran Rik .
Join Them on Their Journey
Speaker 1Okay , here's what you've been waiting for . It's this week's segment of Join them on their journey , Enjoy .
Speaker 6Hello , long time no here . This is Mike from the northern part of Lower Michigan . We are a school that , as I had said before , are learning how to use CPM . We are some newbies . We are trying to figure out how to use this program best to fit our students .
Speaker 6With that being said , I was asked to talk a little bit about productive struggle for students . I would actually like to talk about productive struggle for teachers and staff , because CPM stands for college preparatory mathematics . But in some ways , cpm for us at this juncture is about collaboration , perseverance and mathematics . Recently , we've started a group of teachers and our group of teachers is meeting once a week to collaborate on implementation of CPM . Our primary focus has been to work with the study team teaching strategies and trying to get ourselves comfortable in utilizing those within our classroom , and also just trying them out and then sharing our experiences with our colleagues in a collaborative manner . So every week , we meet on Wednesday for 45 minutes and we talk about the study team teaching strategies and we collaborate in that way and we support each other in our endeavor to try new things , because CPM is a very different way of teaching . Most of us have come from a rather traditional background of teaching where it's very teacher-centered and this is very student-centered and some of us are still struggling with that . So our productive struggle is in that idea of relinquishing control within the classroom . I also said CPM . You know the P could be for perseverance At this juncture .
Speaker 6As teachers we are trying to persevere through the year . I mean we've made it halfway through . We're working through the textbooks , we're trying to do as much as we can with fidelity , also realizing that most of our kids have not had CPM prior to this year . There's a lot of just teaching them the strategies , filling in gaps and filling in holes . We're hoping that if we keep persevering on this track that we're going to see that incremental growth that we can get with CPM , because we've seen districts around us that are all doing very , very well with the program .
Speaker 6But there's always those bumps in the road when you're trying to implement a new program , especially when we are collaborating with each other . We are even talking about the mathematics , like what are you teaching ? What mathematical standards are being covered in yours ? Are there these spaces or gaps that we're seeing ? And we're actually discussing the mathematics that's within the textbooks and also realizing at this juncture , with us being brand new and there's gaps in all of our kids' thinking and learnings . We have to supplement some things . So we are supplementing at times and filling in some spaces . We're hoping over time that this program will fill in all of those spaces for us and we'll see our kids improving and we'll see us as teachers improving . So this time , productive struggle , our students are feeling it , our staff is feeling it and when I looked at the letters of CPM , I really did start to think that this year for us , cpm stands for collaboration , perseverance and mathematics and I hope , by the time we're finished , that this program will be what is right for our kids . Thank you for your time . Bye .
Speaker 3It's Maggie and this is where I am on my journey . I am feeling appreciation for trusting the process . I think it is sometimes difficult to implement a new curriculum or newly iterated curriculum and still be trusting in the process . I think , regardless if you are new to CPM or if this is your fifth year , like myself , it is nice to see the outcome of trusting the process , of trusting really the research that's out there . I think , specifically what I am appreciating is this notion of spiraled content or mix-space practice , so inspiring connections .
Speaker 3Equations are introduced a little bit later than in the core connections , so this is the first time that my students have or some of the students have actually ever been introduced to it . Depending on where they were for their sixth grade year , they could have come into my school not ever seen equations and so , as a result , the first time they saw it , they didn't feel as confident when going into the assessment , although we practiced and we met with them and really made sure that they had all of the tools and the resources . But I think time allows them to feel more confident . So at the beginning of this semester in January , we had an assessment . It was like a five-day lessons and then we had an assessment and now , about a month later , we have what we're calling part two . So the first time was can you solve it ? The second part , we're adding in the different types of solutions and so with the reflection and the practice or the additional practice that they're doing outside of the content so making sure that their homework really continuously builds on their skills has allowed them , I think , to develop the confidence . So the students who had never seen equations before prior to my class now are feeling really confident . So just trusting that process , I do wonder something that I'm myself thinking about is was it appropriate time to give them the assessment ?
Speaker 3I did end up giving the assessment , but , knowing that time allows them to build their confidence , I wonder how we could still give feedback , because I think it was nice to give them feedback of where they are specifically with solving equations , but is that necessary to put in the grade book ? I don't know . So the way that I do it is where they are assessed on a topic , we practice it through the reflection of the practice , the review preview , depending on which course you have , and then , when we reassess on it , you can actually earn up to 100% . So the addition to this . Part two is that there will be more or , I guess , different types of solutions infinitely many and no solution .
Speaker 3But if they are able to demonstrate just solving equations , whatever their grade is , it will be placed by that portion of it , based off of the rubric that we use , and so I am really appreciating , I think the students really appreciate this mixed space practice because they're feeling very confident going into the assessment . So I think , just trusting the process , trusting the research that's out there and what it says about mixed space practice , and knowing that there's a really a reason to why the research falls where it does , and so I'm excited to go into this next assessment based off of their what I call quick checks . So , based off of all of this data that I've collected so far , the students will do well and they are feeling very confident . So trusting the process is extremely important .
Speaker 7Hey Joel , hey Misty Graham here , just keeping on keeping on Hope things are well . This week I really been reflecting on my questioning style as I check in with groups and see how the groups are working together , how each student is understanding the material , and it dawned on me when I asked a group if they were understanding that I may have had a tone that was disagreeable to students when I was questioning if they understood the concept . There was one student who definitely had an understanding of the concept , and when I asked someone to explain it , he jumped right in and ran through the problem very quickly , and I asked the rest of the group if they followed and understood , and of course the question was yes . And so when I asked another member of the group if they could restate what the other students said , I noticed some irritation and some pushback , partly because they didn't want to explain , but I think also because they felt like I was questioning their integrity , and so it got me to reflect on how I might ask those questions differently , or maybe how I could make sure everybody at the table understands the concept . So one thought was to use the role of the recorder reporter more frequently and ask to make sure that students have written down , with examples , their understanding of the concept , and I think that might help alleviate this questioning where students feel like there's a judgment made or that I'm questioning something more than their understanding , or maybe even that I'm questioning their understanding and that it's not okay if you don't understand . And so I try to communicate with my students it's okay if you don't understand . I want to help you understand , and I think that's a difficult message to communicate in math class when they might feel that so much is at stake with their grades and doing things correctly .
Speaker 7And that brings me to another topic I've been thinking about . I've been told that students need to feel small successes in class , and so I've been thinking about how to do that , and I think having some smaller problems interweaved throughout a lesson might be helpful . I also think that at the end of class , I think I might start having students share and write down a success that they had from class . It could be teamwork , it could be a new understanding , it could be that they wrote some things down , it could be that they found something out about a person , so I want that to be open . But hopefully , the more I ask students about success that they have , the more that they will see their own success . So we'll see how that goes . I appreciate you listening . Take care everyone .
Speaker 1So that's all we have time for on this episode of the More Math for More People podcast .
Speaker 2For more information and to stay connected , find CPM on Twitter and Facebook . You can find our handles in the podcast description .
Speaker 1The music for the podcast was created by Julius H and can be found on pixivaycom . Thanks , julius . Join us in two weeks for the next episode of More Math for More People . What day will that be , joel ?
Speaker 2It'll be March 5th , national Potty Dance Day , and I know you all can relate to this . I know sometimes when that need just comes , that urge just comes , you need to start making some movements to make sure that you make it to the place to make your movements right , and so it'll be fun to hear all the stories about the different potty dances . As I know , in the classroom I could always tell the students that really needed to use the potty based on their potty dance right , they were not faking it , trying to get in the hallway , whatever they really needed to go . And I know my dance is unusual . Can't wait to hear what Misty's dance is and maybe we'll get some folks to share with their dances as well . And we'll see you March 5th for National Potty Dance .