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 4.17: Distaff Day and CA Math Framework
Discover the timeless tradition of Distaff Day and learn how it pays homage to the industrious women. We unravel the history and linguistic roots of the term "distaff" and explore its cultural significance. From hands-on spinning techniques to educational strategies using yarn in the classroom, there's much to uncover about how these practices continue to foster creativity and community.
Meanwhile, math enthusiasts won't want to miss our conversation with CPM professional learning specialists Adam Varnes and Bridget Gunn. We dive into the intricacies of the California Math Framework, showcasing its student-centered approach and commitment to equity in education. Explore how big ideas, open tasks, and teaching for social justice will transform math instruction across the state.
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Speaker 2:Boom, all right. January 7th.
Speaker 1:It is. It's a new year, it's 2025.
Speaker 2:Well, take me three weeks, five weeks, 10 weeks.
Speaker 1:So we'll start writing that Well when I say it's 2026, that's what I used to say.
Speaker 2:Actually it gets confusing for me, like right away, because we finished the 2024 teacher conference and we start playing for the 2025, and then we also start talking about the 2026. So, anyway, it's 2025 and it's January 7th. What's the national day today? Joel?
Speaker 1:It's Distaff Day. What? What's the?
Speaker 2:national day today, Joel it's.
Speaker 1:Distaff Day.
Speaker 2:What? I don't know what that means. Distaff Day.
Speaker 1:Just by the name.
Speaker 2:What do you think it means Curious? I think distaff is a word that. I've seen many times and don't actually know what it means. I feel like it's one of those words that I want to think it means dislike or something like anti-something, but I don't think it is, it's not.
Speaker 1:Another name for this day is Rock Day R-O-C. Does that ring any bells for you?
Speaker 2:Like a bird.
Speaker 1:It's not a bird.
Speaker 2:I think a rock is a bird.
Speaker 1:Well, that could be a bird, but this day is not about birds.
Speaker 2:It's an ancient mythological bird. It's a Norwich legendary bird of prey in the popular mythology in the Middle East.
Speaker 1:No idea what that has to do with this staff day, okay, but a distaff is symbolized during medieval times, but it's a symbol of just honoring the work of women in the textile area to society. So the spindle is another thing that I would think of this, and when I think you know it's got the wheel and the foot pedal and you're making the yarn, and the thing that comes to mind the most when I see this symbol is Rumpelstiltskin.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's all over the place.
Speaker 1:So that was a very powerful image for me when he did the gold. Oh yeah, he spun the wheat into gold. Yeah, something.
Speaker 2:And helped out the women every time and then took all our babies, and then you take our babies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, well.
Speaker 2:I mean.
Speaker 1:So this is not about celebrating taking babies, just to be clear To be, clear to be clear. All right, it is. It's about just celebrating the textile industry and specifically women in that industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, that's interesting Because I just did a quick Google on what distaff means. And it's a sticker spindle onto which the wool or flax is wound for spinning. And means and it's the a sticker spindle onto which the wool or fox is wound for spinning.
Speaker 1:and then as a modifier noun it is of or concerning women, yep, and it's kind of done this time of year. I find this an interesting fact is that it takes root when women were working and then they had to return to their regular household chores 12 days after Christmas.
Speaker 2:Oh gotcha, because it's 12 days of Christmas and now you've got to go back to work. Yeah, wow, so nobody was making any wool or clothing or anything during that time.
Speaker 1:Hopefully they had made enough clothing before that time, then they had to pick it back up again for the next time Interesting Sure All right, so January up again for the next time Interesting Sure, all right.
Speaker 2:So January 7th is Distaff Day, yeah, celebrating women going back to work.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I know.
Speaker 1:And it's also called Rock Day.
Speaker 2:I wonder why it's called Rock Day.
Speaker 1:Oh, because in Northern European languages that means distaff.
Speaker 4:So that's not too hard, we're just talking about language there.
Speaker 2:Uh-huh, yeah, uh-huh, yeah, yeah. A rock has done the compass, it still means a giant mythological bird described in the Arabian Nights, that's probably where I remember it from.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a different day. Okay, all right, but yeah All right.
Speaker 2:So this is an interesting day, then that's right. Well, how might you choose to celebrate this day? Well, I'm wondering, what is?
Speaker 1:suggested. Okay, well, what's suggested is? You could try out spinning.
Speaker 4:Oh, I know some how to spin.
Speaker 1:I do too. My aunt and also I was unable to take the classes, but I went to the Trailing of the Sheep Festival recently the beginning of October and there are classes that you can take to learn how to spin wool. So I could prepare for this day next year. If I go to that festival again, you could read about the distaff. Or if you know something already, you could go ahead and teach somebody about distaff. Or if you know something already, you could go ahead and teach somebody about distaffs yeah, all right.
Speaker 2:So it's more learning again. Yes, a lot of learning we have a lot of celebrations around learning, which is good they do all seem sort of to have an informational theme, building an awareness of we'll see, yeah thanks. Well, I won't be Seems sort of to have an informational theme Building an awareness of Wilson. Thanks. Well, I won't be doing anything with wool, yeah, but I don't know, maybe I'll do something with the yarn that was made from spinning.
Speaker 1:I like that.
Speaker 2:Well, it probably will happen.
Speaker 1:You know Algebra 2 and Integrated 3, the first lesson of both of those books for the CPM curriculum is that you get your students into teams and they build three-dimensional shapes with yarn. Yeah, and so I remember getting prepared as I implemented CPM and I thought, well, look at this deal. And I was online at Office Depot or somewhere and there was a yarn barn and I was like this is perfect, it's got different colors, it opens up, it looks like a barn. Our whole department can use it, I think, because you can reuse the games. I think that yarn barn is still sitting in my classroom today somewhere at the school, but it is a. It wasn't that expensive, if anybody's interested but there's a tire.
Speaker 1:Oh, it was. I'm going to go eight by four, so 32. Wow yeah.
Speaker 2:Far exceeds the. Oh my gosh, you do not need that much yard.
Speaker 1:If you want to do like a giveaway, hey, kids, a thing of yarn, then that would be the thing for you we couldn't.
Speaker 2:Yeah, most kids are not into yarn that much. Those are more yeah, yeah. All right, so did you decide what you're going to do for?
Speaker 1:this afternoon I'm going to call my aunt yeah, nice, because, yeah, what a great way to connect. Because she's a yarner.
Speaker 2:All right, well, enjoy that.
Speaker 1:Okay, I will.
Speaker 2:Okay, bye.
Speaker 1:Bye.
Speaker 2:So, before we get to our conversation of the podcast for today, I want to let you all know that, as of today, you have less than two weeks left to register at the regular prices for the CPM Teacher Conference. If you haven't heard yet, the CPM Teacher Conference is on the last weekend and 23rd of February in San Diego. Yes, lovely, sunny San Diego. Unless you're actually in San Diego or Southern California right now, you could look out the window and the weather is probably better in San Diego. So come to San Diego the end of February, Join the CPM Teacher Conference. We have a day and a half of sessions for you, includes your meals during the conference, and it's going to be jam-packed with exciting things. Also, on the Friday before, on February 21st, we have the pre-conference. So if you're interested in also adding on the pre-conference, we have seven choices for the pre-conference and these include building thinking classrooms leading for change, foundations for coaching, activating agency for multilingual learners, equity in the classroom, supporting students with exceptionalities and making the connections. The California framework.
Speaker 2:Speaking of that one, that's our next conversation. So just pause the podcast right now and go register for the CPM Teacher Conference at the end of February. Do it before January 17th, so that you can get the regular prices. Otherwise you're gonna have to pay more and you know you don't wanna miss out. Do it now, hey Gast. Well, only one time we started we did like 10 minutes of conversation. I realized that we weren't recording it.
Speaker 4:Yeah, it's not bad. That's not bad, it's only once yeah right, this run exactly okay.
Speaker 2:so we're here today with adam barnes and bridget gunn, who are professional learning specialists for cpm, who live in the california, and we're here to talk with them today about the California math framework and CPM. So welcome to the podcast, richard.
Speaker 1:Yes, welcome.
Speaker 4:Thanks for joining.
Speaker 2:Thanks for having us.
Speaker 4:Thanks for having us.
Speaker 2:Okay, so California has a new math framework. What does that mean? Why and what's the point of this?
Speaker 4:Well, again, thanks for having us here for this exciting topic here.
Speaker 1:It is exciting.
Speaker 2:Cutting edge podcast.
Speaker 4:There we go, so just a little bit of background. This process started in 2013, when we adopted the Common Core state standards and, as the name suggests, the purpose of those was to provide specific benchmarks that all California students should be meeting as they're progressing through their mathematics education. So all of that kind of led up to where last July so July of 2023, the state passed the new mathematics framework for California public schools. Now the focus of this new framework is not on the standards and the students, necessarily, but it's more on the instruction and being able to provide math educators with proven, research-based strategies. That is really meant to enhance the teaching and ensure access and inclusion for all students.
Speaker 4:Math has traditionally been, and quite often still seen as a teacher-centered classroom. Right, students are front-loaded with information. There's typically an I do, we do, you do sort of format, and this new framework really aims to create a more student-centered classroom where students take on more responsibility for their learning and are really given opportunities to work on those rich, engaging tasks, while the teacher takes on more of a facilitator role.
Speaker 2:Cool. That's pretty exciting for us at CPM, because I think that's exactly what we would have been Exactly that's what we're shooting for.
Speaker 1:That sounds familiar, yeah, indeed so with the framework, though, what are some like just main takeaways, main points.
Speaker 2:So one of the big components of the framework that people hear a lot about are big ideas, and that really is rooted. It's a good thing for CPM that they're being called out, so you'll hear of them as either big ideas or major conceptual ideas, and it's basically like what the CPM users will know as the storyline, keeping these math topics connected versus we're going to learn how to divide fractions and then we're going to move on to adding integers and then we're going to move on to the next teaching, those standards from 2013 in silos. So that's one of the big things in the discourse around the framework that really aligns with the CPM philosophy. And then there are the three dimensions that guide instructional design. So they have broken this down into the why, which they call the drivers of investigation. So students are either making sense of the world around them, predicting what could happen, or looking at how the investigation they're diving into could impact the future, so really stressing that what we're learning in math class will be useful outside of math class.
Speaker 2:A second part of those three dimensions is the standards for mathematical practice. So those were also in the 2013 framework, but there's a little bit more emphasis on them the second time around on. They're not just going to be on the wall next to us. We are going to utilize the standards of mathematical practice and really embed them into being a habit of mind so that we're creating problem solvers and fostering that problem solving mentality in students. And then the third part of that is the content connections. And so what they've done with the content connections is taken, made these like four really big buckets that all TK-12 standards could fall into. So they are reasoning with data, exploring, changing quantities, taking holes apart and putting parts back together and then discovering shape and space. So they've really made these really broad categories that span TK-12 that any standard could go into. So that's kind of how they're framing what students are learning. So the why, the how and the what are kind of the focus of the instructional design with this framework.
Speaker 1:That's pretty cool, yeah. So then how would you say that those rocks this framework? How does that help address, say, issues of marginalized groups or equity within those groups?
Speaker 4:Yeah. So another part of the framework is what they're calling the components of equitable and engaging teaching and it's really just meant to, like you said, joel, just address historical issues of marginalization, address those inequities that do show up in math classes. So the first component is planned teaching around those big ideas. So, like Bridget said, those big ideas are the through threads. You know those again as CPM users. We know it as the storyline. What are those threads that continue, not just within a course but from course to course and when we structure lessons around those big ideas didn't? They're number one, able to make more connections with the math, but also they move away from seeing math as just a bunch of these random siloed topics and instead are able to see. You know the storyline that we've talked about. The framework also talks about using open and engaging tasks Again, those familiar with CPM that just we're used to that right.
Speaker 4:The third component they talk about is teaching towards social justice. Now we do want to clarify that. You know the framework when it uses social justice, it's not referring to social justice as it's commonly known or as we commonly know it in our society, as like addressing societal inequities or things like that. The framework is very specific and clear that when they mean teaching towards social justice, they want teachers and instruction to really position students to see themselves and their peers as mathematically competent. And then the last two components they kind of go together. But we want to invite student questions and conjectures and also prioritize reasoning and justification. When we allow students to ask questions, make conjectures, they become active learners in their in that math class rather than passive, you know, formula regurgitators, and so by allowing them to ask questions, conjectures, they really become part of their learning. And then, prioritizing reasoning and justification, they should be able to explain where their answer is coming from, where is it leading toward, and that will just really help them to make connections.
Speaker 2:So it sounds to me like there's like you've mentioned a few, there's quite a few places where this connects and overlaps, ties in with what we're doing at CPM and the curriculum that we've written. So can you elaborate some more? Like how does the CPM curriculum really tie together with the framework? Yeah, so I hope Adam was going through those. You heard a lot of oh, we did that already and that's really how we felt.
Speaker 2:Going through and breaking down the framework as well is oh, this is really rooted in a lot of the philosophy of CPM, and one of our colleagues, susan, has said this a few times that the framework is really about putting teachers back in the driver's seat as they go to implement the framework and gives them the flexibility to decide, okay, what standard of mathematics we're giving, the standards for mathematical practice in a certain lesson, which one do my students need today?
Speaker 2:And then, what study team and teaching strategies can I pull from to really support students in that work? Because I have this open and engaging task that's given to me through CPM and I know the storyline is tied in with those major conceptual ideas. So to us there really is a strong connection between the two. There are, all of you know, with anything that comes out, I feel like there are always the nitpicky what needs to be where, when to kind of make the grade. So learning objectives need to be student-facing, standards need to be student-facing, the standards for mathematical practice will be student facing. There's a lot of those kind of check boxes that are being updated in our third edition and are currently available in Inspiring Connections. But really the philosophy of CPM and the philosophy of the new mathematics framework are very closely aligned. So, as we're moving closer to the time when the framework will be in place and schools will need to be teaching using it, what kind? What are the supports that the CPM and the California team is providing for teachers as we move into that?
Speaker 4:time frame team shout out to the cpm california team for sure, oh yeah, but we have been very hard at work, putting lots of supports and things in place to help teachers as we get near to that implementation date. We have already hosted a couple different webinars to go. I know we've provided bridget and I have talked about a lot of the framework, but we do an even deeper dive in these webinars to really go into the components we've talked about. So we've done webinars, we've hosted presentations and we will be hosting more presentations throughout the year at various conferences, including our own CPM conference. So if you're coming to the club for the conference here, please look out for the framework session. And then, in terms of supporting teachers in their day-to-day, we are really prioritizing those implementation support visits getting into classrooms, doing observations, having debriefs and being able to answer questions one-on-one and at the site level, as well, as you know, continuing with our professional learning. We're getting more and more questions as the days, the dates get nearer, so we'll be continuing to provide all those supports as well.
Speaker 2:And shout out for the pre-conference. There will be a full day of diving into the framework and you bring your friends. You don't have to be a CPM user. We're really just talking about the framework, taking it apart, applying it to problems so that we can see, like, what does a classroom that is teaching towards a framework actually look like?
Speaker 1:So a question there Bring your friends, Everybody's welcome. How would one register to maybe be in that pre-conference session?
Speaker 2:I'm going to answer the question they don't have to answer my question yeah, to register for the pre-conference, you would go to shopcpmorg.
Speaker 4:I love it.
Speaker 2:And follow it to the conference. And then all the pre-conferences are listed there, including the California framework.
Speaker 1:So, besides the pre-conference, though, what are kind of the next key dates that are going to happen? What's the plan for implementation here?
Speaker 2:Yeah, so materials are submitted for acceptance onto the approved materials list in March. So our Inspiring Connections materials for middle school are all set and good to go and our third edition materials will be ready for that date preview and pilot, an implementation trial and all the things. And Core Connections 3rd Edition for middle school will be available to preview in the spring and Core Connections 3rd Edition high school should be available to preview at some point in the late fall. So all the updates are coming soon. That's a lot of updates. And the approved material comes out, I believe, next September.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 4:Anything else that we need to know. Well, if you're not so much an audio fan but you like to read, there is an article on the newsletter that the California team, we put together. So if you'd rather read, I think that one would go into a little bit more detail. But just keep an eye out for upcoming webinars and presentations.
Speaker 2:Feel free to reach out to anyone on the California team if you have specific questions or need more information, more information, if you really like to read our framework, is on the California Department of Ed website in 13 separate PDF documents. Nice, they're in the summary chapter, but there are various Awesome Well, thank you so much both of you for coming on the podcast and giving us this run-through of the California Mass Framework. Neither Joel and I live in California, so it's all news for us.
Speaker 2:We really appreciate you coming in and hopefully helping out listeners figure out how they can use CPM to do this. Thank, you. Thanks for having us.
Speaker 4:Thanks for having us.
Speaker 3:So that is all we have time for on this episode of the More Math for More People podcast. If you are interested in connecting with us on social media, find our links in the podcast description, and the music for the podcast was created by Julius H and can be found on pixabaycom. So thank you very much, julius. Join us in two weeks for the next episode of More Math for More People. What day will that be, joel?
Speaker 1:It'll be January 21st, international Sweatpants Day, and I have to say, since the pandemic, since working at home, I have embraced the sweatpant and then I love that society has embraced the sweat pant as well. We've always had the sweat pants, but it's always been had that connotation of I'm sleepy or casual or I'm relaxed. I'm telling you there's fashionable sweat pants out there and I am all for International Sweat Pantspants day. I hope you are too, and I can't wait to talk about it with Misty. So we'll see you on January 21st, thank you.