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The Mathematical

September 2020

TheMathematicalSeptember 2020
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CCSS Professional Learning Resources

Looking for help in teaching online (or in-person)? Want to master Google Classroom? Want to know how to make a Bitmoji interactive page like all of your friends? Look no further than the CCSS Professional Learning Website. It's your one-stop shop for professional learning! Click on the Digital Learning tab and the Math tab for more info.

Georgia Standards of Excellence - Mathematics Updates

Due to COVID-19, the mathematics standards revision process was placed on hold. The review process is expected to resume Fall 2020. More details will be provided on www.gadoe.org/ standards as new developments are available.

High School EOC Update

Senate Bill 367 was unanimously adopted and now the only high school course with an EOC assessment is Algebra I. Geometry has been eliminated so high school students will now see fewer Georgia Milestone tests starting this school year.
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Effective Mathematics Instruction Guides by GaDOE

The Georgia DOE has created guides to help support schools during times of virtual learning. These math toolkits provide our teachers and leaders with strategies to identify gaps in learning along with evidence-based practices to help address those gaps. There are two documents:



  1. a grade level/course guide/toolkit which includes example diagnostic assessments, evidence-based practices, and a sample learning plan
  2. a grade level/course exemplar learning plan that models synchronous, asynchronous, and offline strategies to address learning gaps



Kindergarten: Math Guide, Learning Plan

1st Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan

2nd Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan

3rd Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan

4th Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan

5th Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan


6th Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan

7th Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan

8th Grade: Math Guide, Learning Plan


Algebra I: Math Guide, Learning Plan

Geometry: Math Guide, Learning Plan

Algebra II: Math Guide, Learning Plan

Other HS: Math Guide, Learning Plan


*These have also been posted in appropriate Learning Resources folders for each grade.

GaDOE Mathematics Learning Resources

The Georgia DOE Mathematics team has created a set of digital resources directly aligned to our GSE Mathematics standards for the below listed grades/courses. Each unit for each grade level includes at least 10 specific resources that can be used with students. These activities are aimed at engaging students while we continue to support hands-on, conceptual learning. With that in mind, the linked resources include both web-based and hands-on, kinesthetic activities.


In order to effectively utilize this resource package, use the following guidance:

  • Review each activity, task, website, and game to capture key details before assigning to students
  • Integrate the activities into your weekly lessons or include them in a choice board for learners to access
  • Alternate between digital and hands-on to better regular the amount of screen time


Click on the image below to access the full document and resources.

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Info on Using Google Meet for eLearning

Still struggling with Google Meet? You are not alone! Here are some helpful tips and tricks to assist you in using Google Meets more effectively as you navigate both in-person and virtual learning. This article includes


  • basic instructions on using Google Meets,
  • using Google Meets with your Google Classroom,
  • tips and tricks to use Google Meets more effectively,
  • ideas while using Meets for remote learning, and
  • other Google Meet resources.



Access this article to read about all these resources!

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Mathspace in EquatIO

Make problem solving into problem sharing! EquatIO® mathspace is a super-smart collaborative workspace for your Chrome browser that enables you and your students to make math together, bringing mathematics to life for the whole class. Type, write or speak to create equations, formulas and other math expressions. EquatIO is free for educators - use this link to create an account.
EquatIO Mathspace WebApp Overview
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Formative Assessment in Distance Learning

Assessing students via distance learning can be a challenge but it is possible to successfully check for understanding and provide critical meaningful feedback. While doing this virtually may be new to a lot of teachers, it is a doable practice that will get easier over time. The article linked will help provide some ideas, guidance and support on some best practices to help accomplish this vital part of the educational process.


Read more about how to successfully implement formal assessments in a remote learning setting.

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GCA: New Features for 20/21

GCA has added new features for this school year to make using GCA even easier for teachers and students to use. Some of the new features are listed below. For more information on each features, click here.


  • Auto-Generate Activity Builder
  • Secure Responder
  • Calculator
  • Text Highlighter
  • Text Zoom
  • High Contrast View
  • Strike Through
  • Live Responses Menu Item
  • Enhanced Reports Dashboard

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iReady - Delivering Remote Instruction

iReady has resources to help with teaching remotely including resources for hybrid learning or all remote learning. Curriculum Associates has created these resources to help teachers meet the demands of online teaching. Below is a video that shows how to integrate iReady instruction with Google Classroom. Access to more resources.
Using Google Classroom with Ready Classroom Mathematics and i-Ready

Math at the Core: Middle School

These activities provided by PBS Learning and GPB offer interactive lessons, interactive activities, videos, and other media for teachers to use with their students. Integrating these activities can help with diverse student learning styles and backgrounds, increasing student engagement, and showing students how math relates to the real world. Teachers can sort the activities by domain and grade. There is also a direct link to add them to Google Classroom. To learn more and access these materials, click here.
These entertaining, imaginative resources from KET include standards-based interactives and videos for grades 5-8. Think Math offers 43 KET-produced resources from Math at the Core: Middle School, which includes the topics listed below. Designed to appeal to diverse learners, these KET resources provide real-world connections, opportunities to think more deeply about mathematics, and ways to use both logic and computation to solve problems.



  • Scale City videos and interactives about proportional reasoning - 17 videos/interactive activities
  • Wild Fractions animations and games that feature visual models for fraction multiplication and division - 14 videos/interactive activities
  • Logical Leaps interactives about number lines - 9 interactive activities
  • Maritime Mysteries interactives involving Cartesian graphs - 3 interactive activities

Math Google Classrooms

Don't miss out on valuable information, helpful videos and tutorials, and professional learning registrations. Be sure to join the appropriate Math Google Classroom to ensure you have access to all the latest information. It is recommended that teachers turn on the email notification feature so that you are notified whenever a new post is made. To enable email notifications, go to Settings (when you click on the 3 horizontal lines in the top left corner), and turn on "Receive email notifications."


Join your grade-level Google Classroom to keep up with all the latest information!

Upcoming Professional Learning Upcoming Professional Learning

These Professional Learning Sessions are tentatively scheduled for these locations. If the meeting must be held virtually, the virtual meeting links and information will be sent out via email and Google Classroom notices.


K-2 Collaborative PL Session

Sep 1, 2020 - Virtual, 3:15 - 4:15

All K-2 math teachers are welcome to join this collaboration session. Please bring a charged chromebook to the session. Meeting will start promptly at 3:15.


3-5 Collaborative PL Session

Sep 3, 2020 - Virtual, 3:15 - 4:15

All 3-5 math teachers are welcome to join this collaboration session. Please bring a charged chromebook to the session. Meeting will start promptly at 3:15.


High School Collaborative PL Session

Sep 9, 2020 - Virtual, 4:00 - 5:00

All high school math teachers are welcome to join this collaboration session. Please bring a charged chromebook to the session. Meeting will start promptly at 4:00.


Middle School Collaborative PL Session

Sep 16, 2020 - Arnall - Media Center, 4:00 - 5:00

All 6-8 math teachers are welcome to join this collaboration session. Please bring a charged chromebook to the session. Meeting will start promptly at 4:00.

Webinars & Recordings

Strengthening Problem Solving Virtually & In-Person Part 1: Mathematical Discourse & Collaboration

Sep 1, 2020 - 4:00 to 5:00

In this first edWebinar of a two-part series, the session will focus on strategies for facilitating productive collaboration and discourse. The session will share strategies for collaborative work in both face-to-face and virtual settings with an emphasis on providing every student with opportunities to share ideas and give feedback to classmates. The session will also discuss a variety of question types and contexts for using each one. Questioning is critical to supporting rich discourse within small groups. Join Sara for this session to solve some math problems and learn strategies for discourse and collaboration in problem solving.


Cost: FREE, Register here or sign up to get the recording.


Strengthening Problem Solving Virtually & In-Person Part 2: Mathematical Task Selection

Oct 1, 2020 - 4:00 to 5:00

In this second eWebinar, the session will share four factors which impact task design and selection, reviewing a variety of tasks along the way. We will discuss both creating your own tasks as well as selecting (and possibly modifying) existing tasks. The session will model strategies for sharing tasks in both face-to-face and virtual settings.


Cost: FREE, Register here or sign up to get the recording.



Teaching and Learning with Ready Classroom Mathematics in 2020

Wednesdays at 10:00am or Thursdays at 3:00pm through Oct 1st

Join this 30-minute webinar to:

  • Get tips, resources, and tools to support students at home or at school
  • Explore new ways to support students in accessing grade-level instruction
  • Better monitor student performance on lessons


Cost: FREE, Register here. If you register and are unable to attend, they will send you a recording.



Engaging Algebra and Trig Students with Discovery Learning Tools During Remote or Hybrid Learning

Sep 14, 2020 - 3:00 to 4:00

In this edWebinar, A.C. Randono, Ph.D., CEO and Founder of Figure Math, takes a deep dive into how active, discovery learning approaches to math education can not only help your students get through this difficult time but can also give them the tools they need to thrive.


Cost: FREE, Register here.



High School Mathematics Unit Planning Design in Such a Time as This!

Sep 15, 2020 - 5:00 to 6:00

Dr. Kanold, co-author of our HMH textbook, shares a seven-step, research-affirmed unit-design criteria essential to student equity, access, agency, perseverance, self-efficacy, and sustained effort in learning high school mathematics every day. He also shares how to manage the effective use of each of these seven criteria, and invites participants to self-rank their current progress using his unit-design evaluation tool! Participants use his PLC mathematics unit-design model to:

  • Differentiate between need-to-know vs. nice-to-know mathematics standards, including prior knowledge standards
  • Design effective elements of unit calendars, including flex days, common assessment days, and pacing days for the balanced use of rigorous tasks and activities
  • Identify technology and tools for student learning (resources are provided)
  • Examine the critical role of technology-based team notes and team reflection during each unit of study


Cost: FREE, Register here



Manipulative Mondays

Register for one or more of these FREE webinar series of Manipulative Mondays. These are hands-on, interactive webinars that allow teachers to deepen their understanding of the CRA model (concrete-representational-abstract), try out manipulatives in a virtual environment, and build confidence in mathematical thinking. Register for any of the sessions listed below. All sessions begin at 4:00 and include prizes.


Color Tiles K - 2, Sep 14

Color Tiles 3 - 8, Sep 21

Cuisenaire Rods K - 2, Sep 28

Cuisenaire Rods 3 - 8, Oct 5

Pattern Blocks K - 2, Nov 2

Pattern Blocks 3 - 8, Nov 9



Equity and Inclusion in the Math Classroom

Sep 21, 2020 - see times below for each session

For this webinar, there are three sessions that will discuss the importance of equitable access to high-quality math instruction and materials. Here are the three different sessions:


Recognizing Student Brilliance: Using Student Thinking & Identity as the Center of a Classroom Experience (4:00 to 5:00) This session introduces teachers to technology and pedagogy for amplifying the voices of every student and developing their identities as mathematicians, helping them see their own value and the value of their peers.


Embedding Problem Solving Into Your Classroom (5:15 to 6:15) This session helps teachers understand the benefits in problem solving and how to deliver high-quality instruction to the students.


Practical Ideas to Bring Math History/Storytelling Inside Classrooms (6;30 to 7:30) In this workshop, teachers will receive resources and ideas to bring math history inside their classrooms, whether they are learning remotely or not.


Cost: FREE, Register here. (if you register and are not able to attend, they will send you a recording)



Developing, Maintaining, and Extending Fluency in Math

Fluency in mathematics means more than fast and accurate recall of facts. Yes, students must know their facts from memory, but learning them by memorization is not helpful. Knowing from memory means learning from deliberately sequenced, strategy-based instruction. Knowing from memory means shorter periods of practice over a longer period of time. Being fluent means moving beyond basic facts to using that same reasoning with larger whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.


How do we support this for our students? Watch the two-part series that benefits kindergarten to middle grades teachers.


Part 1: Addition and Subtraction

Part 2: Multiplication and Division

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Request a Visit or Meeting

As you continue to reach towards achieving your goals, please utilize me as a resource. I would love to spend time with teachers and admin during your planning or instructional periods. If interested in a meeting, a class visit, or modeling, please complete this form to request a time. You can also send me an email anytime!
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Comments, Questions, or Concerns?

Please contact Michelle Clarke, Math Content Specialist, with any comments, questions or concerns.

Email: michelle.clarke@cowetaschools.net
Website: curriculum.cowetaschools.org
Location: 167 Werz Industrial Boulevard, Newnan, GA, 30263
Phone: 770.254.2800
Twitter: @clarkemath

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