The Mathematical

Georgia Department of Education has announced updates to the Georgia Milestones Assessment System starting in the 2020-2021 school year. The goal of these updates is to reduce the overall amount of time students are spending on summative testing. The changes outlined below will begin with the Winter EOC Administration.

• Replacement of all constructed-response items with technology-enhanced items in mathematics for all grades and courses.

• Reduction of 10 norm-referenced items

These updates should decrease the amount of time a student spends testing in mathematics by about 40 minutes. Keep in mind, the GMAS test design has not changed substantively. It is merely being shortened.

Georgia Milestones is using the Desmos calculator as its online version. Below is more information regarding each version and how to access it. It is critical that students are given an opportunity to use these versions before actual testing. Please take the time to go over these calculators with students and ensure they are familiar with how to use them. Access more detailed information here.

This year, approximately 217 educators have been working together to gather input from various stakeholders and provide feedback in regards to updating the GSE Mathematics. This process ensures the standards stay up-to-date and relevant providing students with the best opportunity to be successful. Below is the expected timeline of the full implementation of the updated standards.

Reviewing with your students can be a challenging time in the classroom - for both your high achieving students and the ones who struggle. Changing a student's math mindset can help boost their math performance. “Kids with a growth mindset do better, persist longer, and are more successful,” Boaler says. “[But] they don’t get it through just telling them to have a growth mindset, you have to teach in those ways.” Posted below are some typical comments you may hear your students saying in your classroom. It is how we respond to those comments and how we guide our students that will help change their mindset. Have a reply ready to some of these common statements to help students shift their math mindset to a more positive one!

Read more about changing a math mindset.

This is not a one-size-fits-all solution or strategy. But, it can be a really great way to help kids make sense of subtraction with regrouping, and develop a stronger number sense and place value understanding.

Introduce subtraction with regrouping by using money, specifically dimes and pennies. Teachers will set the stage by allowing students to "shop" but they have to pay with exact change. Read more to see how this strategy works. (Adapted from mathgeekmama.com)

Pi Day Activity Ideas

Let students discover pi! Provide various circular objects (like cans, paper plates, candles, CDs, bowls, etc) and have the students measure the diameter and circumference using a piece of string or yarn. Then have them divide the circumference by the diameter and see that the answer is about 3.14 every time!

Elementary School:

• A Mathematical Measurement Mystery
  
• Pi Day Activities

Middle School:

• Pi Day Webquest
• Apple Pi unit
  
• Pumpkin Pi
  
• Finding Pi with Archimedes's Exhaustion Method
  
• Let's Take Another Look at Pi Day
  
• Circles and the Number Pi
  
• How Many Times Does a Radius Square Fit into the Circle?
  
• Easy as Pi? Infinitely Not!
  

High School:

• Pi Line
  
• Okta's Pi Fight
  
• Explorations with a Paper Circle
• Cookies and Pi
  
• Improving Approximations for Pi with GeoGebra
  
• Pi All Month
  
• Kissing Pennies and Eating Pi
  
• Have Some Pi
  
• In Search of Archimedes: Measurement of a Circle

These manipulative kits are specifically designed to go along with the Ready Classroom Mathematics curriculum. Each grade level kit contains the specific manipulatives that are designed for all of the lessons. The kits can be purchased in whole or just by the specific manipulative needed.

Link to the website for more information. Remember that Coweta County gets a 15% discount on purchased items and has free shipping/handling.

M Squared PL Session

March 5, 2020 - Werz - SD2, 3:00 - 4:00 (K-5) and 4:00 - 5:00 (6-12)

This is for 1st year or new to Coweta County math teachers. We will be discussing pacing guides, Milestones, and other information. Please bring a charged chromebook to the session.

EdTech Fractions

March 11, 2020 - Werz - PLC, 3:15 - 4:30

This training session is for teachers who are piloting the EdTech Fractions game. Please bring a charged chromebook to the session.

K-2 Collaborative PL Session

March 17, 2020 - Werz - SD2, 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

March 19, 2020 - Werz - SD2, 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.

Middle School Collaborative PL Session

March 25, 2020 - Werz - PLC, 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.

High School Collaborative PL Session

March 30, 2020 - Werz - SD2, 4:00 - 5:00

All high school math teachers are welcome to join this collaboration session. We will be discussing pacing guides for next year. Please bring a charged chromebook to the session. Meeting will start promptly at 4:00.

Problem-Solving: Developing Disposition, Competence, and Confidence

March 12, 2020 - Webinar, 5:00

Both task selection and lesson facilitation promote a positive disposition in all students toward mathematics, competence in doing mathematics, and feelings of confidence in their ability to do mathematics. In this webinar, participants experience firsthand an example of a task that is rigorous yet accessible to all students.

Register here. Cost: free

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!

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