Math ambassadors spread love of numbers in Calif. schools A five-member team of math ambassadors is touring schools in the Salinas, Calif., area to instill a love of math in elementary-school students. The group, made up of local college students in partnership with an international math think tank, plays math games with students and gives teachers ideas for presenting math under Common Core State Standards. "We have to dig in deeper into how to teach students, what's beyond the book and be able to apply it across disciplines, as well as show how it affects the real world," said Gabriel Ramirez, principal of one of the schools on the tour. The Californian (Salinas, Calif.) (tiered subscription model) (3/12) How teachers can use Pi Day to extol the mystery of math In celebration of Pi Day, middle-school math teacher Jose Vilson outlines ways to teach math as a form of suspense, where some concepts, such as pi, are simply confounding. In that spirit, he offers alternatives to calling numbers "odd" and fractions "improper." "Instead of teaching math as facts, teach it as a set of things that we have yet to explore, but can and should," Vilson writes. Edutopia.org/Jose Vilson's blog (3/13) Other News  | Help kindergartners at risk for math difficulties! Aligned with Common Core State Standards and proven to improve number sense, these 24 fun lessons help resolve early math struggles before first grade. Save 20% on this title with savings code SB31420. Expires 3/21/2014. Cannot combine with other discounts or offers. Not valid on online products. | | Study: Students' scores improve with later high-school start times Researchers from the University of Minnesota have found that students at high schools with later start times have higher grades. Funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the study of 9,000 students in locations across the country found improved attendance, standardized test scores and academic performance in math, English, science and social studies at schools with later start times. Students also were more likely to get eight hours of sleep and have fewer issues with drugs, alcohol and other risky behaviors. KSTP-TV (Minneapolis) (3/12)
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 | Online exams mean upgrades, adjustments in schools nationwide As school districts nationwide prepare for online exams under the Common Core State Standards, districts are working to ensure they have sufficient bandwidth and hardware in place. Groups that had a hand in creating the exams recommend giving students time to become familiar with online exams, as well as operating with Windows 8 OS or newer for tablets, having external keyboards and using 1 GHz or faster processors and 9.5-inch or larger screen size on devices. District Administration magazine online (3/13)  | Online MA in Teaching — 3 Specializations Available
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 | N.Y. districts design shop classes for the 21st century IPads, 3D printers and computer hardware have taken the place of traditional tools used in woodworking, metalworking and printmaking classes in some school districts in New York, as schools redesign their career and technical education curricula to teach 21st-century skills. In one school, students are learning about hardware, routers and Internet connections needed to set up a computer network. The Buffalo News (N.Y.) (3/9)  | Try Lexia Reading Core5 FREE!
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 | La. Senate approves bill to empower top principals The Louisiana Senate has approved a bill that would give top principals -- those rated "highly effective" -- more authority to design instructional plans, assign personnel, set budgets and enter into contracts. Supporters include the Louisiana Department of Education, the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry, and Stand for Children, an advocacy group. Opponents include the Louisiana Federation of Teachers, the Louisiana School Boards Association and the Louisiana Association of Principals. "My concern about this bill is setting up some islands of excellence," said Patrice Pujol, superintendent of the Ascension Parish school system. The Advocate (Baton Rouge, La.) (3/13)  |
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 | Reflecting on the handshake problem "Well, I've now been officially initiated into the blogosphere (is that actually a word?)," says Ralph Connelly in his most recent blog post of Math Tasks to Talk About. "I really appreciated those who took the time to comment on the first task, and I am sincerely hoping that this blog entry, the discussion of the task, encourages more discussion/comments." Learn key strategies for teaching algebra Algebra is a key to college readiness, better employment and overall success for students. But many students lack the fundamental knowledge and skills to succeed in algebra. Join us in San Diego, July 7–9, for NCTM's Interactive Institute for Grades 6–8, Algebra Readiness for Every Student. Get the right tools to build a strong math foundation for your students. Register early and save $40! |  | Nature uses as little as possible of anything." -- Johannes Kepler, German mathematician and astronomer | | | | NCTM SmartBrief aggregates published news and editorial content from diverse sources. The content of NCTM SmartBrief does not necessarily reflect the positions of NCTM or the views of its leadership, and the viewpoints expressed or implied should not be interpreted as official NCTM positions. | Please contact one of our specialists for advertising opportunities, editorial inquiries, job placements, or any other questions.
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