OCTM- The Oregon Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a support
for math teachers across the state. They provide resources for teachers to
unpack state standards, implement best teaching practices, provide guidance for
teachers, and develop and encourage leadership throughout the mathematics
education community. It will be important for me to utilize the OCTM because it
is a local group that sets up conferences and professional development
opportunities for our area. These
conferences will help me troubleshoot issues I have in my classroom and stay up
to date on the latest teaching techniques.
NCTM- The National Council of teachers of Mathematics
provides many of the same resources as the OCTM except that it works on the
national level. Because of its national reach, the NCTM provides many more
resources for teachers, including activities and lesson plans, an extensive
list of links, and new teacher resources just to name a few. As a math teacher,
it is useful to be aware of new trends in the teaching of mathematics and how
national politics shapes what we teach. For example, two weeks ago the
president of the NCTM gave a statement on the future of the entire math
curriculum, saying that we should move away from teaching towards Calculus and
instead move towards teaching math that would fit better into STEM pathways. This
type of information can help us see what we might be teaching in years to come.
Free
site with hundreds of practical activities for all levels of math instruction.
Some of the best hands on and real world activities I have found. Comments
usually include teachers who have used the activities and who contribute
feedback on how the lesson went and changes they would make.
Cool problems, math geek stuff, activities to do with the
class, and a host that updates constantly.
Finally—useful games that will engage students while also
providing solid math review. The best designed math games I have seen.
