February 2025 CCTM Newsletter

Message from the Board: 

Message from the Board: Mary Pittman ~ CCTM President

This month our board message is by Mary Pittman, our CCTM Board President. In her message, Mary shares about our upcoming professional learning opportunities, 2025 Summer Institute, Board Elections, and 2025 Awards.

  

Click Here to Read the Welcome Message  

 

Elections

It is election time and we are looking for nominations for the CCTM Board of Directors! We have three open positions this spring, providing diverse ways for YOU to get involved in this organization and join us in  serving the mathematics teachers of Colorado. Our current efforts are grounded in professional learning, developing a sense of community as mathematics educators across the state of Colorado, and recognizing the incredible work being done across our great state.

Nominations are open now through April 4, 2025 for the positions of Treasurer and Region Representatives (Regions 3 and 6). (Read about the duties and responsibilities here).

Click HERE to nominate someone for the CCTM Board of Directors.

Upcoming Events, Celebrations, Happenings, and Opportunities (ECHO)

Click here to view upcoming CCTM math events and happenings, including:

  • We are excited to announce a spring webinar series.  Our first webinar is Some Practical Strategies for Significantly Enhancing the Impact of Tutoring in Math on February 26, 2025.  See the full  list of upcoming webinars.

  • Looking for ways to connect with and serve Colorado math educators?  CCTM elections will be occurring this spring for several board positions.  Nominations are open for the CCTM Treasurer, Region 3 Representative, and Region 6 Representative.  Nominations are open through April 4, so consider nominating yourself or a colleague today!

  • The CCTM Summer Institute June 12 & 13, 2025.  Join us in-person for keynote speakers Joleigh Honey and Julianne Foxworthy Gonzalez who will present strategies for supporting diverse learners in mathematics.  The event will be hosted in Adams 12 School District (north Denver metro area).  Register Today!

Click HERE to view other math celebrations and opportunities, as well as to view additional information regarding the above CCTM learning opportunities.

Teacher Voice - Impact of Collaboration

Each newsletter we will highlight the voice of educators within Colorado to share some of their amazing work and ideas. In this issue, we highlight Suzanne Meyer from Denver Public Schools (CCTM Region 2). Suzanne writes about the importance of collaboration and the impact on her personal and professional growth.

Click here to read more!

 

ptaPractical Practices - Happy Birthday Principles to Action!

In our Practical Practices section of the newsletter, we highlight practices that you can incorporate in your classrooms, including curated links to outside resources to build your knowledge of that practice.  For this school year CCTM has been elevating the High Leverage Teaching Practices and resources to support that practice in the classroom within each newsletter.  This month we focus on the next three practices in flow of planning for and implementing high quality math learning experiences for each student:
  • Use and Connect Mathematical Representation
  • Facilitate Meaningful Mathematical Discourse
  • Pose Purposeful Questions
 

Click here to read more!

Spotlighting Colorado Mathematics Educators and Teams: 

This section of our newsletter allows us to recognize the amazing mathematics teams, educators, and leaders in our community. This month, CCTM would like to make a Call for Nominations for the CCTM Math Teaching Awards, nomination form, note awardees must be able to attend the CCTM Summer Institute on June 12 and 13, and are provided free registration as part of their award.

Trivia - A History of Mathematics

Each newsletter will have a trivia question. From those that answer correctly, five winners will be drawn and receive a CCTM Promotional Product.   

This month’s trivia question is in honor of February as Black History Month.  

This NASA mathematician pioneered the use of computer programming for performing complex calculations. They were also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Who is this mathematician?

Submit Your Answer Here

Last month, we asked you, the members of CCTM “ As a child, this notable Diné (Navajo) mathematician learned string figure-making from his grandmother. String figure-making produces geometrical forms using string knotted into loops. He formalized the approaches of string figure-making by focusing on how the fingers operate to make these loops and converting these into a mathematical formula.  Who is he?”

The answer to this question was: Thomas Storer, learn more about Thomas Storer.

Last month’s winners were: 

Kari Johnson

Rifle Middle School, Region 6

Allison Gomez

Ridgway School District, Region 6


Colorado Math Teacher Journal - Featured Article 

Featured Article: Keep it REAL! Introducing a four-part framework for real-world math teaching in the secondary classroom

Authors: Patrick McGuire, University of Colorado- Colorado Springs

Abstract: Drawing upon research-based best practices and previous literature, this article introduces a four-part “REAL” framework (Relevance, Equity, Application, and Leverages Technology) to help secondary math teachers integrate real world activities in their classrooms. The article provides an example of a REAL-world activity, The 8th Billion Baby, further demonstrating how secondary mathematics teachers can move from theory to practice. The article concludes with a curated list of recommended resources designed to support real world teaching and learning in secondary mathematics classrooms.

Read Full Article Here

Get YOUR Word Out

Would you like to advertise or elevate an upcoming mathematical opportunity happening around you - in your school, district, region? Do you want to celebrate successes in your mathematical community? Share your happenings in the CCTM’s next newsletter?  Click HERE to submit your events, news or celebrations and be included in the next CCTM Newsletter’s ECHO (Events, Celebrations Happenings, and Opportunities) Section.