Math on the Rocks

First we talk about the challenges of being a mathematician parent of a student taking math. We grapple with whether there is a difference between y=4x-3 or y=4x+(-3)? Can a difference in heights be negative? Or is the difference in the heights of two objects always a positive?

Then we talk about the importance of your district selecting a textbook that is closely aligned with the recommendations of the California Mathematics Framework. But selecting the textbook and delivering it to your teachers is just the BEGINNING of the journey. Now we need to support teachers as they implement the textbook and the instructional strategies within.

Join us in this conversation. Email any of the boys directly…

Cole:  [email protected]

Duane: [email protected]

Scott: [email protected] 

P-2 RESOURCES…

✚  P-2 Conferences coming to an area near youhttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1G8ea6dpe7b1VkrP6r28047WTWjIquLzbAFzYyP-wQ5M/edit?usp=sharing 

Textbook Adoption RESOURCES…

✚  A comprehensive list of all submitted textbooks…adopted and NOT adoptedhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WALUohkIpD0RZNlGf1eiaOl2a4-0xJs6gFjk7HyRsNA/edit?usp=sharing

✚  Textbook adoption guidancehttps://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1A49lTbrsjczTr8AmAJXoIbw8kuZZFaAlu_z4yIPT_Jo/edit?usp=sharing

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  CMC North Conference in Monterey, December 5-7, 2025:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/asilomar   

✚  CMC South Conference in Palm Springs, November 7 & 8, 2025:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-south-conference   

✚  CMC Central Symposium in Bakersfield, March 13 & 14, 2026:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central-symposium   

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Duane and Cole return from a long summer vacation and discuss how our P-2 conferences are going. This is the conference series we designed specifically for pre-school teachers up through Grade 2 teachers. Spoiler alert: It is going GREAT!!!

Then we shift to talking about the impending textbook adoptions that school districts throughout California will be doing. The choice is so important and we need to do a great job supporting teachers to make a great decision.

Join us in this conversation. Email Cole and Duane directly…

Cole:  [email protected]

Duane: [email protected]

P-2 RESOURCES…

✚  P-2 Conferences coming to an area near youhttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1G8ea6dpe7b1VkrP6r28047WTWjIquLzbAFzYyP-wQ5M/edit?usp=sharing 

✚  Count, Play, Explorehttps://www.countplayexplore.org/ 

✚  Play-based Learning in the Early Childhood Mathematics Classroom: Culturally Sustaining Play:      https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/icitl/vol2/iss1/2/ 

✚  Early Math Collaborative:      https://earlymath.erikson.edu/ 

✚  DREME:      https://dreme.stanford.edu/   

Textbook Adoption RESOURCES…

✚  A comprehensive list of all submitted textbooks…adopted and NOT adoptedhttps://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WALUohkIpD0RZNlGf1eiaOl2a4-0xJs6gFjk7HyRsNA/edit?usp=sharing

✚  Textbook adoption guidancehttps://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1A49lTbrsjczTr8AmAJXoIbw8kuZZFaAlu_z4yIPT_Jo/edit?usp=sharing

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  CMC North Conference in Monterey, December 5-7, 2025:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/asilomar   

✚  CMC South Conference in Palm Springs, November 7 & 8, 2025:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-south-conference   

✚  CMC Central Symposium in Bakersfield, March 13 & 14, 2026:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central-symposium   

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Scott and Duane share their mathematical summer reading list. If reading a good math book brings you joy, we've got EIGHT recommendations…plus Scott drops a surprise 9th book at the end. 

BTW…A huge shoutout to Justin Lanier. Find him on BlueSky at ‪@jlanier.bsky.social‬

Here is information on his online math experience in July…

https://justinlanier.org/21st-century-mathematics-2025/

RESOURCES…

✚  5 Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematics Discussions     https://a.co/d/fVXVhdp  

✚  Building Thinking Classrooms

     https://www.buildingthinkingclassrooms.com/    

✚  Rethinking Disability and Mathematics     https://www.corwin.com/books/rethinking-disability-and-math-287710        

✚  Teaching Mathematics Through Problem-Solving: A Pedagogical Approach from Japan

     https://a.co/d/cyUpcAj     

✚  Routines for Reasoning     https://www.heinemann.com/products/e07815.aspx 

✚  Choosing to See: A Framework for Equity in the Math Classroom

     https://a.co/d/cOszpCc     

✚  Embedded Formative Assessment     https://a.co/d/a1Br7Wy         

✚  Visible Learning: Feedback

     https://a.co/d/93BA4NS     

✚  Here is the flyer for our long-awaited P2 Conference!!     https://tinyurl.com/P2ConferenceFlyer  

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in June, 2025]  

✚  CMC-South Annual Conference - November 7-8, 2025     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-south-conference      

✚  CMC-North Annual Conference - December 5-7, 2025     https://www.cmcmath.org/asilomar 

✚  CMC-Central Annual Symposium - March 13-14, 2026     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central-symposium  

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Who is the California Mathematics Council? (A one-pager)     https://tinyurl.com/CMC-One-Pager     

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Tim Weekes is our guest for this webinar. Tim gets us thinking about reframing the Achievement Gap as really being an Opportunity Gap. Listen to this episode…Tim's ideas will live rent-free in your mind for some time! 

RESOURCES…

✚  ARTICLE: Opportunities Denied - High-Achieving Black And Latino Students Lack Access to Advanced Math

 https://edtrust.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Advanced-Math-V9.pdf   

✚  ARTICLE: Advanced High School Math Classes a Game Changer, But Not All High Achievers Have Access

https://www.the74million.org/article/advanced-hs-math-classes-a-game-changer-but-not-all-high-achievers-have-access   

✚  ARTICLE: Mathematics teacher specialization in elementary schools     https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1426413.pdf       

But it is not clear whether specialization improves student achievement…

✚  ARTICLE: Subject-Area Specialization in North Carolina Elementary Schools

https://epic.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/1268/2021/08/EPIC-Specialization-R2_FINAL.pdf    

✚  Here is the flyer for our long-awaited P2 Conference!!     https://tinyurl.com/P2ConferenceFlyer  

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in June, 2025]  

✚  CMC-South Annual Conference - November 7-8, 2025     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-south-conference      

✚  CMC-North Annual Conference - December 5-7, 2025     https://www.cmcmath.org/asilomar 

✚  CMC-Central Annual Symposium - March 13-14, 2026     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central-symposium  

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Who is the California Mathematics Council? (A one-pager)     https://tinyurl.com/CMC-One-Pager     

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Cole, Scott, and Duane discuss a recently published article by Michael Kirst (former president of the California State Board of Education) that lists the seven steps to improve mathematics instruction in California. The list is reasonable and attainable. Every district should consider implementing these steps TODAY.

Drawing from 35 high-quality studies conducted over three decades, the research highlights seven core features that consistently lead to improved teaching and learning outcomes:

• Focus on curriculum standards and content

• Incorporation of active learning

• Support for teacher collaboration

• Use of models of effective teaching practice

• Access to coaching and expert support

• Opportunities for feedback and reflection

• Sustained duration over time

RESOURCES…

✚  ARTICLE: A new state role for experienced teacher improvement

    https://www.brookings.edu/articles/a-new-state-role-for-experienced-teacher-improvement/  

✚  ARTICLE: This is who Michael Kirst is

https://cepa.stanford.edu/michael-kirst  

✚  ARTICLE: Looking Back to Look Forward

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/product/standards-based-education-reforms-report      

✚  Here is the flyer for our long-awaited P2 Conference!!

https://tinyurl.com/P2ConferenceFlyer  

✚  Read about the CMC Leadership Summit here

https://www.cmcmath.org/june-2025-presidents-message   

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in June, 2025]  

✚  CMC-South Annual Conference - November 7-8, 2025     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-south-conference      

✚  CMC-North Annual Conference - December 5-7, 2025     https://www.cmcmath.org/asilomar 

✚  CMC-Central Annual Symposium - March 13-14, 2026     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central-symposium  

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Who is the California Mathematics Council? (A one-pager)     https://tinyurl.com/CMC-One-Pager     

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Cole and Duane discuss a recently published article about how a school dramatically improved their math scores. Lots of great ideas for YOUR school to consider. 

RESOURCES…

✚  ARTICLE: tis Wisconsin school excels at teaching math. Can its approach work statewide?     https://www.wpr.org/news/wisconsin-school-excels-teaching-math 

✚  ARTICLE: Towards an Empirically Grounded Theory of Action for Improving the Quality of Mathematics Teaching at Scale     https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ960944    

✚  California Mathematics Framework: Chapter 2     https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/ 

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in June, 2025]  

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Christina Lincoln-Moore is our guest this episode. She led one of our Inspiring Math Minds webinars and we are reposting it in the Math On the Rocks feed. Christina is the STEM Mathematics Unit Lead focusing on advancing equity and anti-racism within mathematics education. She is also a co-founder of Black Womxn in Mathematics Education (BWXME), fostering a community where Black womxn in mathematics can thrive. 

RESOURCES…

✚  Black Women in Mathematics Education

    https://bwxme.com/  

✚  Future conference dates:

      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in May, 2025]  

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Duane and Cole uncork a crucial conversation about why educators working with our youngest learners—preschool through 2nd grade—must embrace the title “math teacher” with the same pride they claim “reading teacher.” They unpack the regrettable disconnect that leaves many early-years classrooms brimming with alphabet charts but light on number talk, then spotlight compelling research showing that strong early-math foundations outshine early-reading skills as predictors of later literacy success. We talk about creating joyful opportunities for play-based learning to nurture numeracy between ages 3 and 8 as the hidden catalyst for lifelong learning.

Join us in this conversation.

RESOURCES…

✚  Count, Play, Explore

https://www.countplayexplore.org/ 

✚  Play-based Learning in the Early Childhood Mathematics Classroom: Culturally Sustaining Play: 

https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/icitl/vol2/iss1/2/ 

✚  Early Math Collaborative: 

    https://earlymath.erikson.edu/ 

✚  Future conference dates: 

https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in May, 2025]  

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Cole ask us: Do leaders TRUST their teachers to implement ambitious instruction? Do teachers TRUST themselves mathematically? Are we asking teachers to trust their parachute or trust their light switch?

It is well known that teachers need to have deep, flexible, and fluent thinking about mathematics in order to fully prepare their students for higher-order learning in later grades. Providing teachers with this kind of math understanding so they can then improve the quality of their teaching will require all partners in the math ecosystem to TRUST one another. 

Join us in this conversation.

RESOURCES…

✚  Myth #1: Beliefs Precede Action  https://padlet.com/monatoncheff/ncsm-nctm-2024-sh63z58ru0m2363o/wish/wKmOZ5elKAMXZzMA 

✚  Read about ASSETS-BASED instruction in Chapter 2 of the California Mathematics Framework:      https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/documents/mathfwchapter2.pdf 

✚  What is Bansho and Teaching Through Problem-Solving (TTP)?:      https://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/ma/cf/documents/mathfwchapter2.pdf 

✚  View the SkyDeck that Duane was talking about:      https://www.choosechicago.com/articles/tours-and-attractions/chicagos-observation-decks/ 

✚  Future conference dates:      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

REGISTER FOR OUR CONFERENCES:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in May, 2025]  

LEARN with the California Mathematics Council…

✚  Join us in our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

✚  Visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

✚  Become a member of the California Math Council:

     https://camc.memberclicks.net/member-info-join-renew 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089  

Duane is loafing on Spring Break. Cole and Scott are working. We talk about a convergence of two things: an article about teachers needing significantly more math training than they already get AND we at California Math Council updated our mission statement to say that we are committed to providing professional learning to teachers in California.

Teachers need more math training. CMC is ready to provide it.

Let's get to work.

Reach out to us if you want to help run a webinar series for a particular grade level:

     Duane Habecker:  [email protected]

     Cole Sampson: [email protected] 

     Scott Ellingson: [email protected] 

RESOURCES…

✚  ARTICLE: In Elementary School, Many Teachers Have a Shaky Grasp of Math  https://www.edsurge.com/news/2025-04-08-in-elementary-school-many-teachers-have-a-shaky-grasp-of-math-can-preparation-programs-change-that 

✚  Listen to our webinar with guest Dionne Aminata:      https://youtu.be/f9QFHBqLul0

✚  Nominate yourself or another CMC member to serve on the CMC state or section boards:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfnIBTFGVT_CKsz5L8LbvEzkCLPekoe7GKEMxG7v1xOrfgNIA/viewform

✚  Apply to speak in Asilomar. Deadline is April 27, 2025:      https://www.cmcmath.org/asilomar 

✚  Future conference dates:      https://www.cmcmath.org/conferences   

Register for our conferences:

✚  Register for CMC Central P-2 Conference on August 2, 2025. It is for day care teachers through grade 2:

      [COMING SOON!!...Probably in April, 2025]  

Learn about our monthly webinars and get on our mailing list to be notified:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/cmc-central/virtual-learning-series 

As always, we hope you visit the California Math Council website:

     https://www.cmcmath.org/ 

SUBSCRIBE!

✚  YouTube (video & audio):

     https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvolZqLMhJmlKZXVW-HMWHmGsXXaeH09f 

✚  Spotify (video & audio):  

     https://open.spotify.com/show/7A17FvtyV8FiFJ0SWoTiQm?si=44d81611497e4c7a 

✚  Apple Podcast (audio only):  

     https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/math-on-the-rocks/id1728772089