This series of professional learning will support educators in advancing their own instructional skill set in the area of math. Elementary & secondary teachers will see best practices in action and will learn strategies to support math instruction. Any teachers interested in enhancing their instructional skills in the teaching of math and increasing engagement of all students, this series is for you!
School districts which have a math school improvement goal and/or are developing a multi-tiered system of supports in math will benefit by attending as a cohort of educators.  Administrators are encouraged to attend to better understand ways to support classroom teachers.   
Participants in this series will be part of a Professional Learning Network of educators working collaboratively to support each other, share ideas and resources, and learn from colleagues.  The series will include 3 workshops at ESU 10. The workshops are as follows:

October 4th, 2017 Show It! Solve It! Explain It!  Building Problem Solvers in Grades K-2
Through fun and hands-on tasks, we will explore what it takes to be a problem solver and examine ways to support primary students as they solve math problems. Join Sue O’Connell, author of Math in Practice, to gather ready-to-use ideas and activities to help your students simplify problems, find solutions, and explain their thinking! We will…
     - identify problem-solving tasks that engage and challenge primary students.
     - discover fun contexts, including links to popular children’s literature, to bring problems to life.
     - explore tools and diagrams that help students visualize problems.
     - identify critical teacher questions that help students identify their thinking and talk about their strategies.
     - explore a variety of problem-solving strategies including drawing diagrams, looking for patterns, and making tables.
     - identify websites and resources to enhance the teaching of problem solving.
     - explore techniques to support students who struggle to solve problems.
Join us for a fun and insightful day and discover ways to simplify problem solving for your primary students!

January 24th, 2018 Teaching Conceptually - Taking the "Magic" Out of the Math
This presentation will help (K-12) teachers discover how to make strong mathematical connections in order to allow all children to experience and enjoy the reasoning behind mathematics. Often our students, as well as many adults, have developed the procedural knowledge needed to produce to the "right" answer without any true understanding of how or why a procedure really worked. We must ensure that students start to demystify and conceptualize mathematics. This is the first step in ensuring effective interventions. This presentation will focus on Tier Two integration of the MTSS model while layering on Tier 1 conceptual understanding. Dr. Chris Cain's presentation will focus on the how to ensure the ability of the students to understand number through research-supported instruction such as Subitizing, analog models, and deep personal connections. This presentation will enable teachers to begin to understand what it means to differentiate on multiple levels "going deep, not wide". Teachers will gain information that will allow you to develop strong Number Sense in each student that will engage the students to make sense of the mathematics no matter what idea(s) (subtraction, multiplication, fractions, or Y=MX+B) are part of the instruction.
Dr. Cain is an Associate Professor in the Education department at Mars Hill University where he holds the positions of coordinator of the M.Ed. Programs, Integrated Education Program and the Unit Assessment Coordinator.

March 7th, 2018 K-2 Math Professional Learning Network
Participants in this series will be part of a Professional Learning Network of educators working collaboratively to support each other, share ideas and resources, and learn from colleagues.  ESU 10 will share research-supported classroom assessment practices that improve student motivation and achievement.  You will also hear some tips to incorporate blended learning in your math classroom to enhance your instructional routine.
Throughout the series Schoology will be utilized to share ideas and resources, ask questions, and host a segment of Hints, Tips, & Tricks: instructional strategies, problem solving, technology, research, engagement...