Good Math PD, Bad Math PD

It’s easy to find bad professional development in New York City, just ask a teacher what they were doing last Tuesday. They were sitting through bad PD.

(A few were at good PD, but more were sick).

So good PD? Does it exist? Where is it?

Turns out, for mathematics teachers in New York, there’s plenty. It’s just not what the Department of Ed tortures us with.

The UFT Math Committee puts together some nice stuff. One of the commenters in a previous post mentioned a higher level workshop, but my impression is that more of their stuff is elementary.

AMTNYS (the Association of Mathematics Teachers of New York State) runs a two-and-a-half day fall conference each year, alternating between western new york and this side of the state. Here’s one of the keys: at any one time there are a dozen or more workshops going on, and teachers can choose what suits them. AMTNYS also runs sessions devoted to examining, questioning, or getting clarification on state policy. Helpful, helpful, helpful.

(lots more below the fold, and a plain listing at the way bottom –>)

AMTNYS also runs a summer institute – about a week long in some bucolic setting. Who has the time to go? About 100 or 150 teachers each summer (or is it any other). And again, your choice of workshops, etc, except in this case there are some longer ones that continue over several days (part 1, part 2, etc)

Some AMTNYS affiliates run conferences that are worth going to. Nassau math teachers have Limacon (LI Math CONference, but also limaçon, a polar curve: r = b + acosθ. If a = b, we get a cardioid. LIMACON is on a Friday in the Spring, runs about four sessions worth of workshops, is incredibly well-attended, and attracts impressive speakers and presenters. Unfortunately, NYC teachers are not often given the day to attend.

The Ten County Mathematics Education Association (northern suburbs, including Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Putnam, Orange, Ulster, and 4 more – sorry about that) runs a Saturday conference in the Spring. Same general set up. Attendance is good and speakers are good.

Hudson Mohawk (its Albany and the surrounding area, and has a longer name that includes “Valley” in it), runs a Saturday conference in the Spring. Long ride? Yup. But it ends mid-afternoon, and if I can find something else to do up there, I combine them. It is another good conference.

In NYC there are a few worth mentioning.

The ATMNYC (association of teachers of mathematics of ny city) does a one morning Saturday conference at Hunter College each Fall. They start with a keynote, which I think dampens the enthusiasm. The variety of speakers is usually less than at the suburban conferences, and the audience is smaller. On the other hand, this year’s keynote is James Matthews. I personally guarantee that you’ll want to pay attention. Guarantee it. Plus I think I’ll be there.

The New York City Math Project has a Saturday morning Spring conference. Attendance is almost entirely new and pre-service teachers, and the range of speakers is not so great. They tend to be local, and the quality can be uneven. But also, because they are local, there are some hidden gems. They also start with a keynote.

At Queens College there is a Fall conference, Celebrating Mathematics Teaching, but I can’t find details. It is tied in with their math teacher training institute.

And then there are the various College Board presentations. I have been disappointed to hear that the most prominent presenter has lately been taken less with discussing the AP exam per se and more with that individual’s role in shaping or grading said exam. Still, if you teach AP, even slightly dreary PD is necessary for keeping up with changes in the exam and the associated technology.

Others

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics is the biggest national organization, and has a national and some regional meetings, but they are not really pro-teacher at all. I quit them. I won’t link them. The Mathematics Association of America has regional meetings, but I’ve never been, and I suspect they are not so interesting.

I would be remiss if I failed to mention Texas Instruments. TI promotes themselves by hiring your colleagues, and training them to effectively market TI. They do so by providing clear presentations with good hands on activities. I loathe TI, I loathe their technology, I loathe that they manage to convince so many of my colleagues to whore themselves, but I know good workshops, I know bad workshops, and I know that most of the TI stuff, when presented by TI-trained, TI-certified instructors is the good stuff.

• ATMNYC Fall Conference. November 17, 2007, Hunter College, NYC.
• Ten County Math Educational Association Spring Conference, March 15, 2008, Katonah.
• LIMACON, March 28, 2008, Old Westbury.
• Hudson Mohawk Valley Area Mathematics Conference, March 29, 2008, East Greenbush.
• NYCMP Annual Mathematics Educators Conference. April 2008, date not set (Saturday), Lehman College.
• AMTNYS Summer Institute. August 3 – 7, 2008, Onondaga Community College.
• AMTNYS Fall Conference. November 6 – 8, 2008, Rye.