ST Math made quite the splash at this year’s Texas Computer Educators Association (TCEA) expo in Dallas, Texas. With thousands of educators from across the state in attendance, my team and I were so excited to finally reconnect face-to-face with our friends for three days of collaboration, fun, and discussion around the exciting things happening with ST Math.
I loved the theme for this year’s conference, “A place for every educator.” It’s been an incredibly challenging time for teachers everywhere, and it was so refreshing to take advantage of the opportunities TCEA provided to rekindle the enthusiasm for what we do.
There were tons of great talks and takeaways - from conversations about teaching best practices, social-emotional learning, learning recovery, and diversity, equity and inclusion, I feel like I’ve grown so much in such a short amount of time!
The ST Math booth was definitely a conference hot spot. So many educators stopped by to chat. Some were kind enough to share what they love about our ST Math program and how it’s making a positive impact in their classrooms. While each story was unique, the common thread was that ST Math is having a positive influence on students. Watch this quick video to hear what these educators had to say.
One story that especially touched my heart came from Amanda Myers, a first and second-grade Regional Day School Program for the Deaf teacher with Fort Bend Independent School District. Working with deaf and hard-of-hearing children, Amanda shared how ST Math has been instrumental in helping her students become successful problem solvers because of the program’s emphasis on visual models.
I love ST Math because it’s very visual. With ST Math, students need to figure out what to do based on what’s modeled to them, and it’s very beneficial for my deaf education students because they can see how they can be successful with this program.
Amanda Myers | Fort Bend Independent School District
Besides having several friendly conversations about the power of ST Math, my highlight of the expo was the JiJi selfie contest we ran on Twitter and Instagram. Conference-goers could not escape the gravitational pull of our eight-foot-tall inflatable JiJi the penguin welcoming everyone to our booth. Congratulations to our contest winner, Melisa LeBlanc, from Tyler Independent School District!
It was so much fun to scroll through my social media feeds and see so many people participating. Check out some of the other submissions.
I always feel like my IQ increases a couple of points after hearing our colleagues, Twana Young and Nigel Nisbet, speak - especially when it’s in front of a sizable crowd. They are so passionate about their work and helping students build a lifelong curiosity for math and other STEM subjects.
In Nigel's session, "From Learning Loss to Unfinished Learning: Changing the Conversation with an Asset-Based Approach," he unpacked the structural changes that take place in the brain when students are challenged by ST Math puzzles. If you weren’t able to catch his talk, TCEA attendees can watch his session on-demand through March 11, 2022.
DEI was a major focus at TCEA and who better to speak to all the work MIND is doing to make math education more equitable than our VP of Curriculum and Instruction, Twana Young. In her presentation, “Cultivating Mathematicians: When DEI Drives Design,” she explained the importance of representing students of color in math curriculum. You can see her speak again soon if you happen to be attending at SXSW EDU 2022!
Thanks again, TCEA, friends for the wonderful memories! Can’t wait to see you again next year.
Want to chat in-person about ST Math and MIND Research Institute at an upcoming show? Save these dates!
Sandra Consilio is the Education Success Director for Texas at MIND Research Institute. She holds a Master of Education (M.Ed.) focused in Educational Leadership and Administration.
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