Math Learning Labs
In March 2021, KPDSB began learning labs in one area; by September, the labs had been expanded to include all areas of the board with in-person visits. The learning labs involve math teachers from Grade 7 to Grade 10. The goal of the learning labs is for teachers to have an opportunity to coplan, coteach, develop a common language and learn from each other. Every area selected a math process from the curriculum that they wanted their students to better understand, which was the focus of the work for the year. We will have four meetings during the year in each area, which allow us to visit different classrooms. Involving elementary and secondary teachers will allow in-depth conversations around pedagogy, curriculum content and destreaming. Through their work, students will become more confident learners and see themselves as mathematicians who value mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow. A closer look is needed at the pedagogy, instruction and assessment practices that will be used to shift students’ and teachers’ thinking.
Elementary K–8 Math
As KPDSB continues to implement the new math curriculum, educators make connections throughout the math strands and to other curriculum expectations throughout all subject areas. The new curriculum requires educators to continue to move from assessing individual strands to assessing students as math problem solvers. KPDSB educators have begun to shift focus to using the mathematical processes as a base for classroom instruction. Our math coaches have worked directly with teachers to help shift to a more problem-based approach focusing on open-ended math problems. This promotes a low-floor, high-ceiling approach, allowing all students access to math learning at a level that is both challenging and accessible for all.
We have begun the implementation of the Alex Lawson math continuum using the resource What to Look For and other resources our math team has developed to support this new way of learning. Through PLC work in the primary grades, our math team has worked at the table, helping develop diagnostic tasks, assess student work, place students on the math continuum and determine next steps to help move students forward.
We have continued to create resources for teachers based on the needs expressed by KPDSB educators. The resources are shared through various avenues such as the KP monthly math newsletter, the KPDSB Math Resource site and the KPDSB Supporting and Designing Learning website. Math coaches continue to provide PD during staff meetings and Lunch and Learn sessions and to small grade-level groups in schools and at the elbow in classrooms.
Destreamed Grade 9 Math
This year, the Ministry of Education launched a new destreamed Grade 9 math course, continuing the elementary school math curriculum. This course has replaced the previous academic and applied math courses. Hopefully, this will allow students to continue working on their math skills while leaving future opportunities open. As KPDSB begins implementing the new Grade 9 math curriculum, our educators connect concepts, disciplines and everyday life. Our board has continued to promote teaching strategies such as curriculum spiralling, exploring formative assessment, using high-impact strategies and highlighting real-life connections to math. To further support our educators and students, our board has promoted culturally-responsive pedagogy to ensure each student’s identity is valued. We’re using differentiated instruction to ensure equity and inclusion in our classrooms using parallel tasks, rich tasks, open questions allowing for low-floor, high-ceiling problems, and small group instruction. A universal learning design should further build community and inclusion within our classrooms. This uses non-permanent vertical surfaces (such as whiteboards), computer algebra systems and collaborative groups to help students think creatively and make connections. The teachers of this course meet regularly to share their best practices, plan lessons, talk about assessments and collaborate. This course honours students’ cultures, identities and different ways of thinking, problem-solving and viewing mathematics.
