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Math Trailblazers Integration with Technology Proposal - 2007

 * Current Proposal

Proposed Study Group: Math Trailblazers Integration with Technology**

**Proposal Description and Goals**
The teachers in the Study Group: //Math Trailblazers Integration with Technology// plan to continue to align interactive technology with units to be taught following the Math Trailblazers timeline at all grade levels. The use of interactive technology enables students to grasp concepts by using another medium to enhance the instruction of the math strands of Number Sense, Patterns, Relations and Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability.

**The goals of the Study Group are to**
1. Continue to enhance existing math curriculum, with a focus on resources such as the SMART Board templates and websites with virtual manipulative activities for Grades K-2. Interactive technology exposes students to access new content areas and enables students to develop higher-level problem solving skills to understand and learn math content.

2. We will also align MCAS Open Response questions to related Trailblazer units in grades 3, 4, and 5, list the questions by grade and unit, and add links to the test items on the Massachusetts DOE website.

3. As math coaches and Instructional Technology Specialists, we will continue to model use of these websites and SMART Board tools in collaborative lessons we do in our daily work. We will also conference with K-2 teachers so that they can learn about what resources are available for their grade levels, and then model or teach a collaborative lesson with them. This website should also be made available and showcased to parents. Principals, math coaches and ITS will decide how best to inform parents at their own individual schools about our website.

**Rationale for Group’s Composition**
The Math Trailblazers Series is a standards based math curriculum challenging all students to have full understanding of math concepts which are imbedded within the curriculum as it spirals across grade levels. As mathematicians/teachers our goal is to provide opportunities for students to develop further math understanding using technology. The 21st century compels us to move forward in our mathematical teaching and thinking. It is essential that we maximize the potential of our students’ capabilities. This study group’s members will include three math coaches and two technology specialists.

//This proposal correlates with the goals of the current elementary school improvement plans as well as the district school improvement plan// in the area of mathematics.

**Targeted Areas**

 * Students will develop a deeper understanding of Number Sense as it relates to place value, comparisons of numbers and estimation.
 * Increase effective implementation of the Math Trailblazers Series across grade levels.
 * Increase city wide practice of open response questions that reinforce current units of instruction.
 * Increase use of town wide assessments
 * Increase integration of technology in math instruction

The proposed product will be an updated version of the Math Trailblazers Integration with Technology website with additional web and SMART Board resources categorized by grade level, unit and math strand.

Proposed Meeting Dates for the Study Group

March 6th, 20th, 27th April 10th, 24th May 8th