FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Dec. 11, 2009

Local educator presents at NCTM’s Nashville regional conference

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Sarah Sumners, professional development specialist for the Mississippi University for Women Center for Creative Learning, recently presented “The Impact of Teachers Content Knowledge and Professional Development Courses on Student Achievement” at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Regional Conference and Exposition in Nashville.

The conference, which centered on the theme “Connections: Linking Concepts and Context,” brought together math educators from preschool through university levels to examine different methods for evaluating students’ understanding of mathematics.

Hosted by the Tennessee Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the Middle Tennessee Mathematics Teachers, the conference offered 200 sessions and workshops covering all levels, pre-kindergarten—grade 12, and challenged educators to add to their math knowledge and increase their instructional skills. The three-day conference facilitated an exchange of ideas among mathematics educators on how students learn mathematics and the best teaching practices, thus enabling teachers to return to their classrooms better prepared to teach mathematics to all students.

“Mathematics teaching is a challenging job. The regional conferences provide teachers with opportunities to grow professionally and prepare for the classroom,” said NCTM President Harry (Hank) Kepner. “The conferences also allow both new and experienced teachers to share ideas, develop new ones and think creatively about how to stimulate and challenge students to learn more, and more advanced, mathematics.”

NCTM presented three regional conferences in 2009 throughout the United States. Each conference featured sessions presented by widely known speakers, as well as workshops, lectures, panel discussions and exhibits of the latest mathematics education materials and innovations.

“Teaching students today is different from in the past. Regional conferences allow new and experienced teachers to learn the latest in math education and gain ideas to use in their classrooms,” said NCTM Executive Director Kichoon Yang. “Teachers are able to grow as learners and help their students become the best that they can be.”

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has 100,000 members and 230 affiliates in the United States and Canada. It is the world’s largest organization dedicated to improving mathematics education for all students from pre-kindergarten through grade 12. The Council’s “Principles and Standards for School Mathematics” provides guidelines for excellence in mathematics education. Its “Curriculum Focal Points for Prekindergarten through Grade 8 Mathematics,” released in 2006, identifies the most important mathematical topics for each grade level. NCTM’s “Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making,” released on Oct. 6, suggests that a high school mathematics curriculum based on reasoning and sense making will prepare students for higher learning, career success and productive citizenship.