President's Message
by Jackie Murawska, ICTM President
Happy New Year! I hope that all of you who attended our annual ICTM/ISTA annual conference in October were as energized as I was after learning and sharing new ideas with my fellow math teachers! Thank you to Rick Anderson and his Conference Planning Team for making the annual conference a success, with just under 1,000 people in attendance! And congratulations to Anne Agostinelli, our incoming ICTM Conference Coordinator. Mark your calendars for next year’s annual conference: October 18-19, 2019 in Peoria, Illinois. Call for proposals will be coming out soon!
As I sat down to write this message to you, I reflected on ICTM’s role as a leader in our state and in each of our professional lives. First of all, THANK YOU for being a member! Your membership helps us to fulfill our mission of promoting equitable, high-quality mathematics teaching and learning in Illinois. We are all math educators who love math, and who love to connect with other math educators to improve our craft and help our students succeed. ICTM continues to build this community of math educators through face-to-face conferences, webinars, Twitter chats, Facebook, and all of our amazing affiliates’ events in Illinois. I am honored to be the president of this organization, and I am continually inspired by the people I meet across our state who are dedicated to sharing their passion for mathematics.
Second, thank you for your input on the recent membership survey, which is informing the decisions we make as an organization. ICTM exists to serve the needs of our members, and we value your input. Feel free to contact me directly, at [email protected] with any suggestions or ideas. In the meantime, please know that ICTM is currently working with our affiliates, ISBE, CPS, ROEs, PD providers, math education researchers, and other professional organizations in Illinois to advocate on your behalf. This is a wonderful time to be a math teacher. Read on to find out about all the great math events coming your way. See you all soon at a math event!
President-Elect's Message
by Annie Forest, ICTM President-Elect
 Our recent ICTM Annual Conference was such an amazing experience this year! One reason I found it personally and professionally so energizing was the in-person connections I made with people that I knew from social media! This brings me to a conversation I’ve had with many educators lately around online interactions. Often teachers will say to me, “I prefer in-person to online.” You know my response? “Me too!”
Sure, I manage our ICTM social media (along with our Community Engagement Team) so you would think I would prefer online interactions, right? Luckily, it’s not binary. You don’t have to pick one or the other. I use social media to connect and share ideas in-between my face-to-face education opportunities. I’m calling this “The Power of AND.”
You don’t have to pick social media OR in-person events. We want you at our conference AND we want to keep connecting with you on social media! Let’s not just see each other once a year… let’s chat every month in a Twitter chat, see you during a monthly webinar, AND have you “like” our Facebook posts.
How has engaging with edu-friends on Twitter enhanced my conference experiences? It’s almost like you can pick up mid-conversation with someone that you just “met” because you’ve already been talking about math education with them for months. It’s participants coming to my session because they know my work from online already. It’s finding a community of friends at the “Twitter Tweet-Up” at the ICTM Conference. It’s continuing a conversation I started during those two days and making the conference experience extend throughout the year.
So, I hope you embrace the Power of AND this year and either continue to engage with ICTM on social media, or, if this is new for you, take the leap and check it out! Not sure how to get started? Check out this webinar about using “Math Teacher Twitter.” Or participate in our upcoming monthly Twitter chats on the third Tuesday of the month at 8PM.
We want to know you in-person AND keep connecting online! The Power of AND!
Board Chair Report
by Steven Shadel, ICTM Board Chair
 At each meeting, members of the Board are asked to bring motions to the table that are immediately actionable, and ideas or motions that need a significant block of time for discussion are deferred to one of our four Board priority teams which are focused on Mission and Marketing, Finance, Governance, and Equity and Access. Here is a summary of our December 2018 meeting.
As is customary, we approved the minutes from our prior meeting in December and approved the financial report submitted by our Treasurer, Rich Wyllie. An itemized report of the fiscal year was reported, as well as budget information from the annual ICTM Conference. The Conference Chair, Rick Anderson shared his annual conference report with the board. I want to take a moment to thank Rick for his work in making the conference a great success.
The strategic planning board working groups spent time discussing the four priorities in the strategic plan. Discussions took place regarding the future of the annual conference, membership and the need for an Executive Director for ICTM. Results from the statewide survey were analyzed and will be utilized as we make future decisions about our organization and annual conference.
ICTM Annual Conference
October 18-19, 2019 in Peoria, Illinois
Mark your calendars! Call for proposals will be coming out soon.
Upcoming Events
ICTM Regional Conference: SIU Area
The 2019 conference will be held in the Hancock Conference Center on the John A. Logan College campus, a 10 minute drive from SIU Carbondale.
A range of sessions and talks on mathematics teaching at all grade levels will make up the program for teachers at the pre-school, primary, intermediate, middle school and high school levels. Most speakers are classroom teachers with a host of teaching ideas, practices and materials.
Registration Deadline: February 19, 2019
ICTM Regional Conference: WIU-Macomb
68th Annual WIU Mathematics Teachers' Conference, Friday, April 12, 2019, 8:30am - 2:50pm
The conference theme is "Common Core Mathematics: Patterns and Conjectures" Our keynote speaker will be Darshan Jain, a mathematics teacher at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, Illinois, and a recipient of the 2015 Presidential Award from the White House! Our closing co-speakers will be Jackie Murawska, Associate Professor of Mathematics at Saint Xavier University and current President of ICTM, and Paul Abrahamson, Artistic Director of the Chicago Ballet Center; they will be presenting an exciting interdisciplinary STEAM talk on Dance, Math, and Patterns: Hidden Mathematical Structures.
We also invite you to present either a 35-minute breakout session or a 1 hour and 15 minute workshop. You can do this by submitting a speaker submission form, also available on our conference website. Speakers have the registration fee waived.
Looking forward to seeing you this spring! Doug LaFountain, [email protected]
MDHWCS Meeting
MDHWCS Dinner Meeting, February 4, 2019
The Math Department Heads of the Western Chicago Suburbs (MDHWCS) will hold its next meeting on Monday, February 4, 2019 at 1:00 p.m. Desmos with Social Justice - Department chairs & classroom teachers welcome.
K-6 Math Collaboration Conference
K-6 Math Collaboration Conference, February 9, 2019
Illinois K-6 Elementary Teachers: The first K-6 Math Collaboration Conference will be held Saturday, February 9th, 2019 from 9am to 1pm in Chicago. This free K-6 math workshop for teachers (and math coaches!) will focus on developing cooperative learning using Complex Instruction Consortium proven group work strategies and the Five TRU Dimensions of Powerful Classrooms.
Even though the organizers have informed us that registration for the February 9th K-6 Math Collaboration Conference has just filled up, please click on the registration link to put your name on our waiting list in case of cancellations. Your email will also be included on the distribution list in order to communicate any future K-6 math opportunities.
NIATM Events
NIATM Dinner Meeting, February 20, 2019
The Northern Illinois Association of Teachers of Mathematics (NIATM) Dinner Meeting will be held at Sam's restaurant on North Riverside in Rockford. Dinner at 6, meeting to follow at 7.
The 14th NIATM Annual High School Math Invitational was held on Thursday, Jan 17, 2019, 4:00-7:30 p.m. at Rockford University’s Starr Science Center.
MMC Dinner Meeting
MMC Dinner Meeting, March 1, 2019
The Metropolitan Mathematics Club of Chicago (MMC) will hold its March Dinner Meeting with Eli Luberoff: “Technology that Thinks WITH Students, Not FOR Students,” at the Fountain Blue Banquets in Des Plaines, IL. Register by February 25th. Special workshop on Saturday, March 2nd, will Eli Luberoff! Details are forthcoming.
CIC Conference
CIC Spring Workshop, April 13, 2019
Save the Date for the next Complex Instruction (CIC) Conference: Saturday, April 13, 2019 in Vernon Hills.
NCSM National Conference
NCSM 2019 Annual Conference in San Diego, April 1-3, 2019
NCTM National Conference
NCTM 2019 Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, April 3-6, 2019
ICTM Twitter Chats
We are looking for facilitators for our 2019 #ictmchat Twitter Chats! Chats will take place on the third Tuesday of each month at 8:00 p.m. CST. We will discuss current topics of interest in mathematics, teaching, and learning! See our schedule here.
Are you interested in facilitating a chat? We are here to support you and guide you through the brief preparation process. Fill out this form and Anne Agostinelli will be in touch with you to discuss details!
ICTM Webinars
A schedule of upcoming monthly webinars can be found on our webinar page. Our webinars are always FREE and participants earn PDHs (Professional Development Hours) after participating.
Be an ICTM Board Member: Call for Nominations
ICTM Board is looking for new Board members! Do you know someone who would bring valuable experience, perspective, and judgment to the ICTM Board of Directors? Maybe it's you! The Board needs a broad representation of ICTM membership to enrich its discussions, inquiries, and decisions. Help the Nominations Committee identify talented, energetic individuals who are qualified to assume leadership roles in the Council when you nominate them today.
Open Positions for 2019 (links describe the responsibilities):
Candidates must be ICTM members. Self-nominations are welcome. Nominate yourself or another qualified ICTM member by Friday, February 15, 2019 using this Online Nomination Form.
Conference Scholarship Winners for 2018
Congratulations again to our 2018 ICTM Conference Scholarship winners! Pictured above are many of the Conference Scholarship recipients at the Scholarship Gathering session at the ICTM Annual Conference on Saturday, October 20, 2018. Pictured along with the recipients is ICTM President Jackie Murawska, ICTM President-Elect Annie Forest, and ICTM Past-President George Reese.
Thank you again to our sponsors: NCTM Mathematics Education Trust (MET) Grant, Big Shoulders Fund Chicago, Christopher B. Burke Engineering, SPACECO, Inc., ExcelEdge, Center for Success in High-Needs Schools, and individual donors!
ICTM Awardees 2018
On Friday evening, October 19, the ICTM awards were presented to many deserving individuals. The recipients were recognized by their colleagues for their excellence. It truly was inspiring to experience the good feelings that went out to these distinguished colleagues. We would once more like to recognize the awardees. Pictured above are: Mary Wiltjer, Regeta Slaughter, Sendhil Revuluri, Elvia Uriostegui, Tami Kelley, Ashley Launius, Laura Yarber, and Kara Sand.
Do you know someone deserving of an award?
If you would like to nominate someone for an award, please do! Specific award criteria and application forms can be found on the ICTM website. Or start the process by using this quick Nominate a Teach for an Award form. With your help, ICTM can continue to recognize excellent mathematics educators in Illinois!
ICTM College Scholarships
Congratulations again to our 2018 College Scholarship winners, who each won a $1500 college scholarship:
- Cassandra Cowperthwaite, Loyola University
- Kelly Fletcher, Eastern Illinois University
- Holly Huckstadt, Illinois State University
- Brett Palmer, Illinois College
- Hannah Spoolstra, Elmhurst College
The 2019 scholarships are available for juniors and seniors in Illinois who are pursuing careers in teaching math. Application deadline is March 15, 2019. Info can be found here.
IMT Journal: Call for Articles
Did you know that our Illinois Mathematics Teacher (IMT) journal is peer-reviewed, visible online, and free to read? We also know from the number and nature of PDF downloads (often over 100 PDF downloads per article!), that our readership includes international readers!
The IMT editors invite submissions from both new and experienced authors, and accept articles on a range of topics, including: innovative classroom activities and lessons; applications to the classroom of pedagogical research and best practices; examples of implementing standards; reviews of recent books on pedagogy; any other articles that will support the professional development of ICTM members. Visit journal.ictm.org to read recent articles and to submit your own.
The latest issue (volume 64, 2018) of the Illinois Mathematics Teacher Journal is complete!
Click here for this issue's table of contents page.
Prizes for ICTM Membership Survey
In October, a survey was sent out to collect some information regarding conference preferences as well as membership information. Thank you to everyone who completed the survey!
The survey closed on October 24th at 11:59 pm. At the close, the Board randomly selected a winner, who received a $50 Amazon gift card. The board also acknowledged 2 runners-up, who each received a $25 Amazon gift card. Here are the names of the lucky winners:
- Winner: Jessica Gilruth
- Runner-up: Maria Hull
- Runner-up: Dianna Galante
Resources and Links
ISBE Classrooms in Action
We encourage all ICTM members to join the ISBE Math Teachers in Action listserv today!
If you are not receiving these weekly updates during the the school year about important happenings in Illinois (many are PD opportunities, some are online chats, and ALL are relevent to our work), sign up today! Visit http://www.mathteachersinaction.org/, a website maintained by the ISBE Math Content Specialists, and scroll to the bottom to subscribe to the listserve.
ICTM Listserve
Did you know that there is a separate ICTM Listserv, independent of membership in ICTM? Subscription to the ICTM Listserv is an optional benefit of your ICTM membership. Emails sent through the Listserv often contain job postings, professional development opportunities, links to math sites, news articles, and announcements from math teachers around the state. All subscribers to the Listserv can send out messages to the recipient list.
To subscribe or unsubscribe, visit https://lists.mste.illinois.edu/lists/info/ictm and look for the “subscribe” link on the left. You can choose to unsubscribe from the Listserve at any time.
New Illinois Assessment for Grades 3-8
Illinois Mathematics Teacher (IMT) journal call for articles: Visit journal.ictm.org to read recent articles and to submit your own.
ICTM Board Members
Pictured above are the incoming and outgoing ICTM Board Members at the 2018 ICTM Awards Ceremony: Cheng-Yao Lin, Lannette Jennings, Denise Brown, Christina Betz-Cahill, Jill Winthrop, Tammy Voepel, George Reese, Jackie Murawska, Steven Shadel, Jeremy Babel, Annie Forest, Esther Song, Reginald Duncan, and Sendhil Revuluri. Officers and Directors not pictured: Rich Wyllie, Matthew Foster, Anne Agostinelli, John O'Malley, and Marth Reilly.
ICTM Vision and Mission
Mission: Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics is a community of PreK through Post-graduate (PreK–20) educators promoting equitable, high quality mathematics teaching and learning through leadership, collaboration, advocacy and professional development.
Vision: The Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics is the state leader in mathematics education. ICTM is committed to sound pedagogy, teacher collaboration, and professional development, ensuring student achievement through engagement in meaningful and rigorous instruction. As a respected leader in mathematics education at the school, district, state, and national levels, ICTM serves as a collaborative partner to promote the achievement of every student.
Renew your ICTM Membership
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 Follow us on Twitter: @MathICTM
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