Math Connected is a nonprofit organization comprised of people devoted to improving mathematics education.
We believe that improving student outcomes in high school mathematics will provide a great service to our communities. When young people receive quality mathematical education, increased opportunities are presented. Students become empowered with the knowledge that mathematics courses will not be a barrier before their dreams, but instead a platform upon which to reach them.
We Believe
There is a great need for sources that provide teachers access to high quality instructional resources, as well as professional development in best practices for high school mathematics.
Improved Outcomes
If a teacher is equipped with well-designed, structured instructional resources, and empowered with the best practices and techniques for high school mathematics, then the quality of education students receive will greatly improve.
Supporting Teachers
The biggest gains in educational outcomes for students will come from supporting improved curriculum and instruction. We support this goal by providing teachers with resources needed to improve student conceptual understanding.
Teachers GIve
There might not be a group more dedicated to their profession than teachers. They spend vast amounts of their own time and money to improve their craft. We wish to help save personal time and money by making all resources here free to teachers.
Improving the nature of teaching math.
Plenty of reference and practice resources exist to help students develop their procedural proficiency. While these are needed resources, we feel the greatest gains in educational outcomes for students will come from improving the nature of teaching mathematics. That’s our calling, to “improve the nature of teaching mathematics.” Here’s how we go about doing just that.
What We Do
How We Serve Mathematics Education
Coordinated Materials
We provide teachers with an organized array of resources that are designed to develop student conceptual understanding. The resources range from reference notes to lessons to thought-provoking assignments and online resources for students. Each component compliments the others. All of the resources are readily adaptable to an online teaching format.
Best Practices
Many of the best practices touted in professional development courses and education publications are inappropriate for high school mathematics. Teaching math is more similar to teaching a foreign language or music than to other subjects. As such, we provide teachers with guidance on field-tested best practices for the high school math classroom.
Promoting Literacy Through Mathematics
The instructional resources, assignments and assessments are all designed to promote mathematical literacy, but we also seek to promote general literacy. By publishing reference notes for each lesson, students can have exposure to reading and learning from technical writing. The notes are written in a way that a student can develop both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. These are great reference sources for students, and also give remote or absent students access to the content being learned.
Developing Conceptual Understanding in Students
A lesson or curriculum is only as good as the delivery. It is our opinion that a lot of the best practices taught to teachers today are not ideal and do not help students develop conceptual understanding. By focusing on procedure or answer getting short-cuts, at the expense of understanding, students can pass a class without developing a foundation for what’s next. We help teachers develop techniques and best practices that promote the development of conceptual understanding. This is a key component of learning and one that receives too little attention.
Quality Assignments & Assessments
Balance is key. The questions and prompts students will answer with our homework and quizzes offer a wide variety of opportunities for you, the teacher, and the student. The students will be able to demonstrate rote procedure, but will also have to answer questions that might uncover common misconceptions. There are also opportunities for students to develop creative problem solving skills.
There is a place for rote-procedure practice, “skill and drill,” and there are a lot of sources like KutaSoft for that type of work. In our lesson packets we link to websites that offer that type of practice for students needing it.
Mentoring and Professional Development
We offer small group mentoring programs where teachers get together in a video conference every other week and have a focused discussion. It’s a great opportunity to reflect and share, which will lead to development and growth as a teacher. We also offer a series of self-paced online courses that will challenge teachers to move out of their comfort zones and achieve new growth. We are expanding these course offerings, so please check back soon.
We also have a FaceBook group, which is a community of like-minded, helpful educators that wish to contribute to the improvement of mathematics education across the country.
Want to Help?
There are a few ways you can help. You can spread the word, help us build a grassroots movement in mathematics education! You can also become a contributing teacher. And of course, nothing is free. Help us keep this site free for teachers by donating! We are a 501 (c) 3 corporation, so your donations are going to a recognized charitable organization.
Spread the Word
If you appreciate what we’re trying to do, and would like to help us make changes in math education, you can help. We can grow a grassroots movement changing mathematics education together with than word of mouth advertisement. Please share!
Become a Contributing Teacher
We need the help of expert teachers that are still working in the classroom. We are looking for people to design activities, lesson plans, as well as looking for mentors and people able and willing to author self-paced courses for mathematics teachers.
Donations
Before you consider donating, please review the financial structure of our organization. We want to make sure you know where you money is going, and how it is going to help improve the nature of high school mathematics education.