President's Message - September 2013

Welcome to another OAME school year!

SONIA ELLISON

sonia.ellison@oame.on.ca

When I was President-Elect, the 2013-2014 school year seemed so far away, and yet we find ourselves here already. As I was preparing for the role of President of OAME, I began to look more closely at our organization. I knew that OAME is known for its outstanding support of mathematics educators around the province. I knew that OAME has created and continues to create amazing resources for classroom teachers. I knew that OAME's strength can be found in each and every one of its members. As an organization, we are strong and moving forward because we continue to strive for excellence in mathematics education.

We envision a learning environment where all students do, see, hear, and touch mathematics in profound and meaningful ways. In order for this to happen, we need to learn as much as we can about how students learn math and how we can better teach our students. Our learning never stops. This learning continues to happen at the Leadership Conference, the Annual Conference, and Chapter events throughout the year. I encourage each of you to share your learning by writing an article for the Gazette or leading a session at the conference. We learn more when we learn together.

As we look ahead to the future of mathematics education, let us never forget that we are not alone in our awesome responsibility of bringing quality mathematics education to all students. We look to our mission statement to remind us that we strive to promote excellence in mathematics education throughout the Province of Ontario. In schools and classrooms around the province, students are benefitting from the great work of our members. We believe that learning is enhanced when students experience a variety of instructional approaches, ranging from direct instruction to inquirybased learning.

Twenty-first-century fluencies in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and problem solving can be easily connected to our numeracy goals. According to EQAO's Provincial Elementary School Report (2012), students need to:

• execute mathematical operations accurately;
  decide what needs to be measured or calculated;
  use relevant mathematical knowledge and skills to explain or clarify ideas.
  
  Students are expected to apply several cognitive skills and mathematical processes or procedures in five strands. Students are also expected to select and apply a variety of procedures, connect mathematical ideas, select and use a variety of types of reasoning, and communicate their thinking in writing using mathematical language and conventions (p. 97).
  (www.eqao.com/Provincial Report/.%5CFiles% 5C12%5CPDF/EQAO_PR_PJe_21_CenturySkills _0912_Web.pdf)

As we endeavour to equip our students with the skills necessary for success in their current grade and beyond, OAME will continue to look at engaging teachers and students in developing twenty-first-century skills for teaching and learning.

This year's Leadership Conference will have Karen Hume as the keynote and workshop facilitator. Karen will be using her book, Tuned Out, to help math educator engage their students by highlighting twenty-first-century teaching and learning. In Tuned Out, Karen discusses five aspects of schooling where teachers can make a positive difference to student engagement. They are: Competence, Creativity, Community, Context, and Challenge. A central premise of Tuned Out is that if something is important to student engagement, it is equally important to teacher engagement. Therefore, some of the suggested actions are for students, some are for teachers, and some are for use by facilitators of adult learning. Please join us November 8-9 at the Leadership Conference for an opportunity to learn from and with other math educators. Other opportunities for developing teaching strategies for the twenty-first century will take place at the Annual Conference in May. Be sure to visit oame2014.ca for more information. It is indeed my honour and privilege to represent each one of you throughout my term as President. I look forward to learning with you this year. If you have any comments or concerns, please contact me at sonia.ellison@oame.on.ca.

All the best for the 2013-2014 school year,
Sonia Ellison

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