Make a Move for Math, EIM’s signature fundraising event, will be held at the Rainier Club this year on Saturday, February 27^th. The evening will feature premium wines paired with a “sensations of the season” dinner. Included in the evening is the featured speaker John Medina. Dr. Medina, who is the highly acclaimed author and brain researcher affiliated with the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific University, will share some of his groundbreaking work around math and education. His research includes findings such as “what YOU do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like – it literally rewrites it” and “the myth of multi-tasking”.

Sound like FUN? EIM is offering two (2) sets of tickets (valued at $250 per set) in a random drawing. To enter the drawing, send us your name and school information via email to Jenniferga@eimath.org by February 5^th. Winners will be notified on February 12^th.

Make a Move for Math: Food, Wine, Fun with Math
Date: Saturday, February 27, 2010
Time: 5:00 P.M.
Place: New Venue! The Rainier Club, Seattle, WA
Supported by: The Boeing Company

New research on when young brains are best able to grasp fundamental concepts could reshape early education.

In a continuing series on learning, New York Times science reporter Benedict Carey has delved into the newest research on how children learn math concepts. Conventional education theory believed that children’s brains were not ready to understand most math concepts before the age of five. But a new branch of study, cognitive neuroscience, is changing that thinking. For instance, scientists have discovered a section of the cortex is particularly sensitive to the sight of specific quantities. These specific neurons can be sharpened with focused math instruction at the preschool level in much the same way that children learn to link letter shapes and their associated sounds.

Several schools across the country are beginning to blend the traditional teaching of academic skills with these newer approaches based on cognitive science. Read the article linked below to discover how classrooms in Buffalo, Boston and Nashville are developing education based on brain science to increase and refine student’s math skills and retention.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/21/health/research/21brain.html?_r=1&emc=eta1

Congratulations to the following six NCTM conference scholarship recipients! The National Conference of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) is the most comprehensive presentation of current research, best practices and materials in math education. The following individuals were granted scholarships based on their work in helping to create a sustainable math culture in their respective schools.

• Kristen Broadie - Redmond Elementary
• Sarah Brown - Hawthorne Elementary
• Judy Cook - AG Bell Elementary
• Andrew Russell - Dearborn Park Elementary
• Claudia Sibila-Meridian School
• Bryan Street-South Shore Pre-K-8
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• One of the scholarship requirements is that upon their return from the conference, these individuals will deliver a professional development workshop to their staff based on one or several of the workshops they attended at the NCTM conference. Ask them about it. Demand it!

Thank you to all the teachers who applied for the scholarship opportunity. It was a very competitive year and we hope you will consider reapplying next year.

Send your response to Jenniferga@eimath.org. The first correct 5 responses will be entered into a drawing to win a game for the classroom.

CONGRATULATIONS to the Fall Math Challenge Winners: Steve Marsh (John Muir), Anne Cushman(Dickinson Elementary), Susan Parker (Concord International) and Michael Hobson (Wing Luke).

NCTM Illuminations Web Resources is a smorgasbord of online and classroom math games that address a full range of math skills and concepts for elementary students. http://illuminations.nctm.org/WebResourceList.aspx

Kid Sites is another collection of online and classroom math games that provide students with fun and interactive ways to enrich their math skills and concepts. The site includes teasers, flash cards, worksheets, timed tests, problem solvers. Looking for more math? This is your site: http://www.kidsites.com/sites-edu/math.htm

Math-n-Stuff is the ultimate math resource store in the greater Seattle area and well worth the trip no matter your locale. Plan to spend an hour or three perusing the latest resources, games and manipulatives. You name it, they got it. Mention that you are an EIM member school, pay cash and they’ll give you a 20% discount on your purchase! http://mathnificent.com/store/