Title: Teachers Supporting Teachers’ Understanding of Numbers: A Professional Development Experiment Presenters: Kady Zavacky Sarah Sieg Citrus Grove Elementary Professional Development School DeLand, FL Mercedes Tichenor Doug MacIsaac Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform Stetson University Deland, FL Conference: 2014 National Council of Teacher of Mathematics Annual Meeting & Exposition New Orleans, LA April 10, 2014

1. Teachers Supporting Teachers’
Understanding of Numbers:
A Professional Development Experiment
Kady Zavacky Sarah Sieg
Citrus Grove Elementary
Professional Development School
DeLand, FL
Mercedes Tichenor Doug MacIsaac
Nina B. Hollis Institute for Educational Reform
Stetson University
Deland, FL
2014 National Council of Teacher of Mathematics Annual Meeting & Exposition
New Orleans, LA
April 10, 2014

2. Volusia County Schools
Stetson University
Professional Development School Partnership
 Long standing - 16 years
 Citrus Grove Elementary PDS
Opened 2011 – Third year of operation
Second year as a PDS
 School initiatives are school directed
 Learning community - Mutual trust

3. Citrus Grove Demographics
Pre K – 5 School 801 Students
56%
28%
9% 4% 3% White/NH
Hispanic
Black
Asian/PI
Multiracial
14% 12%
2%
68%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
ELL ESE ELL and ESE Econ. Dis.
Male
52%
Female
48%
Male
Female

4. Purpose
• School Improvement Plan
– Faculty PD in math
• PDS Network Goal
– Support pre-service and in-service activities to
enhance professionalism
• School based focus area for Citrus Grove
– Collaborate with Stetson University to provide PD
activities for faculty in the area of mathematics
instruction

5. Professional Development:
Spring Sessions
Young Mathematicians at Work Book Study

6. Format
• Hybrid Model
– Face to face meetings
– On-line discussion forum, task submission,
and idea networking via Edmodo
• 6 Professional Development Points
Primary Intermediate
Number Sense Number Sense
Addition & Subtraction Multiplication & Division
Topics
**Originally, we had planned on covering 3 books. Each group would
have their grade-appropriate book as well as the Number Sense
Routines book.

7. Teacher Led Face-to-Face
Sessions
December 19 - January 30 - February 27
•Cross grade-level and subject sharing
•Collaboration of:
–New Strategies
–Implementation Methods
•Hands on Activities/Modeling

8. Online Format
• used for the online discussions
• Edmodo Group was divided into two small groups.
– Primary (Addition and Subtraction)
– Intermediate (Multiplication and Division)
– Cross group discussion was available in the main discussion forum
• Participants were expected to make two online contributions in
between each face-to-face session.
– Participants:
• Write a reflection of the topic at hand. (i.e. Do I already do this? Do I
anticipate issues with using this in my classroom? What do I like? How
might I use this?)
• Respond to the reflections of other participants. (i.e. Tips or tricks
they learned when implementing a certain strategy, agreements,
disagreements, constructive advice or questions)

9. Online Setup
Starting the Discussion
Online Sharing

14. Sample Prompt for Discussion
One of the big ideas from Chapter 1 is
“Mathematizing”. “It is the questions that drive
mathematics. Solving problems and making up new
ones is the essence of mathematical life”. (p. 12)
Discuss with your group what you think the
difference is between mathematics and
mathematizing. What evidence of either do
you see in your classroom?

15. Face-to-Face Activity
As Michael drove home from his visit, he began to
think about the different ages in his family. He is 31, his
younger brother is 29, his mother is 55, and his dad is
57. During his drive, Michael pondered a number of
questions related to these ages.
 Directions:
 With your group, solve the problems located in the
center of your table.
 If different group members have different ideas, use
more than one to determine which you like best.
 SHOW YOUR WORK!

16. The point?
Activities such as this enlightened our
teachers!
This helped us to emphasize the importance of
discussion and “stretching it.”
By asking the students to explain their strategy,
other students walk away from the lesson with
new ideas and explanations from their peers.
Allows the educator to uncover
misconceptions and correct it.

17. Professional Development:
Summer Extension
Number Sense Routines Book Study

18. Number Sense Routines
Summer PD
• Built on Spring Math PD
• 30 Teacher Participants (Grades K-5)
• 4 sessions held bi-weekly over the summer
break.
Face-to-face discussions
Hands-on activities
• 6 Professional Development
Points

19. Session 1
Session 2
Topic Activities
•Number Sense
Routines
•Visual Routines •Quick images
•Ten frames
Topic Activities
Counting Routines •Count around the
circle
•Choral counting

20. Session 3
Session 4
Topic Activities
•Quantity routines-
Making sense of
numbers and their
relationships
•Ways to make a
number
•Today’s number
•Mental Math
Topic Activities
•Calendar and data
routines- using
numbers everyday
•Line plot of daily
temperatures
•Moon phases
•Counting days in
school

21. Let’s Get Hands-On
• Quick Images
examples
• Ten Frame Quiz-
Quiz-Trade
http://www.edplus.canterbury.ac.
nz/literacy_numeracy/maths/nu
mdocuments/dot_card_and_ten_
frame_package2005.pdf
http://www.ablongman.com/v
andewalleseries/Vol_1_BLM_P
DFs/V1%20All%20BLMs.pdf

22. Impact
• Multiple teacher-led hybrid book studies in the 2013-2014
school year.
• Student FCAT scores shows large growth. 3rd grade FCAT
scores: (100% teacher participation!)
• 2012 Testing Year: 35% scoring a 3 or higher.
• 2013 Testing Year: 68% scoring a 3 or higher.
• Academic coaches and PD facilitators have
targeted student discussion as one of the primary
focuses of math instruction.

23. For more information contact
Kady Zavacky
krzavack@volusia.k12.fl.us
Sarah Sieg
ssieg@volusia.k12.fl.us
Mercedes Tichenor
Stetson University
Comments and Questions