The AIU’s Math & Science Collaborative offers robust personalized professional learning for mathematics and science teachers and school leaders. Built on research and delivered by experts, these offerings will prepare teachers to develop students as mathematical and scientific thinkers.
Mathematics Leadership Opportunities
Building Thinking Classrooms: Part 2
New!
Part 2 of Build a Thinking Classroom for K-12 will dig deeper into the 14 practices and effective implementation strategies. This is not for novices or anyone new to BTC. You must be a K-12 educator or leader who has completed BTC: Part 1 OR you have read the book and are actively attempting to implement the first three toolkits.
Come engage in a professional learning community to learn more about a thinking classroom and collaborate with peers to share ideas and implementation strategies. A thinking student is an engaged student!
Built on 14 key practices teased out over 15 years of research, it’s a way of teaching that gets students up on their feet, collaborating and thinking through challenging problems on a daily basis.
A thinking classroom looks very different from a typical classroom. Students are working in groups rather than individually, they are standing rather than sitting, and the furniture is arranged so as to defront the room. Closer inspection will reveal that the teacher is giving instructions verbally, is answering fewer questions, and has drastically altered the way they give “homework.”
Part 2 focuses on the fine tuning implementation of the first eleven practices and delving into the assessment practices from the following chapters:
Chapter 12: What We Choose to Evaluate in a Thinking Classroom
Chapter 13: How We Use Formative Assessment in a Thinking Classroom
Chapter 14: How We Grade in a Thinking Classroom
All participants are expected to bring their own copy of Building Thinking Classroom In Mathematics, 14 Teaching Practices for Enhanced Learning.
Meeting Dates: February 7, March 5, 2025, April 1, 2025
Price: $450/participant; Administrators may attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building at no additional cost.
Audience: K-12 educators and leaders who have completed BTC: Part 1 OR you have read the book and are actively attempting to implement the first three toolkits.
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
School Leadership in Mathematics
This offering is designed to enhance the ability of school leaders to support high-quality mathematics teaching and learning and professional development.
The School Leadership in Mathematics Workshop is designed to enhance the ability of principals, curriculum directors, instructional coaches, department chairs, other school leaders to support high-quality mathematics teaching and learning and mathematics professional development efforts in their schools.
Specifically, this workshop will allow participants to:
- Build capacity of instructional leaders to support standards-based mathematics teaching and learning and mathematics professional development efforts in their schools
- Provide a focus for classroom observations and conversations between teachers and instructional leaders based on aspects of mathematics teaching and learning known to support students’ understanding of mathematics and mathematical achievement
- Enable school leaders to communicate the purpose, intent, focus, and importance of standards-based mathematics teaching and learning and mathematics professional development efforts to other instructional leaders, parents, and members of the school community
- Review or obtain research-based knowledge of effective mathematics pedagogy that school leaders can share in discussions with teachers, other leaders, and parents
The workshop consists of four sessions to be attended by principals and other school leaders, accompanied by a mathematics lead teacher, coach, or department chair from their school.
2024-25 Meeting Dates: October 10, November 11, January 23, March 18*
Price: $600; One math teacher or classroom/instructional coach may attend for free with a paid/registered administrator from their district. The cost includes a copy of the book, "Making Sense of Mathematics For Teaching to Inform Instructional Quality."
Audience: principals and other school leaders, accompanied by a mathematics lead teacher, coach, or department chair from their school
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
*The January and March sessions are ½ day sessions and will be held synchronously online.
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete related assignments.
Math Coaches Network 2024-25
Come join us at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit for a professional learning community focused on supporting mathematics coaches. This Network is led by Mr. Samuel Shaneyfelt, former school district level administrator and Math & Science Collaborative Project Director.
2024-25 Meeting Dates: October 11, November 15, January 31, March 11
Price: No cost
Audience: K-12 mathematics coaches and leaders
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Mathematics Teachers Offerings
Effective Teaching Practices in High School Mathematics
New!
Explore how high school mathematics lessons can incorporate “tasks and talk” so that all students experience engaging mathematics.
Led by Dr. Melissa Boston, Professor of Mathematics at Duquesne University. Join us at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit to learn about why it is important and how to help students engage in productive math talk to make sense of important mathematical content at the high school level.
This 3-day session will focus on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) “Effective Teaching Practices,” featured in the book “Taking Action in Grades 9-12 Mathematics.” We will explore how high school mathematics lessons can incorporate “tasks and talk” that:
- promote thinking, reasoning, and problem solving,
- increase student engagement and perseverance, and
- prompt students to build procedural fluency from a conceptual understanding of essential procedures in high school mathematics.
Fall 2024 Meeting Dates: November 22, December 5, and January 10
Price: $450*
Audience: Secondary mathematics teachers, coaches, and interventionists in grades 8-12
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
*Thanks to the generosity of the PPG Foundation, educators working in High-Needs schools can participate in this PD at no cost. To check if your school district qualifies, view this list.
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete related assignments.
Extra Math Block Strategies for Supporting Students Where They Are
Do you struggle to meet students where they are in the math classroom? Do you have an extra block of time dedicated to teaching and learning math? Learn about a center-based model that creates an inviting environment that addresses students' learning needs through increased interactivity and engagement.
We will introduce a structure for the math block, including an opening routine followed by centers at varying levels of challenge. We will also share a tool to determine which standards may be an appropriate focus during the math block.
Fall 2024 Meeting Dates: Sessions will be held in October on the following dates: 10/8, 10/17, 10/24
Price: $450
Audience: K-12 mathematics teachers and leaders (including interventionists)
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete related assignments.
Building Thinking Classrooms — Part 1
Do your students lack confidence and/or motivation to do mathematics?
Are your students content to wait for the right answer from the teacher?
Do your students lack perseverance when the answer is not immediately obvious?
If so, come learn how to Build a Thinking Classroom. A thinking student is an engaged student!
Built on 14 key practices teased out over 15 years of research, it’s a way of teaching that gets students up on their feet, collaborating, and thinking through challenging problems on a daily basis.
A thinking classroom looks very different from a typical classroom: Students work in groups rather than individually, stand rather than sit, and furniture is arranged to facilitate collaboration rather than front-facing. Closer inspection reveals that teachers give instructions verbally, answer fewer questions, and drastically alter their way of assigning “homework."
This 3-day mathematics PLC will engage participants in what it feels like to be in a thinking classroom and provide concrete ways to put these practices into action in your own classroom.
Fall 2024 Meeting Dates: Oct. 1, Oct. 29, Dec. 3
Audience: K-12 educators and leaders
Price: $450/participant; Administrators may attend with the teacher(s) from their district/building at no additional cost. The cost includes a copy of the book, Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Act 48 hours will be awarded pending approval by PDE for those who attend all sessions and complete related assignments.
Building Thinking Classrooms — Part 2 Coming in 2025!
Teaching and Learning Mathematics with Visual Models
Join us at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit to learn why it is important and how to help students visualize math through concrete and pictorial representations. We will host two-day training sessions to engage you in mathematical tasks utilizing physical and/or virtual manipulatives, then transitioning to diagrams for each of the critical concepts in your grade level.
Audience: K-12 educators and leaders
Price: Free to AIU member districts
Location: Allegheny Intermediate Unit, 475 E. Waterfront Drive, Homestead, PA 15120
Grades K-2
2024-25 Meeting Dates:
Nov. 19 and Jan. 29
Grades 3–5
2024-25 Meeting Dates: Dec. 6 and Feb. 20
Grades 6 – Algebra 1
2024-25 Meeting Dates:
Dec. 4 and Feb. 11