From the Editor’s Laptop
Wow! Where did the summer go? It is hard to believe a new year is just around the corner. Each year I experience a sense of anticipation as summer comes to an end and I head back into the classroom. It is a chance to try new things, especially if you are implementing the new curriculum. It is an opportunity to determine where you want to go with your teaching practice and what resources you will need to do so. It is the time when you lay out your professional growth plan and decide what professional development will help you meet your goals. I encourage you to seek out professional development opportunities; there are many opportunities to meet with colleagues and talk about mathematics education.
Last year I had a chance to participate in a professional development opportunity called the Canadian Mathematics Educators Forum (CMEF), held in May in Vancouver. It was a chance to meet with other people who have a stake in mathematics education, including teachers, administrators, university faculty, and people from ministries of education and the corporate sector, to discuss current issues in mathematics education. There were keynote speakers, forums and working groups. I took a lot away from one of the working groups, Rethinking Assessment. This working group asked tough questions and had deep conversation about assessment in the classroom. It amazed me that so many of my colleagues felt the same pressures and had the same concerns and questions as I did. While we may not have answered many of the questions we posed, it was a time of camaraderie and validation of what we do in the classroom each day. So, again, I encourage you to seek out the many professional development opportunities that are available to you, such as the MCATA conference in October, where you can confer with colleagues and discuss the issues of mathematics education today.
I wish you all a smooth start-up and a happy new year!
Tancy Lazar
President’s Message
Sharon Gach
From the Editor’s Laptop
Tancy Lazar
TERM (Teachers of Mathematics in the Edmonton Region) Meetings
Teaching Mathematics for Real Learning
MCATA Fall Conference October 23–24, 2009
MCATA Executive Meeting Summary
MCATA Grants
Junior High Mathematics Contests
Alberta Education
Implementation of Kindergarten to Grade 9 Mathematics Program of Studies
The Revised High School Program of Studies
Diploma Examination Information Bulletin for the Revised Program of Studies
