Math Minds: Transforming
Mathematics Education
February 22, 2019 • Fields Institute
Organizers: Dragana Martinovic (University of Windsor and Fields Institute Centre
for Mathematics Education), John Mighton and Mary Sadleir (JUMP Math)
On Friday, February 22, JUMP Math and the Fields
Institute Centre for Mathematics Education (CME)
co-hosted a full day conference at Fields. Brent Davis
(University of Calgary), the Principal Investigator of
the Math Minds research partnership, presented
his work on Transforming Mathematics Education.
John Mighton spoke on Closing the Achievement
Gap and Tracy Solomon presented her research on
how the cognitive and neurosciences can inform
classroom practice. Former Director of Education at
Toronto District School Board, Geraldine
Connelly, welcomed guests and
introduced the event.
There were 80 participants,
including school principals,
superintendents,
classroom teachers, and
staff from the Ministry
of Education and
the Deputy Minister.
Brent Davis’ keynote
presentation on the
results of the Math
Minds research
partnership generated
extensive interest
in bringing the Math
Minds model to Ontario.
The event concluded with
a panel of speakers and a
lively discussion facilitated by
Dragana Martinovic, CME co-director.
Math Minds is a unique partnership that began
in Calgary in 2012, with the goal of putting Math
Minds research findings directly into the hands
of educators. The partners include: University
of Calgary’s Werklund School of Education,
boards of education in the Calgary region, JUMP
Math, and funder Suncor Energy Foundation.
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Math Minds is building an approach to teaching
mathematics that is evidence-based, theory-driven,
and outreach-oriented. JUMP Math resources
were used in classrooms involved in the project.
Using JUMP Math resources in combination
with the Math Minds PD model enables users to
leverage and multiply the strengths of each. At
the centre of the Math Minds approach is the
notion that teachers require the support of a
strong, well-designed resource, and that together
the teacher and the resource create an
essential and effective alliance.
The ultimate purpose of the
Math Minds approach
to teaching is to
strengthen and sustain
mathematics ability and
performance, improve
student and teacher
confidence, boost
student enjoyment
of mathematics, and
develop a replicable
model of excellence
in mathematics
pedagogy.
Over the course of
seven years, students in
three pilot schools steadily
improved their percentile
rankings on tests of computation,
and problem solving, and doubled their
average ranking on a composite measure based
on the three tests (from 27 to 55 percentile).
The Math Minds research team is currently
developing in-class and online versions of the
Math Minds teacher education course and
plans to make them widely available.