1. Mallary Swartz
  2. Senior Director, Research and Educational Outreach
  3. Peg + Cat: Early Learning of Math Through Media (ELM2)
  4. http://www.pegcatelm2.org
  5. The Fred Rogers Company
  1. Nancy Bunt
  2. Consultant
  3. Peg + Cat: Early Learning of Math Through Media (ELM2)
  4. http://www.pegcatelm2.org
  5. The Fred Rogers Company, Allegheny Intermediate Unit Math & Science...
  1. MICHELE BURGESS
  2. Math Coordinator
  3. Peg + Cat: Early Learning of Math Through Media (ELM2)
  4. http://www.pegcatelm2.org
  5. Allegheny Intermediate Unit Math & Science...
  1. Everett Herman
  2. http://www.ceac.pitt.edu
  3. Peg + Cat: Early Learning of Math Through Media (ELM2)
  4. http://www.pegcatelm2.org
  5. University of Pittsburgh CEAC, University of Pittsburgh
  1. CORINNE MURAWSKI
  2. Mathematics Coordinator
  3. Peg + Cat: Early Learning of Math Through Media (ELM2)
  4. http://www.pegcatelm2.org
  5. Allegheny Intermediate Unit Math & Science...
  1. Camellia Sanford
  2. http://rockman.com/about/team/camellia-sanford/
  3. Senior Researcher
  4. Peg + Cat: Early Learning of Math Through Media (ELM2)
  5. http://www.pegcatelm2.org
  6. Rockman et al
  1. Keith Trahan
  2. Peg + Cat: Early Learning of Math Through Media (ELM2)
  3. http://www.pegcatelm2.org
  4. University of Pittsburgh CEAC, University of Pittsburgh School of Education
Public Discussion

Continue the discussion of this presentation on the Multiplex. Go to Multiplex

  • Icon for: Nancy Bunt

    Nancy Bunt

    Co-Presenter
    Consultant
    May 14, 2017 | 05:21 p.m.


    Our ELM2 project is just ending. We are summarizing our research findings and finalizing our professional development modules. While we welcome all comments and questions, we are especially interested in hearing your thoughts about any of the following:

    1. Regardless of your role as educator, researcher, or other interested parents or community members, what did you learn from our project? Could you take things from this project and apply it to your own situation? If so, what would you take? If not, why not?

    2. Which of our project outcomes do you think are most compelling? Why?

    3. How could our project resources be leveraged to support preschool teachers and families in their exploration of mathematics? What are some potential next steps for this work?

    4. Changing the attitudes toward math of the adults interacting with young children-- both educators and parents, takes active learning opportunities, and TIME. We started with 20 days over two years for educators and reduced it to 12 days in 3 modules. How do we find the time for these learning experiences for early childhood educators, most of whom have extremely limited professional development time. We welcome your thoughts and potential partnership in creating time and space for this learning.

    5. In particular, how might we best share these professional development modules? We are discussing whether to offer the PD in Pittsburgh, inviting those interested to travel there. Or should we seek an audience large enough to warrant travel elsewhere? If so, do you have suggestions for potential avenues? If you are personally interested, you can contact michael.fierle@aiu3.net.

    6. Looking at the larger theoretical picture, what media have you incorporated into your PD and for what purpose? How did it support participant learning?

    7. What do you see as the role of media in supporting teachers’, parents’, and preschool children’s engagement with mathematics?

     

  • Icon for: Debra Bernstein

    Debra Bernstein

    Researcher
    May 15, 2017 | 01:00 p.m.

    Thanks for this great video (great to have Peg and Cat in the video!).  This project interests me both as an education researcher, and as the parent of a preschooler.  In answer to your question #1 above, one thing I take away from the project is the value of having coordinated materials for parents and teachers - presumably, this helps both audiences move towards the same math goals for their students/children.  Which makes me wonder, do you think the materials helped to improve communication between parents and teachers around math?  Or do you think they promoted synergy (between parents and teachers) in some other ways?  (Or do you think that would even be a useful outcome?). Thanks.

  • Icon for: Camellia Sanford

    Camellia Sanford

    Co-Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 17, 2017 | 10:23 p.m.

    I also think that there was a trickle down effect with teachers modeling language and strategies to use with children to engage them in math during Family Engagement Activities (monthly moments where parents and their preschool children participated together in math-related activities in the classroom) that parents themselves were then seen using with their children. Teachers also told us that parents excitedly shared ways that they had been incorporating math conversation and activities at home. So, I think the materials supported the school-to-home connection. We don't have direct evidence that communication was improved, but anecdotal information from teachers, stating that they talked to parents about their children's math learning trajectories, was promising.

  • Icon for: Debra Bernstein

    Debra Bernstein

    Researcher
    May 18, 2017 | 12:12 p.m.

    Thanks, Camellia and Chris.  I definitely get the sense that the program was successful at facilitating communication, among staff and among staff + families.  I love that the family buy-in was so high!

  • Chris Rodgick

    May 15, 2017 | 06:20 p.m.

    Hi! Thanks for your interest! I am the Director of the program that received this wonderful opportunity! My administrative team and I sat in on the 20 days of PD and learned along with our teachers! We bonded much like summer camp! In turn, the teachers bonded with families in efforts to promote the notion that math is everywhere! This was an excellent way to build internal and external relationships! thanks

  • Icon for: Wendy Smith

    Wendy Smith

    Facilitator
    Associate Director
    May 15, 2017 | 07:47 p.m.

    These materials are wonderful, and address the very real need of early childhood educators and parents to bring more math into early learning opportunities. Were you able to read teachers beyond those who may have volunteered to participate? How did you help teachers and parents overcome their own mathematics anxiety to become comfortable with early math with children?  How explicit is the professional development for adults in addressing math anxieties and how adults are able to transmit those anxieties to children?

  • Icon for: Nancy Bunt

    Nancy Bunt

    Co-Presenter
    Consultant
    May 16, 2017 | 09:57 a.m.

    Rather than inviting volunteers, ELM2 involved all athe Head Start teachers and administrators employed by the Allegheny Intermediate Unit.  Buy-in was sought by allowing them to choose the scheduling they preferred, i.e. whether they wanted to participate in a partial summer cohort or an entire school year cohort.  We are hoping to reach educators beyond the AIU, and are especially inviting suggestions for avenues to reach them.

    ELM2 used Peg+Cat to show educators the accessible joy in mathematics, and engaged them actively in math activities so they could experience math positively.  We often used manipulatives, enabling them to SEE mathematics.  We were quite explicit in surfacing and discussing math anxiety, and together explored research that described the impact on children of adult attitudes.  Positive experience over time changed attitudes.  Finding sufficient time to offer similar experiences to other early childhood educators is a challenge.  We welcome suggestions!

  • Icon for: Dale McCreedy

    Dale McCreedy

    Informal Educator
    May 16, 2017 | 10:51 p.m.

    Nancy - Project dissemination/replication/scaling up - all hard for sure - especially when that is not necessarily your mission. I think partnering with organizations that have easy access to those wanting this PD would be critical, as would thinking beyond teachers to include OST professionals, museum educators, and parents who would perhaps have less time constraints as noted. As someone who works at a growing children's museum - these sorts of resources can be great tools as we advocate for early learning and parent engagement, and support those who support children's learning. Happy to talk further....

  • Icon for: Nancy Bunt

    Nancy Bunt

    Co-Presenter
    Consultant
    May 18, 2017 | 08:40 a.m.

    Thanks for the great ideas.  We are making presentations to conferences including National Association for Education of Young Children and NCTM.  What ones might allow us to connect with OST professionals and museum educators?  Part of the challenge is ensuring the potential future facilitators have sufficient opportunity to actively engage in the activities themselves to change the attitudes that are prevalent-- that math is not enjoyable!  We've found it is essential for them to experience the activities themselves.

  • Icon for: Miriam Sherin

    Miriam Sherin

    Facilitator
    Professor, Associate Dean of Teacher Education
    May 17, 2017 | 01:28 p.m.

    So exciting to hear about the different communities - teachers, parents, and students - who have been positively affected by the program. Very impressive! I think the finding that is most compelling to me is that teachers and parents began to interact differently with children, and to ask different kinds of questions. That seems particularly important to me because it extends beyond a specific math activity (like sorting) and applies to a wide range of activities! I'm interesting in hearing more about the kinds of tasks you had parents and teachers do with children, and how closely that matched the kinds of activities you did with the adults in the PD. Really interesting project!

     

  • Icon for: Camellia Sanford

    Camellia Sanford

    Co-Presenter
    Senior Researcher
    May 17, 2017 | 10:36 p.m.

    One of the interesting things about the Peg + Cat project, is that teachers really made the activities their own. They took concepts like sorting and incorporated them into children's daily routines, small and large group activities in class, and family engagement activities with parents. Sometimes teachers incorporated music, online games, or clips from the television show into these activities. Oftentimes, they tried to link the concept or activity to children's daily lives to help them recognize that math is everywhere. So, the activities showcased in the PD were a jumping off point for teachers to incorporate math throughout the day. There were suggested activities or resources to use, but teachers really had the freedom to implement them in ways that best met their particular kids and families where they were. 

  • Icon for: Nancy Bunt

    Nancy Bunt

    Co-Presenter
    Consultant
    May 18, 2017 | 08:46 a.m.

    Camellia shared many such examples with the team as we were refining the PD.  In the first year's PD, we suggested particular family engagement activities, but with evaluative feedback, in the second year, rather than providing specific activities to be done with families, we invited the teachers to consider which of the experiences they had had in the PD could be adapted for family interaction.  By providing them planning templates to develop those activities, we hoped to help them implement them-- which worked as Camellia offered examples above.

  • Adi

    Graduate Student
    May 18, 2017 | 07:59 a.m.

    Thanks for the great video :)

  • Icon for: Nancy Bunt

    Nancy Bunt

    Co-Presenter
    Consultant
    May 18, 2017 | 08:41 a.m.

    Glad you liked it Adl!  What did you find  most compelling?  Will you be able to apply anything from the video in your own work?

  • Icon for: Miriam Sherin

    Miriam Sherin

    Facilitator
    Professor, Associate Dean of Teacher Education
    May 18, 2017 | 12:46 p.m.

    Super interesting to hear that teachers take suggestions but then develop activities that work for their own students and classrooms. I think that approach has strong potential to be able to be successfully scaled up - of course there are also inherent risks in that activities may be used in ways that don't align with your goals. Thanks for this information!

  • Icon for: Nancy Bunt

    Nancy Bunt

    Co-Presenter
    Consultant
    May 18, 2017 | 03:49 p.m.

    It has been interesting!  One strategy to help educators use the experiences in positive ways has been to have them share out to the larger group their intended adaptations the day of the PD experience.  At subsequent sessions, they report back (often with pictures) on how their adaptations worked-- offering another opportunity for constructive direction.  Experience over time develops their skill in adaptation-- ways of thinking about math.

    A challenge to the scaling up is having facilitators themselves be truly comfortable with math and alternative ways of approaching it.  We have come to believe that part of the sharing of the PD materials has to include active engagement in the PD by facilitators as learners.  "Telling doesn't make it so..."  And "one shot deals" don't develop the positive understandings and attitudes that it is so very essential for educators to transfer  to their children and parents-- also through positive active engagement.

  • Icon for: Nancy Bunt

    Nancy Bunt

    Co-Presenter
    Consultant
    May 22, 2017 | 04:48 p.m.

    Thanks to everyone who viewed our video, and to those who left comments for us.  This has been a most interesting experience for us

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