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Teachers: Transform Your Instruction Through Best Math Practices!

PETERBOROUGH, N.H., May 20, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — 42 days, 41 days, 40 days…Teaching Time and Money might be the name of a K-3rd grade math session by presenter Kristin Hilty at Staff Development for Educators' seventh annual National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies, but its concepts are important for teachers right now … time is running out to enroll in the country's biggest math conference, where educators can pay as little as $267 to attend. (Daily and group rates are available).

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Taking place July 6-10, 2015 in Las Vegas, SDE's premier math event calls on teachers, math coaches, curriculum specialists, and administrators for grades K-6 to transform their instruction through implementation strategies and grade-specific content.  The National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies is heralded by educators again and again for its authentic math professional development, presented by experienced practitioners with years of classroom experience.

"These experts live and breathe math," reports SDE's Kendra Fowler, Vice President of Events & Product Development. "They aren't just talking in theory – they've actually implemented what they're presenting on in the classroom and seen the math abilities of their students soar."

With more than four days to learn, process, and practice what you learn, participants will experience hands-on sessions using classroom activities and materials that they are likely to have in their own classrooms, as well as easy-to-implement, practical strategies and games vital to building student math skills—regardless of the curriculum they follow.

"The conference is filled with four days of grade-specific content, yes," says Fowler, "But even more than that, it's filled with four days to ask questions, practice what you're learning, gain valuable personal attention and exposure with some of the country's biggest math experts—so that when you leave, you feel like an expert yourself."

Leading the team of presenters this year is world-renowned Singapore Math expert Yeap Ban Har and featured presenters Char Forsten, Michael Godfrey, Jana Hazekamp, Eliza Thomas, with a team of 16 others.

With 90+ sessions, educators will discover ways to effectively implement in their own classrooms the highly acclaimed teaching method based on the national curriculum in Singapore. Some of the most popular sessions, quickly filling up, include:

  • Foundations of Number Sense
  • Anchor Tasks: The Basics & A Whole Lot More
  • Foundations of Model Drawing
  • Problem Solving in Drill & Practice Sessions
  • Math Fact Fluency Folders…Individualized & Oh-So-Effective
  • Foundations of Singapore Math for Middle Grades
  • Everyday Assessment: Key Things You Need to Know and Do

"This event should really be titled 'Singapore and so much more!'" enthuses Mikell Lang, Program Planner at SDE. "The grade-specific content strategies go way beyond just Singapore Math to provide innovative and exciting ways to teach math."

Singapore students have repeatedly ranked at or near the top on international math exams since the mid-1990s. Unlike American math instruction which often emphasizes drilling and memorization of formulas, Singapore Math focuses on children understanding math on a deeper level.

The conference is built for those who are new to Singapore Math and those further along in implementation. SDE offers a listing of suggested first steps and foundational topics to enhance the experience for a Singapore Math novice, including full-days devoted to Foundations of Number Sense and Model Drawing. Educators will discover multiple "jumping off" points to meet the needs of a full range of experience, grades, and functions, including Singapore Math adopters and supplemental users. Suggested tracks for each grade are available to help teachers plan their conference experience.

Teachers will enjoy seeing the strategies they've learned come to life on the last day of the conference, with a live classroom demonstration with students and math expert Anni Stipek—to see and hear how the "teacher" models a successful Singapore Math lesson.

"Participants attend the conference year after year, as it offers sessions for educators new to C-P-A (Concrete-Pictorial-Abstract), the foundation of Singapore Math and for those experienced with Singapore Math who want to take their knowledge to the next level," states Fowler. "This is an unforgettably motivating conference—and it's the fastest and most enjoyable way for teachers to get thoroughly up-to-speed on key aspects of Singapore Math."

About SDE
SDE provides professional development for PreK through Grade 12 educators. Through Onsite PD, PD Events, Web-based PD, and PD Resources, the company empowers teachers and administrators across the country with ongoing professional development that is not only research-based, innovative, and rigorous, but also practical, motivating, and fun. All SDE training is presented by the nation's top authors and educational experts, with the goal of creating extraordinary classrooms that prepare students for the evolving demands of the 21st century.

Educators interested in learning more about SDE's national conferences and other professional development opportunities offered by SDE can visit www.SDE.com, or call 1-800-462-1478.