None of us is as strong as all of us!

As I have mentioned in previous posts, a year ago I moved back home to Miami to pursue a masters degree in Urban Education. Through my program, I have had the opportunity and honor to learn from and with Civil Rights Legend, Dr. Bob Moses.

In connection to my graduate work, I recently accepted a position as The Algebra Project (AP) teacher for a cohort of incoming 9th grade students at Miami Northwestern Senior High School. AP is a nonprofit organization and curriculum, founded by Dr. Moses, aimed to improve the math skills of our country's most disenfranchised students with under-performing math scores. The goal of AP is to prepare these students for college level math for college credit at the time of graduation, and provide them the foundation for future careers in science and technology. The program also incorporates civics education, as a way to help students take charge of their lives and improve their community.

This summer I had the privilege to begin to work with 25 of my students who will be apart of The Algebra Project in the fall. Although we started out as strangers, in 3 short weeks, we came together as a cohort (or "squad" as my students now call themselves) embarking on a journey exploring the language of mathematics through shared experiences and the every day language we speak. The summer was a success; not just for my students but for me me as well, experiencing and gaining the awareness of what it means that "it takes a village." The accomplishments of this summer could not and were not achieved alone; rather rested of the collaboration, help and support of a village: Dr. Moses and another AP coach, FIU grad students, professors & The Education Effect, a group of educators from Ireland, members of a group called The Dream Defenders, and parent & community organizer and her amazing ability to help mobilize and involve the parents and community members of my students.

I would like to invite you to join the village. Please consider supporting our efforts through a donation to our DonorsChoose Project. 

http://www.donorschoose.org/project/help-us-create-our-dream-algebra-project/1261540?utm_source=dc&utm_medium=project&utm_campaign=copyURL&rf=copyURL-siteshare-2014-08-project-teacher_365796

Join the other 39+ donors and help us fulfill our project goal before the school year starts on August 18th. There is no donation too small!

Please also check out these links to learn more about The Algebra Project and see pictures from our summer institute:

• FIU news: http://news.fiu.edu/2014/08/fiu-algebra-project-train-next-generation-of-stem-grads-teachers/79940

• NPR: https://stateimpact.npr.org/florida/2014/07/29/how-the-algebra-project-helps-math-make-sense/

• Pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/fiu/sets/72157645721590562

Thank you in advance for any and all your support.  

"None of us is as strong as all of us!"

Evolving Mathematicians - Changing Education

As I have mentioned in previous posts, one of the major draws that brought me to FIU was to learn and gain experience from both my advisor and the work of the Algebra Project (AP). Therefore, at the start of the semester, we had worked into my schedule that I would visit and observe an AP classroom, once a week, as a way to begin my research. However, what started out as "research" quickly turned into a wonderful (3 days a week) coaching and learning opportunity at Miami Northwestern High School with Ms. C' and her 9th grade Algebra, "Algebra Project," 5th period class. 

In the short time, Ms. C and I have been working together (with the help of Dr. Moses and other AP coaches), her class has begun to transform from one of chaos* to one of organized chaos centered around learning of high rigor. Despite the growth on Ms. C's part as a teacher, her classroom still lacks many of the resources that can further support her students in their development of becoming autonomous learners and divergent thinkers. 

If you are able, please consider helping to contribute toward building Ms. C's classroom resources, through her Donor's Choose project: "Evolving Mathematicians - Changing Education." In donating you will not only be gifting resources but you will also be supporting the important and inspiring work of Dr. Moses, The Algebra Project, Ms. C & her incredible students. 

Between now & Nov 3, use the code INSPIRE, and have your donation matched.

(http://www.donorschoose.org/project/evolving-mathematicians-changing-educa/1112591/) 

Much Gratitude! 

*What first year teacher's classroom is not chaos in its first months?!?