Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit: A Guide for Staff Development

Here's everything you need for powerful professional development in one place: The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit.

Based on the popular Fostering Geometric Thinking, the Toolkit's 20 two-hour sessions provide a year's worth of math PD for middle and secondary teachers. Its facilitator- and participant-friendly sessions cover the key topics of Fostering Geometric Thinking: geometric properties, transformations, and measurement.

With The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit, you'll lead teachers through hands-on opportunities to:

• develop new understandings of middle and secondary students' geometric thinking through a field-tested geometric habits-of-mind framework
• broaden and express their own geometric thinking by solving rich problems
• observe students' thinking and problem solving through in-the-classroom footage
• practice analyzing student work
• apply all they've learned in the sessions to engage students' thinking more effectively.

The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit fully supports you. Its facilitator materials provide clear instructions and include agendas, facilitator notes and tips, and other helpful resources. Its accompanying DVD goes above and beyond with an array of essential tools, including:

• numerous video clips for use in the sessions
• PowerPoint slideshows that summarize existing research on students' geometric thinking
• printer-ready participant handouts
• geometry applets for use by both participants and their students.

Use The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit and help your participants discover powerful ways to lead students to a new understanding of geometry.

Here's everything you need for powerful professional development in one place: The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit.

Based on the popular Fostering Geometric Thinking, the Toolkit's 20 two-hour sessions provide a year's worth of math PD for middle and secondary teachers. Its facilitator- and participant-friendly sessions cover the key topics of Fostering Geometric Thinking: geometric properties, transformations, and measurement.

With The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit, you'll lead teachers through hands-on opportunities to:

• develop new understandings of middle and secondary students' geometric thinking through a field-tested geometric habits-of-mind framework
• broaden and express their own geometric thinking by solving rich problems
• observe students' thinking and problem solving through in-the-classroom footage
• practice analyzing student work
• apply all they've learned in the sessions to engage students' thinking more effectively.

The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit fully supports you. Its facilitator materials provide clear instructions and include agendas, facilitator notes and tips, and other helpful resources. Its accompanying DVD goes above and beyond with an array of essential tools, including:

• numerous video clips for use in the sessions
• PowerPoint slideshows that summarize existing research on students' geometric thinking
• printer-ready participant handouts
• geometry applets for use by both participants and their students.

Use The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit and help your participants discover powerful ways to lead students to a new understanding of geometry.

Mark Driscoll is the author of Fostering Geometric Thinking (2007) and Fostering Algebraic Thinking (1999) and their professional development companions,The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit (2008) and The Fostering Algebraic Thinking Toolkit (2001)-all published by Heinemann. Through Heinemann Professional Development he presents further PD related to math teaching and learning. Mark is Codirector of the Center for Leadership and Learning Communities at Educational Development Center, Inc., where he has directed a range of teacher enhancement, leadership, and materials-development programs. He received his Ph.D. in mathematics (differential geometry) from Washington University in St. Louis and taught mathematics at Logos School, an alternative high school in inner-city St. Louis. He has been a member of the writing team for NCTM's Assessment Standards for School Mathematics and served as Editor of Mathematics Education Leadership, the journal of the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics, from 2003-2007. Mark has been named the recipient of the Ross Taylor/Glenn Gilbert National Leadership Award from the National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM). The award recognizes Mark's contributions to mathematics education over four decades as well as his work at Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC). He is the coauthor of Fostering Geometric Thinking and its accompanying toolkit, and author of Fostering Algebraic Thinking, the book Mathematics Teacher called "an important tool in our collective effort to improve the quality of mathematics instruction."

Rachel Wing DiMatteo is a coauthor of Fostering Geometric Thinking (2007) and its professional development companion, The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit (2008), both published by Heinemann.Shestudied the development of mathematical knowledge while pursuing her Ph.D. in Psychology (cognitive development). Since then Rachel has been involved in the creation of professional development materials that help teachers understand the development of mathematical knowledge in their students.

Johannah Nikula is a coauthor of a number of Heinemann professional development books and staff development materials. Her most recent are Lesson Study in Practice: A Mathematics Staff Development Course (2010) and the companion, A Mathematics Leaders Guide to Lesson Study in Practice (2010). She also coauthored Fostering Geometric Thinking (2007) and its professional development companion, the Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit (2008), both published by Heinemann. Her work has focused on professional development for middle and high school mathematics teachers that is grounded in the work of teaching through analysis of artifacts that reveal students' mathematical thinking and through the Japanese lesson-study process.

Michael Egan is a coauthor of Fostering Geometric Thinking (2007) and its professional development companion The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit (2008), both published by Heinemann.Hehas taught middle and high school mathematics since 1995. While he continues to teach adolescents on a part-time basis, his current work focuses on mathematics education research and teacher education.

June Mark is the coauthor of four Heinemann titles: Lesson Study in Practice: A Mathematics Staff Development Course (2010), A Mathematics Leaders Guide to Lesson Study in Practice (2010), The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit (2008) and Choosing a Standards-Based Mathematics Curriculum (2000). She is Senior Project Director at the Education Development Center, Inc.'s Division for Mathematics Learning and Teaching. Her work focuses on mathematics curriculum implementation, lesson study, and the professional development of mathematics teachers and district mathematics leaders.

Grace Kelemanik is coauthor of the Heinemann title The Fostering Geometric Thinking Toolkit (2008). She is a mathematics education consultant and professional development provider. She is a former urban high school mathematics teacher and Project Director at the Education Development Center, Inc. Her current work focuses on supporting English language learners in the math classroom and developing the capacity of mathematics coaches K - 12.