OAME Golden Section Spring Conference

The OAME Golden Section Spring Conference takes place in Welch Hall at Brock University on Wednesday, April 17. The conference is presented by the Golden Section of OAME, Brock University Faculty of Mathematics and Science, Brock University Department of Mathematics and Brock University Faculty of Education.

This year, the conference features a keynote by the inspiring Bill Ralph.

Registration Information

Conference Fee

• $30.00 for OAME member
• $35.00 for non-member
• $10 for Faculty of Education Students
• Dinner: additional $25.00

All registration will be done electronically at www.oame.on.ca/mcis starting on Tuesday, March 26th. Click on Conferences Open For Registration, then click on Online Registration for Golden MiniConference 2019. If you have questions regarding registration, please e-mail: liisa.suurtamm@dsbn.org.

Other questions can be directed to: elizabeth.pattison@dsbn.org or jaime.rootes@ncdsb.com.

Driving Directions to Brock University can be found here: brocku.ca/directions. Parking is available in Lot D. When arriving, tell the parking attendant you are attending the OAME conference to be admitted into the lot. To locate Welch Hall, please view the map of the Brock Campus available at brocku.ca/maps.

Schedule of Events

3:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Registration Welch Hall, Brock University
4:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. – Session A: Keynote – Dr. Bill Ralph
5:15  p.m. to  p.m. 5:30 – Break
5:30  p.m. to 6:45  p.m. – Session B: Workshops
7:00 p.m. – Dinner in Pond Inlet, Brock University (dinner will be a buffet selection including salads, pasta, an entre with side dishes and desserts)

Session A: Keynote

After professing his love for mathematics for more than 30 years in the Faculty of Mathematics at Brock University, Bill Ralph is retiring! Over those 30 years, Bill has been a consistent and enthusiastic supporter of Golden Section – he has opened his classroom to our students, given talks at our spring conference, provoked our thinking about the role of technology at our inaugural fall social, welcomed students at our Math Olympics and given a keynote address when the Provincial OAME conference was hosted by Golden. But more importantly, Bill has been, and continues to be, an inspiration to many mathematics teachers in the Niagara Region and beyond.

We are thrilled that Bill will enlighten, entertain and inspire us once again at our mini-conference. Bill will be sharing highlights of his many interests, with a focus on:

BOOM OR DOOM –The Mathematical Ups And Downs Of The Stock Market

If your house is built on quicksand, in an earthquake zone, and on a flood plain, then buying stocks will be as easy for you as falling off a cliff. If you’re very risk averse like me, you might want to bring a little mathematics into your investing to help you sleep at night. We’ll look at what mathematics tells us about predicting risk and return and see if it can explain why the teachers’ pension fund does so well. Bring some coins to toss for some hands-on experiments that could introduce your students (elementary or secondary!) to stock market mathematics. You might want to have a look at my financial website www.portfoliomath.com or my art website www.billralph.com.

Session B: Workshops

B1: Engaging Students in Mathematics Learning Through Games and Puzzles

• Presenters: Mary Vetere & Melissa Wigglesworth, NCDSB
• Audience: Grades K – 3
• Are you looking for ideas to engage students in math learning? This session will explore a range of tasks that can be used immediately to get K-3 students excited about mathematics.

B2: Engaging Students in Mathematics Learning Through Games and Puzzles

• Presenters: Susan Ume & Jaime Rootes, NCDSB
• Audience: Grades 4 – 8
• Are you looking for ideas to engage students in math learning? This session will explore a range of tasks that can be used immediately to get 4-8 students excited about mathematics.

B3: Inquiry Based-Learning in Mathematics in Junior/Intermediate Classrooms

• Presenter: Gillian Berard, NCDSB
• Audience: Grades 5 – 8
• “How can I create a business?” Learn how to implement, assess and document student driven inquiries in the junior/intermediate classrooms in mathematics. Engage in activities that show how to create a class of deep learning, wonder, to spiral your program and to integrate multiple strands during an inquiry. Learn how to use questions and curiosities to engage students in your mathematics classroom with examples of financial literacy, woodworking, coding, building, cooking and much more …

B5: Building a Thinking Classroom

• Presenter: Braden Coles, DSBN
• Audience: 9 – 12
• Have you ever wondered who does the thinking in your classroom? Is it your students or you? During this session we will explore elements of Peter Liljedahl’s Thinking Classroom such as vertical non-permanent surfaces, visible random groupings and flow. In this session participants will learn about these elements and how they benefit student learning. Participants will explore problem solving in a vertical classroom, putting themselves in the position of the student and witness firsthand the benefits to student learning. [Note: This session will be different from the DSBN PD Day session.]

B6: Let Me Tell You My Problems

• Presenter: Angelo Lillo, DSBN
• Audience: Grades 9 – 12
• Problem based instruction is a great way to engage students in Mathematics. I try to use problems to begin my classes as often as possible, but it is sometimes difficult to find good ones that fit the curriculum. I have scoured the internet and other sources for problems that will challenge your students and help them to become creative thinkers and risk-takers. Join me for a hour where you will have a chance to work on some interesting problems that fit different parts of the secondary Mathematics curriculum. . [Note: This session will be different from the DSBN PD Day session.]

B7: Can You Escape Math Class?

• Presenter: Melissa Suita, DSBN
• Audience: Grades 9 – 12
• Escape Rooms are all the rage right now and students are just as hooked as adults. Why not take something as fascinating as an Escape Room experience and adapt it for the classroom environment! With just a few basic supplies, and a bit of creativity, you can create a similar experience for your math students.