Live Elementary Math PD Sessions You Won’t Want to Miss: 2025 Virtual Math Summit Preview

Transcript

Welcome fellow Recovering Traditionalists to Episode 186: Live Elementary Math PD Sessions You Won’t Want to Miss: 2025 Virtual Math Summit Preview

I’m incredibly excited to give you a sneak peek at some of the amazing sessions coming up at the 2025 Virtual Math Summit. We have an incredible lineup of speakers who are ready to transform how you teach mathematics in your elementary classroom. You can see the full line-up of speakers at VirtualMathSummit.com/speakers and if you haven’t registered for the FREE summit you can do that at VirtualMathSummit.com.

This year we have 6 presenters who will be doing their sessions live and in this episode I’d like to give you a sneak preview of those sessions so you can decide if you’d like to attend those live sessions.  In episode 185 I already gave a preview of our opening keynote with Peter Liljedahl and Maegan Giroux which will be the first live session of the summit at 7 am Pacific time on Saturday, February 22nd.

Pam Harris will also be doing her session live that day. If you’ve followed Build Math Minds for any time, you know how passionate I am about moving beyond traditional algorithms, and that’s exactly what Pam Harris will be addressing in her session. Pam, who has authored numerous books including “Building Powerful Numeracy” and revolutionized how we think about mathematical thinking, will show you how to develop true mathematical reasoning in your students. If you’ve ever wondered how to teach math without relying heavily on memorized procedures, you won’t want to miss this session.

Also Saturday, February 22nd Shannon Olson’s session will help you bridge different types of mathematical representations. You know how some students get stuck when moving from concrete materials to abstract symbols? Shannon’s session is all about making those connections smooth and meaningful. She’ll give you practical strategies for using and connecting physical, visual, symbolic, verbal, and contextual representations in your K-5 classroom.

Starting off Sunday morning sessions, Kim Rimbey is going to blow your mind with what she calls the “infinite ten-frame.” Now, if you’re teaching upper elementary, you might be thinking, “Ten-frames? That’s for the little ones!” But I’m excited for you to see how Kim transforms this familiar tool for working with multi-digit numbers. She’s going to share games and activities that make math visual and accessible for all students, K through 6. And here’s a bonus – you’ll get free access to online manipulatives and a simple whiteboard strategy you can use the very next day in your classroom.

Also on Sunday, Latrenda Knighten is tackling something I know many of you struggle with – getting students to talk about math. Her session isn’t just about getting kids to share answers; it’s about creating a classroom where mathematical discussions happen naturally and meaningfully. She’ll show you specific instructional routines that get all students involved in mathematical discourse, not just your confident math speakers.

Last but definitely not least, is Ann Elise Record’s session on problem-solving structures. You know those moments when students see a word problem and immediately ask, “Is this addition or subtraction?” Well, Ann Elise is going to transform how your students approach word problems. She’s diving deep into Cognitively Guided Instruction, showing you 15 different types of addition and subtraction problems, plus 9 types of multiplication and division problems. But here’s what makes her session special – she’s going to show you how to make these structures visible to your students using tools like Cuisenaire rods and tape diagrams. You’ll learn how to help your students progress from simple problems in primary grades to those tricky multi-step problems in upper elementary.

Here’s what makes this summit so amazing: every session is designed with real classrooms in mind. You’ll walk away with specific tools and approaches you can implement the very next day. Plus, being virtual means you can attend from anywhere, and you’ll have access to the recordings to review for 10 days but if you’d like longer access to the sessions take a look at the VIP option or even becoming a member of the Build Math Minds PD site so you can access this year’s sessions, plus the past 8 years of sessions, anytime you want.

Registration is open at VirtualMathSummit.com but you can see the upgrade options at VirtualMathSummit.com/upgrade. Don’t miss these transformative sessions that will enhance your math instruction for years to come.

Until next week, my fellow Recovering Traditionalists, keep letting your students explore math, keep questioning, and most importantly, keep Building Math Minds.