Too many math educators are teaching math the way they learned it — and that can be a problem with kids who learn differently, said Robert Gyles of the Hunter College Mathematics Center for Learning and Teaching.

The keynoter at NYSUT's Mathematics Institute on Feb. 2 dramatically made his point as he gave the crowd a complicated word problem involving fractions. The vast majority of the 140 math teachers in the crowd took the "algebraic journey," methodically solving the problem with a series of lengthy equations.

"Let me show you another route," Gyles smiled, as he placed four counters on the overhead projector. "Think of the child who needs to see it." By manipulating the counters just two times, he showed them how to solve the same problem in about 30 seconds. The crowd was stunned.

"It was like a magic trick," said Andrea Simmons-Murray, a Middletown special ed teacher. "I said to myself, 'Aha! That's the way for me to present this kind of problem to my kids. They have to see it!'"

There were lots of "ahas," or "math moments" at NYSUT's second annual Mathematics Institute in Albany, as math educators learned practical and research-driven ways to meet the state's new math curriculum and help their students perform well on the new federally required testing in grades 3-8.

"We're aware of your frustrations and this institute is one way the union is responding to your calls for meaningful professional development," said NYSUT Vice President Maria Neira. "It's also a wonderful way to share stories with our colleagues. We don't have enough time to talk about our problems."

Neira noted the union is pushing the State Education Department to get test results much faster. "We're getting all this data but it's for kids who are no longer in our classroom," Neira said. "When it's so late, it's much less meaningful."

Gyles assured participants that assessments are not necessarily a bad thing.

"There's nothing wrong with assessments as long as we use the information to drive instruction," Gyles said. "You have to start with the end in mind: Those of us in the math world call it working backward."

Gyles made the case for balanced math instruction, blending parts of the 'new math' and the 'back to basics' approach. "Everybody says, back to basics, but unless there's balanced math instruction, the kids get the basics but don't know when to do it," he said.

Afternoon sessions gave participants a chance to meet with their grade-level colleagues and learn new hands-on activities to engage students.

Jeff Sauerstrom of the UFT Teacher Centers showed participants how to use a color-coded calendar to teach kids composite, prime and perfect square numbers. For younger children, the activity could help kids "see" the difference between odd and even numbers. Participants made a calendar to take home for their classes.

Middle-level teachers shared interdisciplinary strategies to engage more kids in math and group activities for talkative adolescents who don't want to sit around doing worksheets. "They're going to talk anyway, so we might as well have them talk to each other about math," said New York City seventh- grade teacher Carla Meertens.

— Sylvia Saunders