In July, the 2022 Noyce Summit, sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Science Foundation (NSF), was held in Washington, DC. This was the first in-person Summit since 2019. The event also marked the 20th anniversary of the NSF Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship Program
The M3T project, funded by the NSF Noyce program (with additional support from the West Virginia Department of Education) was represented at the Summit by the project’s Principal Investigator, Dr. Matthew Campbell, along with two Cohort 1 M3T Noyce Fellows—Jami Packer (Brooke Middle School, Brooke County) and Adam Riazi (Cabell Midland High School, Cabell County).
The team led a workshop session titled, “Supporting Statewide, Networked Improvement of Mathematics Teaching: Tools from the M3T Project,” where they introduced and engaged participants in a range of tools and routines that have been developed and refined through the project’s work so far, from collective problematizing of the lack of students engaged in meaningful mathematical practices, to identifying and testing shared ideas for change, and using practical data to understand progress locally and across the network.
The team also presented two posters—one (presented by Campbell) with a general project update and overview, and one (presented by Riazi and Packer) with reflections from Fellows on leading “local improvement teams” as part of the M3T network’s efforts.
Overall, this was a valuable opportunity for the M3T project to share updates and insights with a national audience. Along with the annual Noyce Summit, the M3T project will be sharing learnings from research and practice at other events in the future, such as the annual conference of the Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators in February 2023.
Fellows Jami Packer and Adam Riazi offered some reflections on attending and presenting at the Noyce Summit:
Jami Packer
Brooke Middle School, Brooke County Schools
M3T Noyce Fellow, Cohort 1
What were your most meaningful takeaways from attending the Noyce Summit?
I was struck by the uniqueness of our particular project and I am optimistic for it as a replicable model that could be used to keep folks in the classroom. It is clear that, even after 20 years of the Noyce Program’s efforts to recruit and sustain STEM educators, there is continued need to move the needle on the larger issues around teacher shortages.
What were your most meaningful takeaways from presenting at the Noyce Summit?
It was an interesting experience to think about audience and the way that it shapes your message and intent when presenting. I’m working to gain more confidence in presenting to adults but this audience was a bit unique from those I typically address which impacted questions on how to effectively engage them I’m hoping to present to my board office this fall so that is still playing on my mind.
Having represented M3T at this national conference, what are you most excited about regarding M3T heading into the next couple of years?
What excites me the most at the moment is the potential for gaining the buy-in from local and state stakeholders to financially support and sustain this project after the grant runs out. I’m often incredibly frustrated by the top down models of professional development that undermine teacher agency so this approach is exciting to me. If we can begin to shift some hearts and minds a bit, perhaps we can help to create a field in which teachers feel a little more empowered as professionals.
Adam Riazi
Cabell Midland High School, Cabell County Schools
M3T Noyce Fellow, Cohort 1
What were your most meaningful takeaways from attending the Noyce Summit?
The most meaningful takeaway I have from attending the Noyce Summit was how unique the M3T Noyce Fellowship was compared to all the other projects across the country. Our focus on teacher leadership and empowering current, successful teachers was novel among all the projects.
What were your most meaningful takeaways from presenting at the Noyce Summit?
I found it enjoyable and empowering to share our experiences with a broader STEM and educator network. It was very nice to hear the questions, comments, and compliments from other educators, primary investigators, and higher education faculty that placed our project among the more interesting and impactful at the Noyce Summit.
Having represented M3T at this national conference, what are you most excited about regarding M3T heading into the next couple of years?
I am most excited to see how this network transitions into permanence and how our journeys as master mathematics educators may pave the way for other teachers to embark on their leadership pathways.
