Synapse Math Institute

Students inspect the newly built geodesic dome in the playground

COVID-19 Update:

We are deep in discussion on how to be able to progress with this summer's Math Institute due to the ongoing situation with COVID-19. If you would like to be notified when we have made a decision, please submit your email here.

Stay safe!

Synapse's Math Institute for educators will return in August 2020!

We are thrilled to invite you to Synapse School's second Math Institute for Educators. Henri Picciotto will be back on campus - this year sharing Hands-On Geometry for teachers of grades 6-8, and the Synapse Team will offer a broader range of Project-Based Mathematics workshops, including a session on Project-Based Learning 101. Morning and afternoon workshops are available for educators from Early Education through Middle School. Register now for your grade level track - afternoon workshop offerings will be flexible.

Scroll down to read descriptions of some of this year's workshop offerings. More workshop summaries to come.

2019 Workshop Offerings

Building a Solid Mathematical Base (Grades K-2)

This three-day workshop, taught by Peggy McLean, will focus on building number sense and connecting skills to different concept areas. Day 1 will cover Classroom Routines, Patterns, Number Concepts, Place Value, and Math Tools. Day 2 will focus on Practicing the Four Operations in different ways to build deeper understanding, and Day 3 will be Measurement Concepts - Length, Area, Volume, Fractions and Time, Fractions and Money. Identifying and highlighting the 8 mathematical practices is incorporated in all sessions. Participants will learn how to encourage students to work cooperatively, use a variety of tools, and select activities that are best suited to different needs.

Peggy will be leading additional afternoon workshop sessions to highlight topics of greater interest for younger grades, including Symmetry, 2 & 3-D Geometry, and Probability & Algebraic Thinking.

Rich Mathematical Games (Grades 2-5)

In this three-day workshop, taught by Federico Chialvo, we will explore the features of Rich Mathematical Games and best practices for incorporating games into a standards based curriculum. Well designed games naturally encourage a growth mindset and can authentically embed mathematical structures and concepts. Games can serve as number sense routines and provide targeted practice; can generate data that leads to mathematical research or can be a context for applied mathematics; and are great for helping students reengage/reconnect with mathematics if they have a negative relationship with mathematics. Teachers will leave this workshop with a toolbox for leveraging the power of gameplay in the mathematics classroom.

Participants will learn how to play and implement over a dozen games including classic games, games from the mathematical field of Game Theory, board games, and more! The workshop will be aligned with the Common Core State Standards, both in content and in mathematical practices.

Hands-On Geometry (Grades 6-8)

Hands-On Geometry with Henri Picciotto (Grades 6-8)

In this three-day workshop, taught by Henri Picciotto, you will be presented with kinesthetic and hands-on activities which are fun and engage students intellectually. These activities complement related work in paper-pencil environments and preview, review or extend foundational concepts, laying the groundwork for high school geometry. Topics covered will include angles, triangles, quadrilaterals, area, the Pythagorean theorem, scaling, and tessellation, and activities will include manipulatives & puzzles.

These lessons provide access to a wide range of students by complementing the drawing and studying of figures, and offer deep and challenging problems. The workshop will be aligned with the Common Core State Standards, both in content and in mathematical practices. Henri will also be offering a 1-day Hands-on Symmetry workshop for teachers of grades 4-8.

Project - Based Learning Afternoon Sessions

More session descriptions to come.

Project - Based Learning 101 (Grades K-12)

Project-based environments provide opportunities for authentic learning, increasing students’ voice and choice through an open-ended process. In this interactive session, led by the Synapse mathematics team, we will explore how we can take student interest and convert it into authentic learning opportunities to deliver interdisciplinary projects. Participants will work in groups to design projects centered around student interest, and identify avenues for skills acquisition, practice, and assessment of math content.

On the second & third afternoons of the Institute, we will break out into sessions focused on specific projects we’ve run here at Synapse School, some of which are highlighted below.

Funky Dice (Grades 5-9)

In this interactive session, we will share a project run with Synapse 7th & 8th graders. Connecting probability with geometry, participants will get the chance to test the project by designing your own 3-D printable dice and testing the probability of landing on a given side. This is an easily adaptable project used to demonstrate the creativity of project-based learning.

Create Your Own Board Game (Grades 5-12)

In this interactive session, participants will discover how student interests helped develop a board game project. Using the game Settlers of Catan as a primary example, we will explore how authentic content was delivered through low-floor, high-ceiling tasks to middle schoolers. Whether you are an expert on Settlers of Catan or have never played, this session is open to all interested in exploring the interconnectedness of mathematical concepts through project-based learning.

Join us!

When: August 4 - 7, 2020

8:00am - 3:15pm each day

Where: Synapse School

3375 Edison Way, Menlo Park, CA

Price includes breakfast, lunch, and all materials for all four days

Attending the full 4-days will total 2 CEUs (Continuing Education Credits)

Contact Synapse School with any questions.

Your Workshop Leaders:

Henri Picciotto

Henri Picciotto is a math education author and consultant. He has retired from the classroom after 42 years of teaching at every level from counting to calculus. He is the inventor of Lab Gear, a hands-on environment for algebra, and is in fact a leading authority on the use of manipulatives and geometric puzzles in secondary school. He has been an enthusiastic (and skeptical) user of electronic learning environments since the early days of the personal computer. He shares his ideas about teaching, and much curriculum, on his Math Education Page (www.MathEducation.page) and his blog (blog.MathEd.page). His cryptic crosswords appear in The Nation every week.

Federico Chialvo

Federico holds a BS in mathematics and an MA in education from the University of Arizona. He believes all students deserve to experience the thrill of mathematical discovery and to feel empowered to understand and change the world through mathematical thinking. His journey as an educator started 14 years ago teaching math at City High School. Later he taught K-8 in Micronesia, then managed a non-profit in Costa Rica while completing his masters degree. Prior to joining Synapse in 2012 as a Math and Science Specialist, Federico worked at The Nueva School for two years as a math specialist in both the lower school and middle school. He has been Director of Mathematics at Synapse School since 2012, and is currently taking a sabbatical year with his family in Costa Rica.

Peggy McLean

Peggy received her BA and MA from San Jose State University. For the past 45 years she has been training teachers across the nation in the use of manipulative math materials to foster greater understanding of math concepts presented in the elementary grades. Peggy trained pre-service teachers at Notre Dame de Namur University for 25 years. With Mary Laycock, she created the elementary math program at The Nueva School, where she was Math Specialist from 1975 - 2015. Peggy joined Synapse full time in 2016 and currently works with teachers in Levels I, II, and III. She is the co-author of several books on the use of various manipulative materials, many of which are currently used at Synapse School.

Ben Meiseles

This is Ben's second year as a Math Specialist and Middle School Advisor at Synapse. Earning his BS in Mathematics from Duke University, Ben went on to work in professional services at Red Hat for several years. Despite his foray in the tech world, Ben has always wanted to serve as an educator and role model for children. As a math teacher, Ben strives to enable students to embrace the skills and mindsets that create great mathematicians, lifelong learners, and intentional global citizens.

Eben LaPier

This is Eben's sixth year as a Synapse teacher. After three years in Level III, Eben joined the middle school team as the lead 7/8 math teacher. He graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2010 with degrees in Mathematics and Medieval Literature and received his credential from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont in 2012. Eben is happiest when teaching his students to not fear math, or running simulations and hands-on projects. Some sample projects Eben has run in class include an all-school Mascot Election teaching statistics and the mathematics of voting, designing and building a 10-ft tall Geodesic Dome, and Alaska Pipeline problems on rates, proportions, unit conversions, and scientific notation.

Isha Jain

Isha holds a Masters in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from Boston University and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. As a child, Isha had the opportunity to go to an experiential and project-based school and is a strong proponent of this approach to education. She believes that learning takes place internally and that the role of an educator is to hone the natural curiosity of young adults and convert it into powerful learning opportunities. Isha currently teaches 5/6 Math & Problem Solving at Synapse.

Mark Leitch

Mark has been in love with mathematics for quite a while now. He holds a BS in Energy Engineering from Penn State University with a focus on studying renewable energy. Toward the end of college, Mark discovered a passion for teaching. He moved to New Orleans and taught 7th/8th graders in math, science, and special education for 3 years. In his last year in New Orleans, he also enjoyed tutoring advanced mathematics to students up for a challenge. Mark moved out to the west coast last summer and has now been at Synapse for one year as a 5/6 math teacher and advisor. Mark’s favorite thing about Synapse is that he gets to explore mathematics through unique and exciting projects!