Pro-D: Make Math Moments Virtual Summit Reflection

I attended two talks during the free Pro-D conference Make Math Moments Virtual Summit. I enjoyed the talks so much that I plan to purchase a pass to watch additional sessions, as I found them highly engaging and thought-provoking. The two talks I attended were Latrenda Knighten’s “Let’s Talk About Tasks! Strategies for Implementing ‘Doing-Math’ Tasks in the Classroom” and Peter Liljedahl and Maegan Giroux’s “The Task is Not Enough: Micro-Moves that Make Good Tasks Better.”

Both talks emphasize the importance of thoughtfully designed tasks in promoting active student participation and deeper learning in mathematics. Both Liljedahl and Knighten focus on engaging students through tasks, positioning them as active drivers of their learning, and emphasizing reasoning and exploration as pathways to powerful learning experiences. However, Liljedahl/Girox emphasized that the task was not enough, so they differed in focus and implementation.

In their talk, Liljedahl and Giroux promoted shifting the teacher’s role to that of a facilitator, guiding students as they work collaboratively and encouraging ownership of their own learning. Liljedahl’s focus seems to center on maximizing student engagement by framing tasks in ways that spark curiosity. They suggested that making a good task better revolved around splitting the task into design, launch, body, and close. It definitely felt a little overwhelming when considering how much thought they put into designing and facilitating these tasks. However, I'm definitely keen to try to make some of these small but intentional adjustments to position tasks as opportunities for discovery. My main takeaway is that it's imperative to ignite curiosity by having tasks that provoke questions and student interest. The "launch" feels particularly important. Reflecting on my short practicum experiences, most classes I’ve observed tend to place students in passive roles. From my perspective, the more passive the environment, the more boredom and disengagement students express. Liljedahl’s and Giroux's approach offers an antidote to this passivity by encouraging active exploration and peer collaboration.

Knighten’s talk also focused on promoting student engagement and reasoning, but she emphasized task creation as the primary strategy for achieving this. She championed using “low floor, high ceiling” tasks that offer multiple entry points and solution strategies, making them accessible to all students. Her emphasis on equity struck me, creating tasks where “everyone is invited to the party.” Knighten’s approach prioritized building tasks that accommodate diverse skill levels and encourage creativity and critical thinking. Her emphasis on productive struggle, where students grapple with tasks to build deeper understanding, resonated with me. I see this as a valuable way to promote resilience and persistence in learners, especially those who may struggle with traditional approaches.

Both speakers provided valuable insights into fostering engagement through thoughtful task design. While Liljedahl’s ideas on sparking curiosity and encouraging collaboration align with my observations about the importance of active learning, Knighten’s focus on equity and scaffolding tasks for diverse learners offers a complementary perspective. Together, their approaches underscore the potential of tasks to transform classrooms into dynamic, student-centered environments that nurture both engagement and understanding.