It recently occurred to me I have been chasing my tail and did not realize it? 

While talking to some educators the other day, I found myself intrigued how differently we were describing and framing a topic.

I thought to myself, “if only we had a unifying network to help understand better. Like a mathematics and mathematics educator network.” Then I had a “seriously” moment. A moment when I say “self, how did you not “get” that before, seriously?”

We do have a network of mathematics and mathematics educator. I realized that it has been right in front of my face the whole time.

This network of professional mathematics organizations is known as the Council Board of Mathematical Sciences or (CBMS). It is the “umbrella” organization that connects all of the other formal mathematics groups.  I like to think of it as our “math solar system,” with “math planets.” These 18 organizations or planets if you will, offer a network and access to the best of the best.  Each planet has a national president and some even have regional or state affiliates like National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and National Council of Supervisors of Mathematics (NCSM).

I realize now that this is our collective efficacy, which has an effect size of 1.57 according to John Hattie.  I also realized that I (we) collectively are underutilizing this vast resource. I can tell from only scratching the surface of only a few of these planets, most of what I have needed and others have needed (if not all) is from one these planets. This is what caused me to say, “self, seriously?”  The hours of time I have wasted going down “rabbit holes,” “google holes,” and “e-mail holes” when what I needed was in front of me the whole time.

Now, I have made the commitment, that before I look outside of the mathematics solar system, I am going to make sure, the resource, information, knowledge, research, position statement, white paper, practice, strategies, tool, etc. is not on one of our math planets.  Here are the 18 professional organization or planets.

         

        

         

      

Select a link below to see details and explore. The links to their websites are on the pages below.

1. AMATYC American Mathematical Association of Two-Year Colleges
2. AMS American Mathematical Society
3. ASA American Statistical Association
4. ASL Association for Symbolic Logic
5. AWM Association for Women in Mathematics
6. AMTE Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators
7. ASSM Association of State Supervisors of Mathematics
8. BBA Benjamin Banneker Association
9. INFORMS Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
10. IMS Institute of Mathematical Statistics
11. MAA Mathematical Association of America
12. NAM National Association of Mathematicians
13. NCSM Leadership in Mathematics Education
14. NCTM National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
15. SIAM Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
16. SOA Society of Actuaries
17. TODOS Todos: Mathematics for All
18. WME Women and Mathematics Education

As I previously stated, I have just begun to scratch the surface of the vast resources that this mathematics “universe,” network, community has to offer. I wish when I would have realized this three years ago and even longer ago when I was just a teacher. I hope that through this sharing of this realization, it will encourage educators who are seeking for mathematics “best” practices to look at the 18 planets to find the tools you need.  My call to action is for you to pick a planet and explore. You will be surprised by what you find.