2026 NCCTM Annual Fall Conference: Full Schedule

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10:00am EST

Tinkering with Data: Fostering Active Student Exploration in Desmos

Thursday November 5, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EST

Transform data science into an explorative sense-making playground. Step into the student's shoes to experience how Desmos Data Polygraphs, dynamic visualizations, and movable points make secondary math interactive. We will explore modeling tasks that turn abstract concepts into actionable knowledge, providing you with tools to facilitate active, collaborative exploration in your classroom.

Speakers

Josh Mata

Thursday November 5, 2026 10:00am - 11:00am EST
Winston 1B

Secondary All (6-12), Strand 5: Data Science, Technology & K–12 Pathways

11:10am EST

From Copy & Paste to Critical Thinking: Designing AI Tasks That Keep Students Doing Math

Thursday November 5, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm EST

Winston 1B

Students are using AI whether we design lessons & assignments for it or not. This interactive session equips middle school math teachers to design tasks that make bypassing thinking more difficult and keep reasoning at the center. Participants experience a classroom-tested lesson, unpack what makes the design work, and draft a task they can implement with their own students.

Speakers

Angonique Calhoun-Minnis

Graduate Research Assistant, North Carolina State University

Thursday November 5, 2026 11:10am - 12:10pm EST
Winston 1B

Secondary Middle (6-8), Strand 2: Reasoning, Discourse & Student Thinking

12:20pm EST

Tinkering Through Sticky Points: Interdisciplinary Math in Action

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:20pm - 1:20pm EST

Winston 1B

Participants will collaborate to analyze two interdisciplinary projects, predict student “sticky points,” and create BINGO boards that gamify the session. Through group discussion, they will explore how to tinker with students through productive struggle, iterative design, and mathematical sense-making in authentic project work. Participants will walk away with ready-to-use project documents.

Speakers

Margaret Borden

Woodlawn School

Amanda Miller

College Planner & Financial Aid Specialist, Pine Lake Prep

Amanda Miller is a financial aid specialist and college advisor who authored the Paying For College in Four Steps resource for College Essay Guy.

Since graduating from Davidson College, Amanda held several roles in the field of education—public middle school math teacher, private test prep tutor, nonprofit college adviser—before finding her calling in the world of financial aid. Since then, she has empowered thousands of... Read More →

Thursday November 5, 2026 12:20pm - 1:20pm EST
Winston 1B

Secondary All (6-12), Strand 1: Modeling, Representations & Tinkering

1:30pm EST

Beyond the Graph: Cross-Curricular Data Talks

Thursday November 5, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm EST

Winston 1B

Data links math to the world around us. In this session, we will explore how to implement "Data Talks" to spark curiosity, build critical thinking, and strengthen communication skills. Participants will experience a live data talk and learn how to design data routines that facilitate connections to disciplines such as history, language arts, and computer and environmental sciences.

Speakers

Julie Bacak

Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina Wilmington

Thursday November 5, 2026 1:30pm - 2:30pm EST
Winston 1B

All (K-12), Strand 2: Reasoning, Discourse & Student Thinking

2:40pm EST

Balance the Unknown: Hands-On Equations for Deep Mathematical Thinking

Thursday November 5, 2026 2:40pm - 3:40pm EST

Winston 1B

In this interactive session, educators explore how hands-on equations can develop algebraic thinking through meaningful problem-solving. Participants will use manipulatives, visual models, and collaborative tasks to represent and solve equations while connecting. Leave with ready-to-use strategies that build conceptual understanding and mathematical discourse.

Speakers

LaChrista Jackson

Wallace Elementary School, Duplin County Schools

Consuelo Johnson

Teacher, Duplin County Schools

Thursday November 5, 2026 2:40pm - 3:40pm EST
Winston 1B

Secondary Middle (6-8), Strand 1: Modeling, Representations & Tinkering

10:00am EST

11:10am EST

12:20pm EST

1:30pm EST

2:40pm EST

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