Friday Fave for February 8

The Fave is in grin-and-bear-it mode vis à vis the winter weather, and so is turning its attention to summer—July, in particular. Which is when Cohort 4 of the Desmos Fellowship will convene in sunny San Francisco.

Recently, we asked current Fellows this question:

Your colleague is considering applying for Cohort 4 of the Desmos Fellowship. What do you tell them to help them make the decision?

Here are some sample responses…

Allison Krasnow begins by encouraging you to bring your whole teaching self to this work. The group of Desmos Fellows is diverse in every way you can imagine: not simply in race and gender, but also in teaching strengths, who your students are, where you are in your career, and how you’re using Desmos to impact student learning. Before applying, think about what makes YOU unique as a teacher and how does using Desmos support or enhance those aspects of your teaching.

Nick Corley advises taking time on a thoughtful application, and reminds you of the potential payoff. I think I would start off mentioning how competitive it has become. ….Although it is competitive, the awards are unmatched. Being chosen as a fellow revitalized my career, made me a better teacher, let me meet some new friends from throughout all of North America, and gave me a new sense of purpose as an educator.

Veronica Enriquez seconds Nick’s assertion of the benefits. You will have the opportunity to expand your learning network and to collaborate with amazing educators. You will go home inspired to try new things knowing that you have a new family ready to help you.

Juan Gomez is all about the other Fellows you’ll work with. It’s an opportunity to work with a group of people that care deeply about students, math, tech, and getting better at bringing excitement to math classes.

Audrey McLaren wraps it up with an unambiguous push send message. Don’t be afraid. You don’t have to be an expert to get in, to contribute, or to get tons out of it. Just do it.

Applications for Cohort 4 of the Desmos Fellowship are now open, and we think you should apply!