What’s with all the whiteboards? 

In The Summit math classes, students are frequently seen clustered around small whiteboards on the walls. This work has been carefully designed using Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics by Peter Liljedahl. Liljedahl’s research shows that when standing in small groups at vertical whiteboards students start tasks more quickly, stay on task longer, engage in more mathematical discussion with classmates, and show greater persistence in solving problems. In short, this structure leads to more thinking and greater understanding of mathematical concepts. In the next few weeks, keep an eye out for more information on strategies being utilized in mathematics courses this year, and here is a link to the practices that his research suggests best support thinking in math classes.