Exploring Fluency and Functions through Playful Collaboration PD (Grades 6-12)

UCLA Center X presents Exploring Fluency and Functions through Playful Collaboration, a hands-on professional development workshop for Grades 6-12 mathematics teachers. Running on June 29, 2026 in person in California, this session invites educators to experience mathematics the way they want their students to — through collaboration, play, and discovery. Participants will explore how mathematical operations and reasoning develop into an understanding of functions, beginning with Grade 6 content ideas and tracing how they evolve into Algebra 1 concepts. The workshop's playful, collaborative approach models the kind of classroom environment that fosters deeper mathematical thinking, giving teachers both the content knowledge and the pedagogical strategies to transform how students experience algebra and functions. UCLA Center X, housed within UCLA's Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, is a nationally recognised hub where researchers and practitioners collaborate to prepare and support K-12 teachers committed to social justice, instructional excellence, and the integration of research and practice. Their mathematics professional development draws on over 25 years of experience through the UCLA Mathematics Project, which has made significant differences in the quality of mathematics teaching in urban schools. For middle and high school maths teachers looking to reinvigorate their approach to fluency and functions with engaging, research-informed strategies, this workshop offers a valuable day of learning and collaboration.