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Challenging Your Maths
Students |
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A 1 ½ hr
PD opportunity for Maths Teachers of Years 5 – 8 focusing on the why
and how of engaging and extending able students |
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WHEN: CONTACT
TMELA (More information below) COST: $100 pp |
AGENDA
3:45 – 4:00 Registration, Tea & Coffee
4:00 – 4:30 The how and why of challenging your able students
4:30 – 5:00 Challenging Maths Tasks – how this resource can assist
your ability to cater for these students
5:00 – 5:30 Time to explore the materials – with support available |
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As part of the
PD receive your own copy of “Challenging Maths Tasks” CD,
(single licence) worth $85 |
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PRESENTED
BY: LINDA ANANIA – TMELA CONSULTING |
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Term 4, 2010, many ‘Challenging Your Maths
Students’ PD’s were held in North East Victoria and
Melbourne Suburbs. Some feedback:
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Loved the tasks and the Rubric
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Hand-outs really valuable – loved
the 7 steps
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Great being able to ask questions
straight away
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Fantastic to have the opportunity
to ‘play’ with the CD
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I like how flexible the software
is to adapt tasks to our school topics / relevant
areas
If your school wants some PD to
become familiar with the new Australian Curriculum
please contact TMELA:
enquiries@tmela.com.au
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Challenging Your Maths Participants at PD
Session |
Challenging Your Maths Students PD held
at Mooroopna in August |
IN 2010 CHALLENGING YOUR MATHS STUDENTS PD’S WERE HELD IN THE HUME REGION
Some great feedback:
• “Exactly the type of PD I was looking for”
• “A great resource”
• “ Some great tips to get the best from our students”
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What does
a good Middle Years maths class look like? |
- What is a good
maths class?
- What structure do
we put in place?
- How do we know if
the students have learnt something?
- What are the
students doing?
- What is the
teacher doing?
- What is the
environment like?
- Big picture –
goal setting
- Explicit teaching
- Working
Mathematically
- Reflection and
feedback
- Assessment
This session
encompasses many ‘best practice’ teaching and learning
theories. It can apply to any subject area, but this
session will focus on mathematics in the Middle Years.
It will cover environment, expectations, preparation and
planning, integration and differentiation to name a few.
Participants will take part in hands-on examples from a
variety of content strands of mathematics. These models
will then be examined and analysed in regards to the
reasoning behind the theory.
This session will help
build the confidence of teachers working in Middle Years
Maths Class and will certainly challenge their thinking
about what they do in the classroom and why. |
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Developing
Integrated Mathematics Projects |
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We can often be surprised by our
students when they are working on a practical project and not
thinking about or focusing on the mathematical skills that need to
be applied in order to successfully complete the task. This session
will be very hands-on and will involve participants in such a
project. Participants will learn how to build an integrated
Mathematics program around a project. They will develop simple, but
effective plans which recognize the skills being developed through
the project – both mathematical skills and skills linked to other
learning areas.
Discussion will focus on:
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the benefits
of Working Mathematically on projects
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differentiating the curriculum
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engaging
students
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inclusive
curriculum
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how this fits
the proposed Australian Curriculum
Participates will take away a sound
but simple planning structure for integrated program planning, a
clearer understanding of what it means to ‘Work Mathematically’ and
see how other curriculum areas can be easily integrated into the
mathematics classroom. |
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Developing
Inquiring Minds |
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Catering for
Enrichment and Extension in the Classroom
We work hard on
ensuring our lower level students are well catered for, so surely
our higher level students deserve to be catered for as well. How do
we challenge the higher level students within our multiple ability
classrooms? If just getting students to attain and maintain the
levels that our curriculum expects is taking all your time and
attention, then this PD will show you how you can enrich and extend
the learning of your higher ability students and help them reach
their potential without you having to spend a lot of time preparing
something completely different.
The focus
of this PD is to be able to recognize and develop methods and
strategies to cater for multiple ability classrooms with particular
focus on the higher achievers.
Participants will take part in some sample lessons
which will then be analysed in detail in order to identify the
components that lead to developing an inquiring mind. Lesson plans
will also be provided to illustrate how the scaffolding would look.
Discussion will revolve around the
teacher’s role and will include:
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Planning
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goal
setting
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strategies
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expectations
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scaffolding
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questioning
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providing
choice
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and
reflection
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Flying High
A fun, engaging way to apply mathematical concepts in the Middle
Years. A great transition activity or to get to know new
classmates. |
- Hands-on
Technology
- Following
Instructions
- Construction
- Team Work
- Problem
Solving
- Designing
- Flying
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Mathematical Concepts include:
- Scale
- Calculations
- Fractions
- Measuring
- Number Patterns
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This four hour project has
three components: construction, testing and adjustment, and flying. A
1:16 teacher/student ratio is required. Most materials will be supplied
by TMELA. Numbers are negotiable. Pre and post activity lessons can be
supplied to teachers. |
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Trimath Challenge - A great
way to lift the profile of maths! |
Details of Trimath Challenge
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A
series of 3 novel maths events that students will find exciting,
challenging, active and fun.
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A full
day planned for students (staff supervision and assistance
required)
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A great
Middle Years transition project for Year 6 and 7’s (and 5’s if
need be) or can be organized for a year level (e.g. all Year 8’s
within a school)
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Kites
- Developing an Integrated Maths Project |
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Participants will make kites
in this session as an example of a hands-on project around which we
will build an integrated Maths program. Participants will tease out
the maths (and other domains) involved in the project and develop a
simple, but effective plan. Discussion will focus on:
Participates will take away
a sound but simple planning structure for integrated program
planning, a clearer understanding of what it means to ‘Work
Mathematically’ and see how other curriculum areas can be integrated
into the mathematics classroom.
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Developing Thinking in the Mathematics Classroom |
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Participants will explore the outcomes that can be
achieved by setting up a positive learning environment where
thinking in the Mathematics classroom is promoted and expected.
Participants will not only leave this hands-on session with some
ready-made engaging maths activities which they will be able to
implement immediately, but will also feel comfortable using a range
of thinking tools and strategies enabling them to deliver a
differentiated maths curriculum for Middle Years classrooms.
Activities will be linked to the E5 Instruction model and discussion
will centre around quality Middle Years classroom practices. |
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Promoting
Thinking in the Maths Classroom |
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This session is about setting up a positive
learning environment where thinking is both promoted and expected in
the Mathematics classroom. It makes the most of engaging
activities, whilst recognizing the requirements of multiple ability
Middle Years classrooms.
Participants will not only leave this hands-on
session with some ready-made engaging activities which they will be
able to implement immediately, but will also be rewarded with the
development of their own skills and strategies to be able to elicit
a lot more from their own teaching and learning activities by
invoking deeper thinking in their students, and a willingness for
them to explore mathematical possibilities.
A number of examples will be used to illustrate
the expectations required, and questioning needed, in order to
develop deeper understanding and encourage students to make logical
mathematical predictions. Participants will be involved in
developing questioning techniques that require their students to
move beyond the straightforward answer, to appreciating the real
value of working mathematically.
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Thinking By Creating
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This session will utilize thinking strategies
and planning techniques, as well as creating and making activities
that make students think. Participants in this session will learn
how easy it is to create activities with their students, and as they
do so, learn the formula for getting their students involved in,
engaged with and thinking about the mathematics they are doing.
Reflection is an integral part of the session
and discussion will focus on the issues of catering for all
abilities, and the development of ‘thinking’ students. Participants
will be involved in making some activities during the session and
will depart armed with lots of ideas and enthusiasm to create
further activities and programs that will stimulate thinking in
their own classrooms.
Bring along a laptop and/or a USB in order to
share creations.
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Developing ICT in the
Mathematics Classroom |
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Using computer technology to enhance
mathematics in the Middle Years is the focus of this hands-on
session. Although there are thousands of websites available with
great activities to engage students whilst practicing important
skills, this session is more about integrating ICT to develop,
present and enhance mathematical investigations. The focus will be
providing engaging mathematical activities but you will find that
many ICT outcomes will be achieved at the same time. Attention will
also be given as to how the activities fit the E5 instructional
model in the differentiated Middle Years classroom.
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Fostering
Positive Attitudes to Maths |
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This session aims to give
students positive experiences in Mathematics through enjoyment of
confidence-building activities. It aims to demonstrate, review and
create engaging tasks to motivate students to learn. The tasks will
build the knowledge and confidence needed, without being too
tedious. They will help prime the students’ minds to want to
succeed and to be more prepared to immerse themselves into
challenging situations.
Through hands on activities
and reflective discussions, participants in this session will depart
with an array of games and activities that they can use in their own
classrooms the very next day along with the confidence to apply what
they have learnt in this session to create many other invaluable
activities suited to the needs of the students with which they work.
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Dots in
the Right Places |
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So many of our Middle Years
students find these areas of basic number so confusing and
yet these form the foundations of our whole understanding of
our world of measurement and finance. This workshop will
not supply teachers with impossible tricks or fancy
equipment, just down-to-earth, hands-on methods that work.
This workshop is designed for
Middle Years teachers, and offers participants:
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Reflective discussion around
reasons for the lack of confidence in this area
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Effective language associated
with understanding these concepts
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Hands-on activities to assist
understanding
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Opportunities to identify the
real life applications
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An understanding of the scope
and sequence of teaching these concepts
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Great projects that can help
develop these concepts
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GROWING
MATHEMATICS |
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This Middle Years Maths session is
about growing a good activity into an even better one; growing
learners into better learners; and growing knowledge into more
knowledge.
The session begins with an engaging
challenge. It then uses an integrated learning approach to lead
participants through a number of learning activities that could be
explored after it.
Best Teaching and Learning practices
will be identified throughout, and participants will be guided in
developing mini units during the session. A number of maths
examples will be grown. Attention will be paid to learning styles,
thinking strategies and to catering for all abilities within the
class.
All examples used will be suitable
for application to any Middle Years Maths classrooms and
participants can grow them into even better outcomes for their
students. |
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Some
Remedies for the "I hate maths Syndrome |
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Strategies
for Enhancing Middle Years Numeracy
This PD focuses
on engagement and success and will involve active participation in
hands-on activities by all participants. It encompasses ‘best
practice’ in numeracy teaching with middle years students and
incorporates differentiated curriculum, multiple intelligences,
thinking strategies and organizers, reflections on current practices
and an investigation of real life applications.
Much of the
groundwork for this presentation comes from the presenter’s
extensive experience with ‘youth at risk’ groups, but has also been
applied very successfully in the ‘normal’ middle years classroom.
Insight into some of the symptoms, causes and remedies for the ‘I
hate maths’ syndrome are exposed – which includes scrutiny of
teaching methodology. |
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Real Maths |
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Strategies for
Enhancing Middle Years Numeracy
Simple message –
make it real. Sounds good – but how? How, is the focus of this PD,
and planning and questioning are two of the key components. It
shares some very simple but effective planning tools and encourages
the use of the local community and environment to make it real. It
looks at identifying outcomes and the break-down of skills needed to
achieve these outcomes and how these can be achieved in a meaningful
way. This PD also looks at ways of lifting the profile of
mathematics amongst the students, the school and the community.
Throughout this
PD, participants will not only be listening, discussing and
reflecting, but be experiencing each component in a hands-on way so
that when the day is finished they will already be putting into
practice what they have learnt ready to apply it with their own
classes straight away. |
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Strategies
for Enhancing Maths in the Middle Years |
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Evaluating
current Teaching and Learning practices
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Disengagement – discussing the issues
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Strategies
to consider
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Consistency/Routine
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Variety of
Presentation
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Clear
instruction and direction
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Making Maths
enjoyable
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Provision
for all abilities
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Some
activities to try
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Feedback and
Evaluation
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Other
administrative considerations
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Measurements Beyond |
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This workshop looks at measurements beyond those used in
everyday life:
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Using prefixes much greater
than kilos and much smaller than millilitres
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Expressing these numbers in
scientific notation
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Investigating base units of
measurement other than grams, litres and metres
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Researching the tools used in
these measurements and how they work
The workshop focuses on this very
successful unit of work run with a Gifted and Talented group of
grade 5 and 6’s, and highlights what can be done when children are
given the opportunity and leadership, and they are taught to aim
high. Strategies for working with these types of children, including
the integration of communication skills, are discussed; and
activities to handle difficult topics easily are shared. All is most
applicable to the secondary sector as well. |
