Keynote
Calvin Irons and Brian Tickle
Strategies to Develop Deep Knowledge and Skills and Ensure Greater Success for More Students
(lower / middle / upper primary) |
Deep knowledge and skills is one of the focal points of the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics. To achieve this goal, there is a need to rethink the sequence that we have traditionally followed and reconsider the emphasis we have previously given to many topics within mathematics. This presentation will describe how to develop deep knowledge and skills in those topics that the new curriculum identifies as crucial. It will also explain the implications for adjusting teaching sequences to achieve these aims. Many practical examples will be given across the content and proficiency strands of the curriculum.
Session A
Peter Stowasser
Fostering Statistical Literacy in the Early Years
(lower primary) |
In the draft national mathematics curriculum ACARA has acknowledged that there is a need to increase the emphasis placed on the Probability and Statistics strands. Statistics is a relatively new subject for most teachers. Many have not had the opportunity to develop sound knowledge of the principles and concepts underlying the practices that they’re now called upon to teach. This session will identify what it means to think statistically and will offer examples of how to develop statistical fluency in the early years.
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Judy Hartnett
Developing Deep Knowledge and Skills in Measurement
(lower / middle / upper primary) |
This session will work through identification of some of the deep knowledge and skills from the Measurement strand and will propose ways to include these as the focus of lessons and units of work.
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Michelle Tregoning
Problem Soving Minus the Problem
(lower / middle / upper primary)  THIS PRESENTATION IS FULL |
In the upcoming national curriculum, problem solving is removed from under the umbrella of working mathematically to become one of the four proficiency strands. The very nature of problem solving is that the problem should initially be difficult to answer. But how do you help students whose eyes glaze at the mention of word problems because they have no idea where or how to start? This workshop will show you how you can use Newman's Error Analysis to diagnose areas of need for individual students and how you can support the development of a range of strategies that students can use to access, understand and successfully solve mathematical problems.
Back to topAllan Turton
Exploring 3D Objects: The Basics and Beyond
(middle / upper primary) |
Do your students think that a prism is where criminals live? While getting students to memorise the correct geometric terms can be difficult enough, getting the right picture for the name is harder (and more important) than you might think. In this hands-on workshop, participants will explore some fundamental concepts of 3D objects and investigate some special categories of objects.
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Kelvin Sparks
Using Rich Contexts to Develop Measurement and Statistics
(middle / upper primary) |
By learning to take measurements and process data appropriately students learn more about the world and gain deep insights into the power and purpose of mathematics. The world is an exciting place for children to explore and mathematics is an essential tool for that inquiry but sometimes learning occurs beyond traditional subject boundaries. This workshop will examine in detail the role of mathematics as an inquiry tool in the context of two specific units of study.
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Hall Jackson
Utilising eBeam IWB Pod for Primary Mathematics
(lower / middle / upper primary)
Learn a range of technology skills you can apply to your interactive whiteboard. Examine teaching strategies to engage and monitor students including peer instruction,the creation of an e-portfolio using ORIGO's online resources, and the use of NAPLAN tests. The session will also demonstrate pre-prepared lesson plans, impromptu teaching approaches, and using IWBs without using a projector.
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Session B
Rosemary Irons
Learning About Numbers: Natural and Complex for Young Children
(prep / lower primary) |
Learning about number is natural for children as they work with resources, draw pictures and recognise symbols in a mathematics-rich environment. The learning environment includes a range of number representations such as different arrangements of quantity, five- and ten-frame organisers and number tracks. These models help young children develop a strong conceptual understanding of number that enables them to represent number in meaningful ways and builds upon the joy of working with numbers.
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Judy Hartnett
Using the Deep Knowledge and Skills of the Measurement Strand to Focus the Development of Assessment Tasks and Criteria
(lower / middle / upper primary) |
This session will show how the use of deep knowledge and skills can assist the focus and clarification of assessment criteria and will use the Measurement strand for examples. This session builds on ideas from the presenter's other session but also stands alone as a workshop.
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Allan Turton
Angling for Understanding
(middle / upper primary) |
If you find yourself fishing for ideas to develop deep understanding about angles, this session may be just what you need. Many classroom activities about angles involve undefined expressions, unexplained rules and unfriendly protractors. This session will engage participants in hands-on activities designed to clarify, develop and strengthen the concept of angle.
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Kelvin Sparks
Developing Deep Knowledge in Algebra through Inquiry-Based Learning
(middle / upper primary) |
Historically, number and algebra have been viewed as procedural knowledge in mathematics. However, this has been at the expense of students’ conceptual understanding. This session shows how to avoid this dilemma through inquiry-based learning. In an inquiry approach, teachers plan collaboratively to identify the enduring understandings involved in each mathematical topic. In this way, they can guide their students to ask questions, think critically about the mathematical skills they are learning, and thus develop deeper and more durable understanding.
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Mal Shield
Planning for Deep Learning in the Middle Years
(lower secondary) |
This session will ask what it means for students to have a deep understanding of mathematics, then focus on ways of designing programs and lessons that provide opportunities for students to build deep understanding. A planning framework will be discussed and participants will engage in a planning task for a specific mathematical topic. Relevant teaching strategies, including a focus on language, will also be explored.
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Gerard Tuffield
ORIGO Stepping Stones: The Next-Generation Mathematics Program
(lower / middle / upper primary) |
This product presentation will demonstrate ORIGO Education’s new online mathematics program that includes differentiated teaching modules and lessons plans and incorporates interactive teaching tools, games for reinforcing strategies, ready-to-project lesson illustrations, digital tools for bringing ‘Big Books’ to life, a glossary of mathematical terms, and professional development videos.
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Session C
Rosemary Irons
Language Experiences that Support Measurement and Geometry
(lower primary) |
Measurement and geometrical concepts requires specific vocabulary that is often new and unfamiliar to young students. Language and supporting experiences that children encounter in their day-to-day life at home and school will be reviewed and relevant measurement and geometry activities will be highlighted. As we guide learning by modelling appropriate language and creating interesting learning experiences, we also enhance mathematical concept development.
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Michelle Tregoning
Teaching Problem-Solving Activities in a Mixed-Ability Classroom
(lower / middle / upper primary) |
In the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics, problem solving becomes one of the four proficiency strands. The framing paper states that the teaching of strategic competence in problem solving includes the ability to make choices, interpret, formulate, model and investigate problem situations, and communicate solutions effectively. The problem facing teachers is how to effectively integrate problem solving into all strands of a numeracy program whilst retaining some form of sanity! This workshop will focus on examining how you can incorporate the explicit teaching of problem solving strategies in a mixed-ability classroom whilst developing deep knowledge and deep understanding of mathematical concepts.Back to top
Calvin Irons
Using Number Puzzles to Promote Number Sense and Mental Computation
(middle / upper primary) |
There is a huge range of number puzzles that can be used to generate interest in mathematics and promote the application of mental calculation strategies. From strange tales about the magic square that date back more than 2000 years to the modern day Sudoku, there are many examples of weird and wonderful puzzles that stimulate and build reasoning powers involving number. This hands-on session will explore a few of those curiosities.
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Peter Stowasser
Probability and Statistics in the Middle and Upper Years
(middle / upper primary) |
Statistical literacy is considered the ultimate goal in statistics education. This session will focus on seeing, exploring and describing the natural variance between individuals and groups, and laying the foundations upon which statistical literacy can be built.
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Mal Shield
Deep Learning and Understanding in the Middle Years
(lower secondary) |
With the Australian curriculum emphasising “rigorous, in-depth study, preferring depth to breadth”, teachers must have an appreciation of what this means for the understanding of specific mathematics concepts. This session will explore the notion of understanding in terms of key mathematical structures and connections. A number of core topics will be examined, as will their key structural ideas and the ways in which focusing on these – and their connections with other mathematical ideas – can lead to a deeper understanding of mathematics for students. The session will demonstrate how deep understanding of a small number of key ideas can enable the solution of problems in a range of contexts.
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Peter Niass
Utilising eBeam IWB Pod for Lower Secondary Mathematics
(lower secondary)
Learn a range of technology skills you can apply to your interactive whiteboard. Examine teaching strategies to engage and monitor students including peer instruction, the creation of an e-portfolio using ORIGO's online resources, and the use of NAPLAN tests. The session will also demonstrate pre-prepared lesson plans, impromptu teaching approaches, and using IWBs without using a projector.
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Closing KeynoteBrian Tickle
When the Student Becomes the Teacher
Several primary mathematics syllabuses in Australia acknowledge that students benefit greatly when they are encouraged to engage in rich dialogue about mathematical concepts, situations and problem-solving strategies. This session features students' responses and work samples that show what can happen when students are given the roles and responsibilities of the teacher.
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