Weekend Reading

Here is the first National Maths & Stats Newsletter of the year with many useful links. 

I particularly like the new you cubed site from Stanford University http://youcubed.stanford.edu/, and Jo Boaler,  Professor of Mathematics Education and the driving force behind the very successful “How to Learn Maths” course.  She uses Carol Dweck’s work and this website is heavily informed by her interpretations of “Mindset”. 
http://youcubed.stanford.edu/category/teaching-ideas/growing-mindset/ . 

The positive class norms section contains a document worth sharing with her 7 favourite messages for students

Stanford also released a news article last week on the need to teach maths without fear or speed. You can find the article here 

The short paper the news article is based on is worth downloading and having a read through.

While this paper is aimed at younger students, as secondary teachers having students coming into year 9 without a sound knowledge of basic facts is not uncommon. 
Included in the paper are a number of activities that could be used to practice basic facts and embed number sense.
Students I have worked with have always loved the "how close to 100" activity. We often used it as a whole class activity and threw in  questions like, how many squares did you fill in with that roll, what fraction of your grid is coloured now? What % do you have left ?

This paper has also got me thinking about my response to parents of young children asking what they should do about their child's maths.

Just make sure they can add subtract multiple divide has been my stock standard response however I will now be sure to include making sure they learn their facts  by using them in different mathematical situations to help build that flexibility of thinking and so number sense.

What will your response be?

First Lessons

This post from the secondary literacy on line forum got me thinking about what we do in maths to start the year. 

Great first lessons: Igniting the fire in your students.

There is nothing like the first lesson to excite students about the learning both as an individual and as a class of learners who are hopefully going to take charge of their own learning.

How do you want them to feel when they leave your classroom? What is the most important thing you want them to know? Are they going to feel a part of a class or feel like a separate individual?

How are you going to establish manaakitanga (values of integrity, trust, sincerity and integrity) 

What are you going to do to build whanaungatanga (relationships based on high expectations)?

1. To build whanaungatanga: The string activity: In groups of 4, students are given two pieces of string and some post-its. They are to use the string to make the North and South Island. Individually students write on a post-it a place that has special meaning to them. They do this for three special places- then place each post-it within (or outside) of the pieces of string.  They then go around and share their place and why it has meaning to them. Making connections and building relationships. Alternatively you could do the same with a map of the Pacific.

I thought we could share some ideas together that could be used as first lessons. To start the ball rolling here are  6 more ideas: 

1. Habits of successful learners : Get a SKAR
2. Joining squares - investigation
3. Who am I ? - know your learner
4. Why is a manhole round & other ideas ?
5. Calculator capers
6. 9 questions