Goal Setting

Goals setting - please include a statement that we changed the goal setting circle from ‘Why?’ at the centre to ‘Who?’ as we felt we had touched on the 'Why?’ at the previous symposium.  We now felt we needed to dig down to identify who will be leading and driving the goals and actions at each school, to promote responsibility and accountability.  

Some maths videos made by children at Merrin

Distribution of multiplication facts

Box multiplication

Paper on the effect of ability grouping on students

http://www.atm.org.uk/write/MediaUploads/Journals/MT230/Non-Member/ATM-MT230-05-08.pdf

Conversations around "What are some challenges of Numeracy Teaching?"

Shared conversations around the challenges of teaching numeracy 


An extensive list but interesting read...


Conflict of interests between standards, pedagogy behind National Standards
Limited home school partnership
The most needy children are not in class
protected time restricts flexibility
Knowing your maths children as the whole child
maths interchange versus flexible groupings
curr overload
ambiguity between teachers and OTJ's
Maths is so broad
Assessment is difficult
Numeracy Project daunting
tie that goes into planning and organising
differentiation and group teaching
What are the rest working on when you are teaching?
Technology - What's on offer. How to make the most of it.
Getting children to verbalise thinking
Key words in problems solving
making and storing equipment
timetable for numeracy lessons
process of assessment and the use of it
confusion between language and jargon
accessing support and resources
Too many groups required
Managing range of abilities without extra support
Large number of children per group
G&T extension
engaging kids to take risks
strategy knowledge balance and rich problems
parents teaching through rote learning
Changing passive learners into active learners
Supporting material for group boxes
availablilty of materials
Finding engaging activities to meet their needs
Time to test
Coverage
Misconceptions about numeracy project

Conversations around "How do you manage your math timetable?"

Shared ideas and experiences around effective math timetables

START
Knowledge Hotspot
inquiry about a piece of equipment or strategy or number sense
setting expectations for independent learning for number knowledge goals

LEARNING
Basic facts practice
Strategy lesson
Independent exploration of math number knowledge goals using equipment - peer tutoring

Problem solving as a rotation
One problem different strategies depending on needs

Rotation system for ability groups although these are flexi groups
Flexible grouping - to meet needs of children who need time
Needs based group teaching

Students - Teach the teacher

5 practices
- anticipating, selecting, monitoring, connecting, reflecting Children are focused on the task, teacher focused on the learning.

END
Reflection time at end of every session

NOTES
Avonhead School is trialling protected time - no interruptions literacy and numeracy
Have an investigating book (exercise book) where children can practice without being marked or judged
Long term plan to ensure coverage
incidental maths can be taught throughout the day
Interchange Mon - Thurs then Friday basic facts in homeroom
Quality focus not quantity
Plan 1-2 days not whole week
flexible grouping according to students thinking and learning progress
distributing teacher time lower group 3 out of 4 days
Collaborative teaching
Balance with knowledge and strategy
integrate into other curr areas - science, reading, technology
need to respond to children's needs during the lesson - then change your planning
Manage learning through accountability
Choice - children have flexible timetable where students can choose to work on maths goals at a time that suits them throughout the day.

Questions for further reflection...
How do you ensure there are no gaps in each stage?
Pretesting / Post testing / What testing and when? / Purpose of testing and effectiveness of testing methods / formats?
How are you tracking progress for each child?
How many days are you committed to teaching math in a week? There was a large variation recorded, from not in some weeks to 4 days a week to 5 days a week.
How do you empower student voice?
How do you provide for choice?

Conversations around 'How do you educate / inform parents on current math practices?'

Shared conversations about our ideas and experiences.

• Share, Share, Share - digital, oral, visual
• share progressions of math pathways so they can see progress as well as next steps. 
• invite them in
• Students online reflections allowing for comments
• Ensuring children have language to articulate to parents
• invite questions
• empowering student led conferences that demo the learning
• blogs connected to email and mobile phones
• Photographic journal
• shared goals that are understand by all
• ixl
• Coffee Mornings
• Information evenings / learning conferences
• Newsletters
• Classroom displays that are interactive, up to date and invite dialogue
• Important to have a consistent message with parents
• bilingual explanations available if necessary
• Ministry Information sheets / videos and sites
• open door policy
• students become the experts to run workshops
• Maths games sessions to with picnic lunch
• Educreations app used to record lesson or students make a lesson to share on blog
• Math language explained
• Parent education site with information for them to access at own leisure
• Send home 1 piece of equipment for student to ask questions about how it could be used to help them achieve their math goals. ie; number line - How many ways can you use a number line?

Results of Junior Symposium......

If we used this as a guide for success criteria in developing effective classroom practice....

Effective Pedagogy in Mathematics publication from the International Academy of Education based on a synthesis of research evidence produced for NZ Ministry of Education Iterative Best Evidcnce Synthesis Programme by Glenda Anthony and Margaret Walshaw
lists effective teaching as .....
1. ethic of care - help develop students mathematical identities and proficiences
2. arranging of learning - providing students with opportunities to work both independently and collaboratively to make sense of ideas
3. build on students thinking -enabling students to build on their current thinking, interests and experieicnes
4. worthwhile mathematical tasks - understanding the taks and examples selected influence how students view develop use and make sense of maths
5. Making Connections - support students in making connections in different ways
6. assessment for learning - use a range of assessment practices to make thinking visible and to support student learning
7. Math Communication - facilitating dialogue that is focused on math argumentation
8. Math Language - shape math language by modelling appropriate terms and communicating their meaning in ways the students understand
9. Tools and representations - use of resources to support students thinking
10. Teacher Knowledge - used to initiate learning and respond to math needs of all students

Then reflect on our learning and goals for creating change in math classrooms, developed from our day  of collaboration @ the Junior Math Symposium.......

1. valuing problem solving
2. applying JAM testing in a manageable way
3. creative ways of learning through discovery
4. creative, fun learning experiences to teach knowledge
5. varying teaching approaches
6. using equipment in different ways 
7. reflecting on my math timetable
8. working with and catering for individual learning goals
9. variety enriches learning experiences
10. individuality valued
11. differentiated learning 
12. sharing learning openly
13. tracking children problem solving strategies applied

Final focus being .... 

1. more creative, hands on ways to practice and explore key ideas  
2. empowering students to navigate own journey and articulate this in own words 
3. sharing of students learning and experiences for conversations about learning 

How do you think we did in creating effective pedagogy in mathematics classrooms?