B. Teach K-6 Maths Module 2009 & 2010

Monash University Education: Primary Maths Professional Development - 2009 program

2009-08-07T20:36:00.000-07:00

There is a bunch of downloads here that might be useful.

Monash Uni mathematics professional learning program workshops relating research and theory to the practice of teaching primary mathematics. Incorporate exploration of a range of mathematics ideas and teaching strategies, with a distinctive focus.

Problem solving skills

2009-07-30T14:26:00.000-07:00

In the Week 16 Tute I passed around lesson plans for teaching social and emotional competencies. It relates to English literacy as well as maths by way of developing problem solving skills.

The lesson plans came from the REDI resources website, but this has recently been changed. The links to the PDF lesson plans is broken, but might be fixed soon.

A word about Teachers.tv and copyright

2009-07-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

Noleine reminded us to keep in mind copyright regulations when posting to this notice board. Postings are usually links to other websites so it's not such a problem EXCEPT there is one thing I thought I should mention.

The truly wonderful www.teachers.tv is marred by their terms of use that says you can't watch their videos online if you are outside the UK (srlsy!?). Furthermore, according to their website, you are not supposed to download their videos outside the UK at, say, uni(so that you can save on your download usage at home) then take it on a USB stick home to watch . Of course, they can't stop you from doing that...

Now you can watch the Australian mirror of the site at www.teacherstv.com.au, but their version totally sucks because a) some bloody random video always automatically plays as soon as you go the website, thus sucking up your internet download usage if you are at home, b) their search functionality is crap, and c) you can't download a video (at, say, uni) then take it home to watch.

So I guess you follow any links posted to teachers.tv on this blog at you own risk...

Last minute practice!

2009-05-27T07:20:00.000-07:00

Just found this website, I was looking for fraction practice and found this site, this particular link heads you towards fraction practice, I haven't explored the site further than that yet but I am sure there is a lot more on there too!

The Mathematics of Needle Felting- ratio practice.

2009-05-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

Needle felting involves sticking a barbed needle in to wool over and over again to make it all mesh together and make beautiful things. This link shows the workings out of how long it takes to needle felt. It ties in nicely with our ratio and decimal work. Perhaps not all ratio questions have to be about cars driving- lets tap into our creativity!

Copacabana Public School (NSW) Interactive Activities

2009-05-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Get Smart: these pages contain a collection of links to suitable activities to support and enhance classroom teaching and learning.
Bonus: Set out by stages.
Link is here

Video: Ratio & proportion

2009-05-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Primary maths consultant Darren Ellsum introduces the idea of using ICT in numeracy teaching to illustrate abstract topics.

In the first of two lessons, advanced skills teacher Liz Walker uses presentation software in edit mode to illustrate ratio to her pupils in Bexley.

In the second lesson, Liz works with a smaller group, introducing proportion by looking at Leonado da Vinci's Vitruvian Man and by getting pupils to analyse photos of themselves.

ICT can be a really useful tool for helping pupils develop mental images of abstract topics in numeracy.

Click HERE

Have a look at MERGA

2009-05-06T01:45:00.000-07:00

Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) is an association that aims:
* to promote, share, disseminate, and co-operate on quality research on mathematics education for all levels particularly in Australasia.
* to provide permanent means for sharing of research results and concerns among all members through regular publications and conferences;
* to seek means of implementing research findings at all decision levels to the teaching of mathematics and to the preparation of teachers of mathematics; and
* to maintain liaison with other organisations with similar interests in mathematics education or educational research.

The link is HERE

LOTS OF FREE JOURNAL PUBLICATIONS TO DOWNLOAD!!!

Animated algorithm of dividing with decimals

2009-05-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

How to Divide Decimals
See this link for animations of the algorithm

Statistics Quiz!

2009-05-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this the other day, and quite enjoyed it. I thought you might like it too: Lies, Damn Lies and Statistics Quiz

Decimals

2009-04-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

At Teachers.tv there are at least three videos about decimals. Click on their headings to follow the link):

The Decimal Place Video 1 15min
In this programme, we look at Pamela's Welsh Year 4/5 class which is trialing a system where the vocabulary of decimals and the relationship to vulgar fractions is emphasized.
Firstly, the class revise how decimals and fractions may have the "same value" but a "different appearance". There is then a debate about the difference between 0.12 and 1.2 when expressed in tenths.
Group work follows and pupils take a number and break it into its component parts. Again the vocabulary of maths is emphasized as thousandths are introduced. Finally, pupils work in groups to add three decimal place numbers.
Some groups work on subtraction, which involves what they call "funny counting" - carrying across one hundredth to make ten thousandths to make a subtraction possible.

The Decimal Place Video 2 15min
John Rawlings, local authority adviser for Neath Port Talbot, chairs a discussion between maths consultant Richard Dunne and class teacher Pamela Morgan on teaching decimals at KS2.
They review the lesson featured in The Decimal Place 1 and comment on the different approaches adopted by other local schools. They also discuss the value of group work and how talking through calculations gives students a greater understanding.
The panel discusses Pamela's focus on the representation of decimals and how they can be written with the same value but a different appearance.
This programme also looks at the number stick and line method to introduce decimals and a teacher who uses an everyday situation, money, as a starting point.

Jonny Heeley's Masterclass - Decimals Forever 30min
Teaching Award winner Jonny Heeley inspires a group of gifted and talented KS2 pupils with an active lesson about decimals.
This lesson provides maths teachers with some concrete and accessible ways to teach students about decimals and introduce them to Pi.
Jonny explores the differences between recurring and terminating decimals before looking at the relevance of these decimals in the real world.
In the guise of a shop keeper who owns a 'round shop', he helps the pupils calculate Pi and entertains them with his explanation of this magical number.
To demonstrate the brilliance of Pi, the lesson culminates in an exercise involving a giant tyre and a box of eggs. Will the eggs get crushed or will they correct calculation save them?

Learning Geometry and Measurement Concepts by Creating Paths and Navigating Mazes: Hiding Ladybug

2009-04-28T17:31:00.000-07:00

Hidden away within the NTCM's website on Principles and Standards is a little gem that matches somewhat with an earlier post about the BeeBot robots. This is an online version where you move a beetle about by programming. Students can use their knowledge of number, measurement, and geometry to solve interesting problems.

CLick HERE to follow the link.

"Crazy Animals" maths lesson plan

2009-04-28T17:27:00.000-07:00

From The Curriculum Corporation website comes this little beauty:

One day a young child brought a new book into class for her 'show and tell'. It was a book which mixed up the heads, middle and legs of a set of animals to make a whole collection of 'crazy animals'. The teacher had an idea about investigating how many different animals could be made. Another teacher thought of including a dice to explore the possibility of making these animals. Another thought of naming the animals to add interest and to make recording and publication easier. Yet another realised the algebra possibilities. This lesson is truly the composite of creative teachers sharing and learning from each other.
Years: K - 12 Time: 2 - 6 lessons

CLick HERE to follow the link to more details.

APA Style Guide

2009-04-28T16:36:00.000-07:00

Hi folks!

I said last week I'd put up the info about this document I had found, it's called

APA Style Guide to Electronic References
call number - BF 76.7 .A462 2007

The document is held in reserve in the Morris Miller. If you just do a catalogue search for "APA style guide" on the library website you will get the call number and more info about it.

Hope it helps those that may need it.

Video: Spinning Heads and Spinning News: Statistics in the Media

2009-04-26T20:45:00.000-07:00

Another post that probably sits under quantitative literacy (ESA196). It's a talk given to The Mathematical Association of American Conference Oct 2008, by Rebecca Goldin of George Mason University.

Goldin titled her talk "Spinning Heads and Spinning News: Statistics in the Media." The video of her talk illustrates how the media miss the mark in the use and presentation of statistics in stories about the economy, health, science, and education.

Click on the word here to follow the link.

javascript:void(0)

Coxhoe Primary School's website online maths excercises

2009-04-23T04:22:00.000-07:00

Oh. My. God.
Have a look at this school's website here.
It was mentioned in a teachers.tv video (the fractions resource review one).

The link is to their numeracy section which has masses of online excercises and maths links.

Hint: For other subjects click on the pull down menu at the top of their website labeled curriculum. Yeesh!

Multiplication of fractions using number lines video

2009-04-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

This 9min video was created by Larry Perez, Saddleback College California
This video covers:
How do you multiply fractions using a number line?
How do you multiply a whole number by a fraction?
How do you multiply 1/2 by 8/3?

Click here to go there.

Referencing

2009-04-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

Endnote
EndNote is a bibliographic management tool that allows you to save, organise and use references found from a variety of sources.
Using EndNote you can:
create a database (library) of references
search and download references from electronic databases and library catalogues
generate citations and bibliographies in APA styles
Endnote if free from here

Utas' APA referencing guidelines can be found here (pdf doc)

Also, Curtin Uni has a nice to read APA guideline too, it can be found here (pdf doc)

Online maths games

2009-04-21T20:58:00.000-07:00

There's heaps of online maths games on the web, and you can spend a lot of time finding good ones. A real lot of them have poor graphics or boring pointless game play. This one is not too bad though, called Roz's Math-a-rama. I like the way you can choose the grade too. Hint: make your internet browser zoom in a bit to make the images bigger.

http://www.eduplace.com/kids/mw/

The Bee-Bot robot

2009-03-26T22:12:00.000-07:00

Here’s a great idea for developing spatial thinking as well as teaching control, directional language and programming to young children. This morning, while doing parent help in my daughter’s prep class, I was lucky enough to play… I mean teach… with a Bee-Bot.

Photo right: My daughter, programming!

They cost around $90 AUD each (or 4 for $300 AUD). Eeeek!

You program the robot using the arrow buttons, then hit GO and off it crawls following the program. We had four adults in the class, so it was a great opportunity to break the class into groups of 6, each with one robot and one adult to control the mayhem. EVERY child wants to have a go so you can only do it in small groups. I grabbed some icy-pole sticks and some foam blocks and children had to program the robot to navigate the simple maze and knock down the blocks. It’s harder than it looks, especially for some children. Children were also asked to draw a diagram (with arrows) in their learning journal. I think this would be appropriate up to children between Stages 3 to 6 of the Mathematics-numeracy curriculum (late kindergarten to grade 2. Maybe older children could do more challenging mazes).

I found the Bee-Bot website with some videos showing other interesting ways to use them at

http://www.tts-group.co.uk/Bee-Bot

Learning Fractions

2009-03-26T05:09:00.000-07:00

Some of us might have needed a refresher in fractions (like me!) after todays lesson. This guy makes it very easy to understand improper fractions, mixed fractions etc....found it good for jogging the memory after all these years! (See 1st youtube link below) and the second one is just a bit of a funny one for thinking about fractions.

www.youtube.com/user/northstar15

www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxpbMg_WASs

Just a little info about your school for PE1

2009-03-26T02:21:00.000-07:00

I know this is not strictly an ESA194 topic, but some people who are going to State schools might be interested in the Dept of Education (DOE) schools' improvement report for their school.

Follow the link below and you should be able to find your school there on the list. Many schools also have a paragraph or two giving some background before you get into the nitty-gritty of the school's report.

http://schoolimprovement.education.tas.gov.au/

Video: Working with fractions 3

2009-03-25T17:11:00.001-07:00

New teacher Patrick is being mentored into the scheme. We eavesdrop and see how to introduce the concept of fractions using paper cups to concretely represent halves and quarters. Moving the cups between two places - a resources table and a maths table - makes addition and subtraction clear. Link: http://www.teachers.tv/video/1445

Video: Working with fractions 2

2009-03-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

This programme demonstrates:
How to introduce children to fractions using concrete representation (cups)
How to move from the concrete to the symbolic (number cards)
How to translate symoblic ability to abstract thought.
Link: http://www.teachers.tv/video/140

Video: Working with fractions 1

2009-03-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

From Teachers.tv
In this edition we're looking at three resources to help with teaching Fractions. Expert Chris Pearson, Headteacher at Goldstone Primary School, in Hove, East Sussex recommends:
- Run Around Fractions- Magnetic 3D Fraction Shapes- Fractions section of www.coxhoe.durham.sch.uk
Our roving reporter, Matthew Tosh, is out and about to see a couple of the resources in action. Chris and presenter Hermione Cockburn are joined in the studio by panellists Keith Fox, Headteacher at St John's Walworth Primary School in the London Borough of Southwark, and Dave Smith, ICT Consultant and Curriculum Advisor for the Havering Inspection and Advisory Service.
Link: http://www.teachers.tv/video/26140

2009-03-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

From Jess Jones:
Hi everyone I found an interesting site with different little interactive mathematics activities on it. Probably not very useful but maybe a bit of fun??
http://www.cut-the-knot.org/Curriculum/Arithmetic/DistributiveLaw.shtml

Video: Year 5 pupils learn multiplication by using the grid method

2009-03-24T20:46:00.000-07:00

Pertaining to Week 2: From the www.teachers.tv website comes a TOTALLY AWESOME 55 min video: Year 5 pupils learn multiplication by using the grid method.

I actually found this teacher to be quite intimidating. I mean, I don't think I could ever be as focussed and fast thinking as her, but I guess that's just me. Anyhow, check out how well she controls the class! Very impressive. She also displays some great ideas for giving children a quick break after sitting on the floor and concentrating for so long.

http://www.teachers.tv/video/28084

Googol Learning Blog

2009-03-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

The Googol Learning Blog publishes the Googol Power Math Series and the Discovery Multiplication Program (which focuses on true understanding, patterns, thinking and goal setting to develop strong mental math skills). Their online store sells educational music, DVDs, games and related math products.

http://www.googolpower.com/content/

A video focus on times tables in Year 4

2009-03-24T20:42:00.000-07:00

Pertaining to Week 2: A 15min video focus on times tables in Year 4 and renewed framework.

Link: http://www.teachers.tv/video/20143

A funny maths song by Tom Lehrer

2009-03-24T20:38:00.000-07:00

I just happened to hear this song on the latest Brains Matter Podcast today and it reminded me of the Week 3 Tute. Tom Lehrer's most famous song is "The Elements". Anyway, enjoy this one "New Math".
Follow link to a video animation set to his song:
www.googolpower.com/content/free-learning-resources/videos/tom-lehrer-math-songs

Making maths real

2009-03-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

From TeachersTV (follow link to www.teachers.tv/video/27564)

Follow KS2 pupils with language difficulties at Christ Church Primary School in Birmingham as they use maths in real life situations to further their knowledge of numeracy.

Making subjects relevant to pupils' lives is now an integral part of learning. As an EAL school, Christ Church uses maths as an opportunity to give pupils confidence when speaking English in public.

Focusing on perimeter and area, see how the upper group of pupils have already progressed in their learning, as complex problem-solving calculations are now tackled with a greater confidence and ease.

Learn how participation and relevance can enhance pupils' understanding of key subjects and life skills.

Blokus: Online maths game Pre to Adult

2009-03-24T20:31:00.000-07:00

Vanderwalle describes a tile game on page 135. It's similar to Blokus, a more complex board version which is available in toy stores and the Socretes shop for around $50. I have it and children from prep upwards love it (my two gang up to beat me...).
Better still an online version of is given here:
www.blokus.com/online-game

Video on crisis in the teaching of maths in the UK

2009-03-24T20:29:00.000-07:00

This 30min video will match the week 4 tutorial and for some maybe their essay. UK Professor David Burghes believes the teaching of maths in the UK to be in crisis and claims that countless government initiatives to improve mathematics teaching have failed.

Offering solutions to the problem, Burghes - former head of The National Centre for Excellence in Maths - takes inspiration from Hungary. There, teachers operate in a livelier, more interactive fashion involving the whole class, promoting the use of correct mathematical terms.

He suggests going back to basics, encouraging children to understand the conceptual building blocks of mathematics so they can become mathematical thinkers.
Follow the link to
http://www.teachers.tv/video/21812

An online maths game for Grades 1 - 3

2009-03-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

This is an online game for children between grades 1 to 3 (it's mentioned as a link in Van de Walle Chapter 11). My grade 3, 8 year old, likes the highest level challenge, while my 5 year old prep daughter is getting the hang of the lower level addition & subtraction.

Help Little Ron move from log to log across the swamp.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/starship/maths/crosstheswamp.shtml

Video clips by primary students

2009-03-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

Here are some video clips put together by primary students at a school in Texas. They call them podcasts, but really they are vodcasts. Have a look at "Math vocabulary", "Division", and "Multiplying two digit by two digit numbers".

Follow the link to

http://www.frenship.us/education/components/docmgr/default.php?sectiondetailid=20386&catfilter=ALL#showDoc

A Utas Quantitative Literacies website

2009-03-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

This link probably sits more in the ESA196 Quantitative Literacies genre, and I'm hoping I'm not stealing any of Matt's thunder here for future lectures on this topic, but you should all be interested in this anyway.

The website aims to help teachers develop teaching and learning strategies to build students' critical numeracy - their ability to think discerningly about the way mathematical concepts are used in everyday contexts such as the news.
Folow this link:

http://www.simerr.educ.utas.edu.au/numeracy/critical_numeracy/critical_numeracy.htm

Year 1/2 multiplication and division skills

2009-03-24T20:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a link to a 55min video of Teacher Kerry Lee as she introduces her mixed Year 1 and 2 to multiplication and division skills. An entire lesson is recorded and unedited, and is intended to help develop classroom observation skills.

http://www.teachers.tv/video/28799