More thinking about 21st Century Teaching

I love the suggestions that this post offers about teaching children reared as a google generation. A few years ago Ewan McIntosh from No Tosh, was talking about the non-googleable question and here it is again. This article is full of ways to encourage our children (and teachers) to really become learners.

Mathematics: Criticism and Clarity

Teachers are now wearing the brunt of the revelations in the report recently commented on by Hekia Parata and released by the NZ Initiative. Once again it is the teachers' practice that is in the spotlight. Having been involved in ALiM and currently working with the Maths team at UCPlus as a lead teacher in mathematics the comments of Kelvin Smythe ring true. You can read his report here.

Things that resonate with me from both the article and the report are these:

• The need to include rich mathematical tasks in our teaching on a regular basis so children can be actively involved in problem solving.
• These tasks need to be challenging and supported by a range of hands on materials.
• Groups working should be mixed so those involved can learn from each other.
• More credence should be given to basic facts when moving children through the maths stages as the knowledge is needed to work effectively at the next mathematical stage.
• Basic facts need to be taught with the stages so understanding forms the basis of the learning.
• When the knowledge is learned it needs to recalled quickly.
• Teachers trusting their ability to teach maths and not being fully reliant on a 'programme' that delivers a daily scripted dose of learning.

Maths and Gifted Education - get children talking

These are two topics that I am very passionate about. What I love about this article is it confirms the approach being used by Australasian schools. I have had the benefit of many hours of maths learning this year and key to this learning is teaching children about mathematical concepts through inquiry and talk.

Children who 'get maths' need to be challenged to think mathematically and rich mathematical tasks that are open ended and lead to a discussion of pure mathematics do this. We need to get our bright children talking and discovering mathematical ideas rather than keeping them busy with pages of problems or websites and games.

Sources for these activities include:
nzmaths.co.nz/problem-solving
blackdouglas.com.au
Otago Maths Problem Solving Resources
Think Boards
Andrew Jeffrey Resources www.andrewjeffrey.co.uk
Number Sense
Open Ended Maths Activities, SullivanP., & Lilburn, P. (2004)
Figure it Out Resources

Open ended thinking and creativity

I have been thinking a lot lately about open ended problems, particularly in regards to mathematics and getting children talking about their thinking.

I love this simple illustration about the importance of open ended questions in other areas too.