MathsTalk by AMSI Schools

Re- Release Pi Day - How changing the approach to Maths affects student learning

A replay of the special episode to celebrate International Maths Day. Host Leanne McMahon talks to AMSI CHOOSEMATHS award winners Elizabeth Dewar and Ryan Jellie. We discuss the changes that they've made to the teaching of Maths at Boneo Primary School and how these changes have affected their students. Former AMSI School Advisor Marcus Garrett joins Leanne in a road trip to Boneo to talk to the students and hear about their interpretation of 'Maths is everywhere.'

Great, easy and flexible classroom activities.

Host Leanne McMahon has a long awaited discussion with Maths educator and former AMSI Schools Mathematics Advisor Cass Lowry about great Maths activities that are flexible enough to be done in the classroom, in hybrid mode or via remote learning. This conversation took place when schools were moving to remote learning daily and teachers needed to be able to switch easily and without taking hours in preparation.

The activities are as timely today as they were then and Cass gives some fabulous ideas on how they can be used in both primary and secondary settings.

Cass can be contacted via Twitter @Cass_Lowry

Contact us on MathsTalk@amsi.org.au with any comments, queries or suggestions

Remote and Classroom Learning Resources

 Which one doesn’t belong? A shapes book ~ Christopher Danielson (2016) Stenhouse Publishers

• Which one doesn’t belong? http://wodb.ca/
• How many? A counting book ~ Christopher Danielson (2018) Stenhouse Publishers
• Talking Math With Your Kids: https://talkingmathwithkids.com/
• Christopher Danielson @Trianglemancsd
• Search Twitter: #tmwyk #unitchat #WODB
• Same or Different ~ Meaningful Math Moments (Jennifer Barker) http://www.meaningfulmathmoments.com/same-or-different.html
• Same or Different Examples (Brian Bushart) https://samedifferentimages.wordpress.com/
• Brian Bushart @bstockus
• Search Twitter for: #samediffmath #ElemMathChat

 

• Dan Finkel - Number Talks https://mathforlove.com/lesson/number-talks/
• Dan Finkel @MathForLove
• Nat Banting - Fraction Talks http://fractiontalks.com/
• Nat Banting @NatBanting
• Number Talks – YouCubed (Jo Boaler) https://www.youcubed.org/resources/stanford-onlines-learn-math-teachers-parents-number-talks/
• Mathematical Number Talks http://www.mathnumbertalks.com/resources/
• Number Strings: https://numberstrings.com/what-is-a-number-string/

 

• Steve Wyborney - Subitizing Slides https://stevewyborney.com/2018/09/100-subitizing-slides-10-challenge-patterns/
• Steve Wyborney - Splat! https://stevewyborney.com/2018/09/splat-for-google-slides-40-lessons/
• Steve Wyborney - Esti-Mysteries https://stevewyborney.com/2019/09/51-esti-mysteries/
• Steve Wyborney @SteveWyborney

 

• Robert Kaplinsky - Open Middle https://www.openmiddle.com/
• Robert Kaplinsky @robertkaplinsky and @openmiddle

 

 

• Pam Harris - MathStratChat Examples https://www.mathisfigureoutable.com/mathstratchat
• Pam Harris @pwharris
• Search Twitter: #MathStratChat

 

• Berkeley Everett - Number Search https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipPUhHweMG3cpSQ2CRL0scB2KtIKi2D6UFLrLtVuBNpr_z-UWsqce6nzZGmkWi5UWA?key=QlZfb2Rtd05vbXRiVklUSldiUGVTSVMxd2hINXJn
• Berkeley Everett @BerkeleyEverett
• Simon Gregg @Simon_Gregg
• Search Twitter: #numbersearch

 

Great Maths Instructional Videos

• Howie Hua https://www.youtube.com/c/HowieHua1/

• James Tanton https://www.youtube.com/c/JamesTanton_SquineCosquineTanq

• Joel Speranza https://www.youtube.com/c/JoelSperanzaMath

• Eddie Woo https://www.youtube.com/c/misterwootube

Effective and Collaborative Problem Solving

Host, Leanne McMahon catches up with highly experienced mathematics educator and founder of  Maths Teacher Circles in Australia, Michaela Epstein to discuss how Problem Solving in classrooms of all year levels can be effective and collaborative. We discuss how teachers can go about incorporating problem solving into their classroom practice and how to structure these activities. We also look at the false dichotomy between problem solving and explicit instruction and why each of these has its place in the contemporary Maths classroom.

Resources:

Michaela's website: https://www.michaelaepstein.com.au/ 

Other links discussed by Michaela:

• Maths Teacher Circles website: https://mathsteachercircles.org/amsi 
• We share problems on a regular basis that we believe you will love:
  • Twitter: https://twitter.com/MathsCirclesOz
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MathsTeacherCircles/
• Samantha Hellessey’s Twitter https://twitter.com/s_hellessey?s=20&t=edSZrVJoQVJGk-troBLsHQ
• A presentation given by Norman Do at AMSI https://rhed.amsi.org.au/dr-norman-radio/

Some good sources of Problems:

• NZ Maths https://nzmaths.co.nz/problem-solving (Some great articles to read here too)
• NRich from the University of Cambridge. https://nrich.maths.org/ (Also terrific articles)
• Not free, but worth checking out is Problemo https://problemo.edu.au/
• Re Solve - Maths by inquiry https://resolve.edu.au/
• AMSI Calculate has some lessons written up for you https://calculate.org.au/

Contact us on MathsTalk@amsi.org.au or Twittter @AMSIschools or Facebook MathsTalk by AMSI Schools

How to improve curriculum planning in schools: Ending the lesson lottery - A Discussion

The Grattan Institute recently released a report looking at the benefits of a coordinated, whole-school approach to planning, which carefully sequences learning of key knowledge and skills across subjects and year levels. In this episode, Leanne McMahon (AMSI) and Nadia Abdelal from EM Maths discuss the significance of this report and how the recommendations would play out in schools. Naturally we focus on Mathematics, but this is a discussion that belongs across all learning areas.

The report can be found here: https://grattan.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Ending-the-lesson-lottery-Grattan-Report.pdf

Nadia can be contacted here: https://www.emmaths.com.au/ 

Leanne can be contacted here: mathstalk@amsi.org.au

Find resources and ICE-EM Books at https://calculate.org.au/ 

Teachers to Leaders https://www.teacherstoleaders.com.au/ 

Creating Success for ALL students (re release with sound fixed)

After feedback from our audience, we have cleaned up the audio for this episode to make it infinitely more listenable!

Host Leanne McMahon sits down to talk with Kerryn Sandford, a mathematics educator and principal of a secondary school in Melbourne, about her thoughts on how we can ensure our students achieve success in mathematics.

This episode sponsored by AMSI's own ICE-EM textbook range: https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/ 

We cover all manner of topics that she mentions in her article in the latest edition of MAV's "Common Denominator" which can be accessed here:

https://www.mav.vic.edu.au/Services-and-News/Common-Denominator-Magazine

Other topics covered are:

Out of Field Maths teachers: https://tinyurl.com/AMSIOoF Also keep an eye out for the Report from the National Summit on Teaching Out-of-field: Synthesis and Recommendations for Policy, Practice and Research. Due end of June 2022.

Year 12 mathematics participation report: https://tinyurl.com/AMSIMathsChoices 

Explicit Instruction: https://tinyurl.com/ExplicitInstructionVicEd

Twitter: @AMSIschools

Contact us: mathstalk@amsi.org.au

Maths Anxiety in Teachers

Host Leanne McMahon talks to Teacher education expert and former AMSI Outreach Officer, Helen Booth about the 'elephant in the room' for many primary teachers, Maths Anxiety. We look at its origins, how it may manifest itself and the effect it can have on our students. Secondary school maths teachers will also be interested in this topic, as they may have remnants of MA themselves, or could be asked to work with out of field colleagues who carry the burden.

Resources:

ICE-EM Textbooks: https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/

Maths Anxiety paper used for stimulation:

Gerardo Ramirez, Stacy T. Shaw & Erin A. Maloney (2018) Math Anxiety: Past Research, Promising Interventions, and a New Interpretation Framework, Educational Psychologist,

53:3, 145-164, DOI: 10.1080/00461520.2018.1447384

AMSI Research into MA: https://schools.amsi.org.au/2019/01/14/choosemaths-days-2018-report-3-2/

Maths Anxiety and Gender: https://schools.amsi.org.au/2019/06/21/choosemaths-gender-report-2019/

Calculate: https://calculate.org.au/

Contact us at: MathsTalk@amsi.org.au 

Senior Maths Revision Special

In our special episode aimed at Senior Mathematics students and their teachers, host, Leanne McMahon talks to the highly respected mathematics educator Vicky Kennard about how these students can use the last few weeks before the exams to maximise their chances of success. We look at where you should be at this stage and very importantly what to do if you're not there yet.

ICE-EM Textbooks: https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/

Neuroscience and education: https://www.youcubed.org/neuroscience-education-article/

Interleaving: https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-interleaving-foster-deeper-learning

Pomodoro Method: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique

Learning to Learn Mathematics

This is the first in a two part series, directed at all who teach and learn Mathematics. Host, Helen Booth talks with respected educator Vicky Kennard about the science of learning maths and how this can be put into practice by both teachers and students. They delve into study methods, learning theories, growth mindset and a plethora of other aspects of Maths learning.  This will be a great episode to listen to before next week's podcast that will be directed at senior students and how they can best use the last couple of months before exams.

Resources:

ICE-EM Textbooks: https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/

Neuroscience and education: https://www.youcubed.org/neuroscience-education-article/

Interleaving: https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-use-interleaving-foster-deeper-learning

Pomodoro Method: https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique

 

Ready Set Upskill - The importance of understanding data

Host, Leanne McMahon welcomes Marcus Garrett, former MathsTalk host and current Learning Solutions Designer at RMIT Online to discuss the idea that digital mindsets which are underpinned by mathematics, are the key to unlocking opportunities for young people in the jobs market, opportunities in life and also opportunities for the Australian economy.

Deloitte Access Economics and RMIT Online concluded in a report that one of the biggest emerging skill needs for the Australian economy remains digital skills, meaning the data and data interpretation skills that give people the confidence and the capacity to use digital technologies to make sound data-driven decisions when faced with complex problems. We look at how teachers can facilitate the development of these skills throughout school and how the RMIT Online team enable teachers and other professionals to build their data interpretation skills and maybe even increase their income in the process.

Resources:

ICE-EM textbooks: https://schools.amsi.org.au/ice-em-mathematics-textbooks/

RMIT Online: https://online.rmit.edu.au/

Ready, set, upskill: Effective training for the jobs of tomorrow: https://online.rmit.edu.au/insights/2021 

Contact us: https://calculate.org.au/contact-schools/ 

Conceptual Understanding Part 2 (rerelease from March 2021)

Popular demand sees us re-releasing part 2 of our conceptual understanding podcast, one of the most downloaded of all of our episodes. In it, Nadia and Leanne continue their discussion about teaching mathematics for conceptual understanding. Today they delve into how Patterns and Algebra can be taught conceptually and then they get practical; discussing the thought process that goes into planning units.

For suggestions comments and ideas, please contact us at @AMSISchools on Twitter or Choosemaths@amsi.org.au

Resources from the podcast:

Nadia's website (EM Maths): https://www.emmaths.com.au/ 

www.calculate.org.au

Patterns Lesson: https://calculate.org.au/year7/ 

Supporting Australian Mathematics Project: http://www.amsi.org.au/ESA_middle_years/Year7/Year7_md/Year7main.html 

Geometry: https://calculate.org.au/measurement-and-geometry/

Algebra tiles: https://calculate.org.au/2019/03/27/algebratiles/