Renovate your Maths Week

(Views my own)

It has been over 10 years since Dan Meyer’s “call to action” TedTalk proclaimed “Maths Class needs a makeover”. Meyer (2010) was particularly concerned at the way math textbooks and some classrooms teach problem solving and reasoning. He saw the following recurrent concerns:

· lack of initiative

· lack of perseverance

· lack of retention

· aversion to word problems

· eagerness for formula

It is opined that with a commitment to some relatively minor changes every primary maths classroom could ensure that students mathematical knowledge and disposition can change immeasurably. So, to ‘Mathsclass reno’ your week do you:

1. At least twice a week, use “mathematical warm-ups/activators” involving dice/playing cards that require students to problem solve and justify their thinking (Gould, K. 2016)

2. At least once a week, use authentic problems that use topical mathematical story-telling, photos and/or videos (“meaningful, worthwhile and truly problematic for students” Stein et al, 1996)

3. Place an emphasis on using concrete materials to develop understanding (Larkin, K. 2016)

4. Request student speculation and the necessity of adapting their thinking (“importance of sustaining a high level of cognitive demand throughout student engagement with the task” Stein et al, 1996)

It is posited that these simple changes will make a remarkable difference to achievement as well as to the ‘hidden proficiency’ of disposition which Proffitt-White (2020) states is the “perception to the child that maths is useful and worthwhile.” Here is how a given 'maths week' could look, incorporating high-yield researched strategies, with an acknowledgement that all contexts are different:

This blog has been written from a primary classroom lens, but could easily apply to the high school setting. Ideally all classrooms would see some student agency throughout the week and opportunity for students to recognise, and transfer their skills to other curriculum areas.

Have you already “Mathsclass reno’d” your maths week? What differences have you seen in yourself and the students you teach? For more information on any of these dot-points or for other great places to start please get in touch with me via the handles.

REFERENCES

· Gould, Kathryn A., "From Mathmagicians To Mathematicians: Constructing Cognitive Understanding Over Trusting The Algorithm" (2017). School of Education Student Capstone Theses and Dissertations. 4343. https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/hse_all/4343

· Larkin, K. (2016). Mathematics education and manipulatives: which, when, how?. APMC, 21(1), pp.12- 17.

· Meyer, D., 2010. Math Class Needs A Makeover. [online] Ted.com. Available at: <https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_meyer_math_class_needs_a_makeover> [Accessed 4 August 2020].

· Proffitt-White, R. (2020). Infinite Ideas Festival. [online] Available at: https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/ONF2020/ [Accessed 14 August 2020].

· Russo, J., Bobis, J., Sullivan, P., Downton, A., Livy, S., McCormick, M. and Hughes, S., 2020. Exploring the relationship between teacher enjoyment of mathematics, their attitudes towards student struggle and instructional time amongst early years primary teachers. Teaching and Teacher Education, 88, p.102983.

· Stein, M. K., & Lane, S. (1996). Instructional tasks and the development of student capacity to think and reason: An analysis of the relationship between teaching and learning in a reform mathematics project. Educational Research and Evaluation, 2(1), 50–80.