A previous post on Functions features resources aimed at older students; I thought it would be useful to look at resources for teaching younger students.
Monthly Archives: June 2015
Plenary Tweets
Discovering a novel idea for a plenary via Twitter recently, a UKEdChat resource by @grahamandre I thought I would try the idea with my very able Year 9 class (the same wonderful class I mentioned some time ago who gave their views on Good Maths Teachers).
I should mention that “Somewhere over the 2a” is part of some lyrics by one of my colleagues sung to the tune of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow!”
In the first part of this lesson I used one of my mini-tests to review the key points for solving quadratic equations. When we reviewed the solutions I also used Desmos to illustrate some of the answers and for these students, the first year who will tackle the new GCSE course made sure I used function notation! This time I told them that I was using the mini test to review the material we have been studying and that they should try and create a useful revision resource by noting the questions carefully and annotating their answers clearly, adding to them where necessary when we reviewed the material. They know I will be looking at their books early this coming week.
I was of course particularly pleased at some of those hash tags!
#enlightened with the mini-test
and of course #winning and #maths is fun
You can find a resource on TES, Twitter Plenary from MrGator which provides includes PowerPoint slide and tweet slips.
Mathematics Conversations
There are many useful conversations on Mathematics on Twitter. Now just in case you hate Twitter or have no interest in it – you can still follow useful conversations and follow links to resources without even signing up to Twitter. I find Twitter a little like a lucky dip – usually in just a few minutes I find useful resources or the latest educational news.
For Mathematics teachers I would recommend the following:
#slowmathchat where different questions are posed for discussion; you can read more about the origin of #slowmathchat and how it works on Michael Fenton’s Reason and Wonder. A complete archive of all the questions and answers is available too.
#mathsTLP for lesson planning, a Sunday night chat but you can of course view at any time and many teachers share useful resources / ideas that work in the classroom.
Select image for resource on TES
Each weekly chat is very clearly archived on Ed Southall’s Solve My Maths.
Talking of Solve My Maths, I do love Ed’s Mr Men!
Mr Men – Ed Southall
All the links above to Twitter list the tweets in time order (Live); note that you can choose Top or Live;
Further useful Twitter people and hashtags to follow:
#mathschat for UK education and #mathchat for US education
#MTBoS for converstaions from the Math Twitter blogosphere
#maths and #math for general UK & US tweets on Mathematics
@Desmos for the latest on the fabulous graphing calculator
@Wolfram_Alpha and @WolframFunFacts
MAA – Mathematical Association of America
Association of Teachers of Mathematics
If you are interested in learning more about Twitter see the very clear Twitter Lingo guide from Mashable and Russell Stannard’s training videos. And for a nice simple explanation try ‘Mom This is How Twitter Works’.
This page has been reproduced and added to the Reading series of pages, further updates will be published there.
Thoughts this week …
A compilation this week …
Normal Trainer – Mike Hadden
Excel
….is my favourite Microsoft program both for its use in Mathematics teaching and for data analysis. In 2013 at the TSM Conference I was very fortunate to meet and be trained by Mike Hadden. I had already discovered and often used Mike’s Excel files for my teaching; in 2013 thanks to Mike I discovered the joys of Excel macros which save me a serious number of hours in my job!
Mike now has a blog where you can find out more about his Excel files for teaching (scroll down) and also learn more about macros – have a look at the Macro Recorder Demo.
GCSE New Content
I have created a new page for GCSE resources for the new content which I will add to as we discover more! Note the addition of some resources at the end of the list under Further Resources. A list of changes is available on a separate page.
Further Resources – GCSE new content
- AQA Bridging the Gap for students who have studied the current (2007) Key Stage 3 Programme of Study and are preparing for the new Mathematics GCSE (8300 specification).
- Transition Units – Cambridge
- OCR Check in tests scroll down to Teaching and Learning Resources
- Resourceaholic from Jo Morgan – links to support the teaching of new topics in GCSE Mathematics.
For problem solving, Brilliant…is just that, brilliant – I’ll return to this in another post but do have a look.
Select image to try problem
Circle Theorems – Tim Devereux
Circle Theorems
For some excellent resources for Circle theorems try these including Tim Devereux’s updated excellent Circle theorems web pages.
…and finally
Rereading my post on the TSM conference reminded me of this wonderful entertainment – ‘Katie’s bad science’. I love this!
Original and re-edited version of Katie Melua’s song nine million bicycles proposed by Simon Singh and presented on Ted talks by Michael Shermer.