Year Of Numeracy 1997

A conference for all teachers

Saturday 15th November 1997

Guest Speakers

Margaret Brown, Professor of Mathematics Education, King's College, London.
Anita Straker, Director - National Numeracy Project
Mike Askew, King's College London, School of Education.

Chair:- Professor Tim Brighouse, Chief Education Officer for Birmingham

What they said:

Just a note to say how much I enjoyed the conference yesterday.

I attended the Butterflies at Swanhurst, Ten Cubed with Geoff Fowler and thinking about Mathematics with Richard Dunne sessions. The other session which I had booked on Accelerated learning has been postponed until February. This suited me fine as I was able to go to the Wolves match in the afternoon.

Barry Warhurst ... Wolverhampton.

the conference was great yesterday with about 270 people attending. Margaret Brown Anita Straker and Mike Askew were all superb. Comments I heard were the best maths conference Ive been to and better than a conference on maths in London earlier in the year

All the delegates for the conference today were full of praise and have gone away to try things out in their schools, which can only be a good thing.

Jayne Basnett (Nee. Clarke) .... Grove School

Workshops/Seminars -

1. Emergent Maths, Teachers from Devon

We are a group of Devon Teachers that began with a shared interest in Emergent Literacy and became excited by the implications for classroom practice in Mathematics. From small beginnings our thinking has developed through our work with children reading and research and invitations to share our growing understanding of emergent Mathematics in conferences, INSET and published material. Our workshop will explore the idea of emergent Mathematics within the context of raising achievements.

2. Maths at Prince Albert J.I. (N.C.) School, Sue Billingham

This session will focus on how the teachers at Prince Albert School have raised the standard of achievement and attainment in mathematics. The key issues of the presentation will be:

The mathematics programme of work developed at Prince Albert School

The five pronged approach

How we deliver mathematics.

Targeting

Formative assessment

Monitoring

3. Mathematics Butterflies at Swanshurst Girls’ School, Ann Dalzell

Butterflies at Swanshurst....or little things make such a difference. Ann Dalzell, John Grendon and Richard Sheppard will share some of the strategies devised within the Department to successfully raise mathematical self-esteem and consequently achievement. We will be looking at:

Curriculum planning

Rewarding achievement

Equal opportunities

Subject specific mentoring in key stage 4 (i.e. our "Improvers’ Group")

Mentoring A-level Maths students.

4. Ten Cubed, Geoff Fowler & Marguerite Comyns (aimed at Secondary)

Ten stimulating activities for Yr10 set ten. Covering all Attainment Targets this material will be suitable for many groups of less than enthusiastic students, with a mathematics content that will be accessible to those of low ability. This is not to say that these activities (with a bit more meat) would not be suitable for more able students.

5. Ten Squared, Geoff Fowler & Marguerite Comyns (aimed at Upper Primary/Lower Secondary)

Ten by ten minute interactive activities to develop numeracy in the classroom. Aimed at Upper Primary and Lower Secondary this session will look at the different ideas that will motivate smaller and larger groups of students and develop numerical skills.

Although the activities in this session will look at getting a whole teaching group to work together, this is part of a larger project and there will be 100’s of ideas to pinch, borrow and develop!

6. Parents and Maths, Paul Hunt & team

This workshop will explore strategies that schools have successfully used to involve parents to work in mathematics with their children. The materials produced by the team of teachers will also be discussed.

7. Pre-School Mathematics, Barbara Jeffries

Barbara Jeffries of BASS, looks at how we can encourage and develop young children’s Mathematical skills and knowledge through play. It is important that early Mathematical activities are practical and enjoyable, and set in relevant contexts. This is very much a ‘hands-on’ workshop, giving a range of opportunities to explore activities and resources suitable for the pre-school child.

8. Maths at Work - a practical experience, Gay Jones, NORLINK Careers & Education Business Partnership

"Exploring a series of interactive mathematics activities for Key Stages 1 & 2 which use the world of work as a context".

Participants will hear how and why the materials were developed by Birmingham teachers and employers. They will have an opportunity to try a selection of activities themselves and will receive a complimentary copy of either the Key Stage One or Two packs which are also available for sale at £10. Ideas for developing individual school Maths at Work days will be shared along with contact names for employer support.

9. Raising Achievement of African Caribbean pupils in Mathematics, Liz Rasekola

This seminar will be an opportunity to hear about:

National evidence of the marked underachievement of African-Caribbean pupils in Maths, including trends from Baseline Assessments (age 5) to GCSE and post-16.
Implications for Heads, Service Managers and teachers in terms of whole school issues and LEA-wide policies.
Teaching methodology, pedagogues and styles, and their implications for the achievement of African-Caribbean pupils.
Strategies for raising attainment, including the utilisation of Multi-cultural Maths resources and materials.

10. Practice In Transit (Y5/6 and KS3), Don Steward

Don Steward, of MEDIAN, will present several tasks that can involve learners in thoughtful considerations at the same time as practising and developing number skills. These ideas have been developed and found to be motivating in over 25 Secondary project schools. You shouldn’t need either a calculator or a brain extension!

11. A Snapshot of the National Numeracy project (KS 1 & 2), Chris Olley, Mary Boole and Jenny Kerwin.

The National Numeracy Project and Birmingham’s involvement in it started over a year ago. During that time 47 schools have been involved in this exciting scheme.

This session is an opportunity to hear from Birmingham’s Consultants about:

Background information

Key principles underlying the project

Some ideas to use in mental mathematics sessions

A review of research findings on children’s mental strategies

12. Using "Large Screen" hand held calculators in the primary classroom, Graham Galtrey, Sharpe Electronics

The aim of this workshop is to show how the use of a calculator with a larger screen can be particularly valuable in raising achievement at and around KS 2.

Participating teachers will each be provided with a Sharp graphical calculator for the duration of the session and will be given ideas and activities using only the arithmetic facilities of the machine. Effectively, this machine will become a ‘primary level’ calculator with the capability to display up to eight lines (e.g. four questions and their answers) simultaneously. The graphic calculator’s ability to display many numbers at the same time provides the user with greater opportunities to spot pattern, observe underlying structures and the test personal conjectures about the processes involved.

Teachers will also be given the opportunity to explore the ‘Last Answer’ facility on the calculator. Using this feature, simple sequences may readily be produced which can often be used as a rich source for practising mental calculation.

13. Using Graphic Calculators in the secondary mathematics classroom, Christine Hernon, Sharpe Electronics

The aim of this workshop is to introduce the functions available on the Sharp Graphic calculator which can be of use throughout the secondary school. The emphasis will be on encouraging the use of the calculators to enhance the pupils understanding and use of Mathematics.

Topics will include:-

The use of the large screen calculator to enhance trail and improvement methods and iterative procedures for solution of equations using the calculation mode.
Plotting and examining graphs using the Graph mode, including Trace and Jump facilities again useful in solving equations.
Entering and using Data in the Statistics mode.

Each participant will have the use of a graphic calculator for the duration of the session and ideas for use of the calculators will be provided for teachers to try out in their own classrooms.

14. Written Methods, Mike Askew

In this session Mike Askew will explore some of the issues surrounding developing effective and efficient written methods of calculating, including the links between mental methods and written methods, the role of standard algorithms and the importance of pupils making choices.

15. Planning for the teaching of Numeracy, Anita Straker

TBC

16. How long is a piece of string? Birmingham teachers

Tim Brighouse, Birmingham's Chief Education Officer, asked all Birmingham pupils to answer the question "How long's a piece of string?" Pupils worked on this question taking their investigation in many different directions.

Teachers will talk about the way "Tim's Challenge" was attempted in their schools.

17. Measuring Achievement in Mathematics, John Hill

This workshop will present an analysis of mathematics standards and address the following questions:

What are standards like at each key stage?
How do LEAs compare?
Are there gender / ethnic group differences?
What targets should we be setting?
What are the implications for sharing good practice and raising achievement for all?

18. Children’s University, Anne Wood

The Children's University Project is a Birmingham initiative for children in the primary phase that is designed to promote and encourage learning beyond school. The project has three key elements:- Saturday Schools,Holiday Projects and Distance Learning. Anne will talk about the success of the project.

19. OFSTED Issues, Brian Wardle

The session will identify the key issues and explore some strategies for addresssing them, drawing on the work of the Birmingham Numeracy Project and Birmingham School Improvement strategies.

20. Strategies to support the more able, (Trish Morgan)

This session provides an opportunity to take part in discussions about classroom organisation and teaching methods. It will offer the chance to improve your teaching strategies for the more able in an unthreatening atmosphere with lots of good ideas you can take back to your classroom.

21. Thinking about mathematics. Richard Dunne

TBC

22. Two Thousand Years of Using and Applying, John Eden

What do Socrates, Robert Recorde and the National Curriculum have in common? Come along and find out, and in the process work through some investigative activities that will not only throw a brighter light on some apparently dull areas of mathematics, but also provide you with some ready-made classroom stimulation.

23. Primary Science and Mathematics, Brian Barkway and Jane Blunt

Opportunities for teaching numeracy through scientific investigations.

The science curriculum, with its increased emphasis on data handling, provides an excellent context in which mathematical skills can be applied. This session will cover key stages 1 and 2 and explore opportunities for linking AT1 in mathematics and AT1 in Science.

24. Accelerated numeracy, Maggie Farrar, University of the First Age

The University of the First Age is working with young people outside the normal school day, week and year to look at ways of enriching and extending learning. Summer 1997 saw the launch of our accelerated literacy and numeracy summer programme. The programme was built around what we currently know about accelerated, multisensory learning and looked at how the development of numeracy skills could be enhanced through the application of multiple intelligence theory.

The seminar will look at some of the priniciples of accelerated learning and how these were used on the accelerated numeracy summer programme. Participants will have a chance to try out some of the activities and to share some of the evaluations of the programme from the students and the tutors.

25. Mental Mathematics in the Primary Classroom, Peter Patilla

This workshop will cover the following aspects:

Differentiating between:
Oral Mathematics - working with whole class, questions and answers.
Mental Mathematics - pupils making quick calculations or recalling facts where questions and responses may be written.

techniques for ensuring all pupils take part in oral maths lessons. This will include examples of classroom activities.

Activities which help develop a confident use of counting skills and number bonds.

Conference Timetable:

Displays -

Tim's Challenge
School Based Projects
Maths Trails
Maths Week
Multi-Cultural Mathematics
City Supplies Organisation
Careers and Business Partnership
Invited publishers

Entertainment -

An exciting mathemagical entertainment lasting 30 minutes approx provided by:

The Astounding Mike Askew!!!

PLANNING GROUP:
Clare Williams	Four Dwellings Infant
Pam Bailey	Grove Primary
Trish Morgan	CSS Primary
Geoff Fowler	Plantsbrook
Jayne Oliver	Arthur Terry School
Cath Kendal	Nansen JI
Helen Allman	Nansen JI

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