Number Talks Workshop

During the holiday break we ran a workshop on Number Talks. This was attended by 30 teachers and principals from 10 schools as well as Maths advisors from the Wellington region. We wanted to share what we have been doing at Worser Bay because it has a big impact on student engagement and achievement. 

What does developing a Mathematical Community of Inquiry mean to us? 

• Mathematics is a creative and challenging real world activity.

• Positive beliefs about mathematical ability are essential.

• Maths has to be visual and collaborative; with time and strategies to investigate, discuss, explore concepts and reflect.

At Worser Bay School, we have been inspired by the work of Jo Boaler who is a professor at Stanford University. She provides resources and ideas to help students get excited about Maths. 

"You have probably heard people say they are just bad at math, or perhaps you yourself feel like you are not “a math person.” Not so, says Stanford mathematics education professor Jo Boaler, who shares the brain research showing that with the right teaching and messages, we can all be good at math. Not only that, our brains operate differently when we believe in ourselves. Boaler gives hope to the the mathematically fearful or challenged, shows a pathway to success, and brings into question the very basics of how our teachers approach what should be a rewarding experience for all children and adults."

For a Number Talk to be successful, students need to be respectful in discussion. We have co-constructed (with our students) the rights and responsibilities for discussion in a Number Talk. 

This is how a Number Talk works...

We asked the students about Number Talks...

Visual Maths- What does multiplication look like?

Some of us have been learning to count in sets, also known as multiplication. But most importantly, we've been learning what these sets look like and thinking about strategies we can use to work them out.

It's important that our brains have a clear picture of the amounts we are working out.  Maths research shows that the visual pathways in our brain light up when we are working out maths problems. 

We can make maths visual by using grids, arrays and number lines.

Here are some of our multiplication arrays that we've been working on.

Maths Parent Workshop

Message from Jude: 

In Week 9, Term 3, we had the Parent Workshop on Maths Learning. As I said, we are very proud of our Maths academic results. In 2017 a colossal 86% of our children were at, exceeding or well exceeding curriculum expectations in Maths for their year level. And we are tough on our judgments, as the reviewers from the Education Review Office noted in their feedback to us! But that doesn't mean we rest easy. We have never known so much about how students learn - thank you to the inventors of MRI scanning technology.

All of our teachers are undertaking Maths professional development through Stanford University - focussed on the latest research and thinking in Maths education as to where and how you get the biggest shifts in achievement. The Board recognises the importance of ongoing teacher development and, as a consequence, Nicola was awarded a study grant this year, yes - you guessed it - focussed on Maths. Nicola and Ximena have also been selected to present at the largest national educators' conference ULearn these upcoming holidays, which we are really proud of. (And their session is booked out!)

So we were very excited to have the opportunity to share our ongoing learning and thinking with many of you last week. We started with a little activity - asking parents to simply answer this question:

BEFORE: What did Maths mean to you at school? (3 words)

Then at the end of the interactive workshops we asked this question:

AFTER: What does Maths learning look like for kids at WBS? (3 words)

Please find the first and second Word Cloud results below:



This was really great and informative feedback for us, and I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up on a screen in Auckland at ULearn sometime soon as part of a presentation!

If you couldn't make it, you may find this Jo Boaler Ted Talk interesting. Or What our Children Think.

 

Arrays, Multiplication and Visual Maths

We have begun to find out about counting in sets by using arrays to make multiplication visual. Making maths visual is an important way to help our brain learn and remember new mathematical information.

One group worked on different ways to solve problems like 8 x 6 (eight sets of six). There were lots of different ways!

Then we moved onto different problems involving planting in rows and we used the array to help us work it out. Here are some examples:

Next, we will think about which strategies work best for different problems and use arrays from everyday life to make multiplication visual. Maths is everywhere!