Purpose of workshop

 To participate in a variety of
mathematical activities that will
promote discussion and
mathematical understandings
 To challenge the way we teach.
 To consider how can we be more
effective at improving student
learning?
The Learner’s Message
 Ma te tohutohu,  Tell me, and I will
ka wareware; forget;
 Ma te kite, ka  Show me, and I
maumahara; will remember;
 Ma te whakamahi,  Involve me, and I
ka mātau will understand
This workshop will include
opportunity to:
 Explore the use of manipulatives to
empower student’s maths thinking
 Participate in a variety of
interactive activities that
encourage conversation
 Work in pairs and small groups
 Explore a variety of teaching
strategies
 Explore specific websites
How will we do this as
primary teachers?
 Work through a series of
progressions for:
 Additive thinking
 Multiplicative thinking
 Proportional thinking
 Basic facts and place value will be linked
through these progressions
Participation
 Please be prepared to practice,
discuss and reflect on your
experiences
 Consider each activity
 Is it suitable for your class?
 How might you adapt it?
 How will you organise your class to
carry out the activities?
What We Will Do
We will explain why we have
changed our approaches.
We will share our experiences and
resources.
We are not here to say our ways are
better or that you should do what
we do.
We hope to provide some things to
think over and reflect upon.
The Education Process?
 Did you know I
taught Spot how
to whistle?
 I don’t hear him
whistling.
 I said I taught
him, I didn’t say
he learned it!
 Mathematics
(1) There is only one way to get the answer.
(2) All problems can be solved by using a step-by-
step method.
(3) There is a mathematics gene. Some people have
it others do not. (This statement often refers to
students from certain socioeconomic situations,
of a certain gender, or from different cultures or
races.)
(4) Mathematics is too hard for most people to
learn.
(5) If a mathematics problem takes more than 5 or
10 minutes, it is impossible.
(6) Mathematics is mostly memorizing.
(7) Only geniuses are capable of creating or
 More Lies?
(8) Mental maths means instant recall
 (9) Speed tests help children learn
 (10) Equipment is for younger children, and possibly the
less able older ones
 (11) Mathematics should always be done quietly,
individually, and on paper
 (12) You should learn the rules first, then practise them
with lots of exercises before trying to solve problems
 (13) Reading is not part of maths
 (14) Talking is not part of maths
 (15) Having fun is not part of maths
 (16) If you are getting 90 – 100% right, you have learned a
lot of maths
 (17) Children do not need to know what they are learning in
maths or why, as long as they can do it
 (18) They knew it in class but forgot it over the
weekend/summer/interval…..
 (19) Having many methods to solve problems only confuses
the children