The primary lesson coming from Shanghai is that their teachers acquire much to a greater extent than fourth dimension to collaborate than nosotros do. So, given that nosotros pass the bulk of our fourth dimension (at function in addition to at home) mark in addition to planning lessons, how tin nosotros brand fourth dimension to larn from others?
Twitter is bright but I've tried to encourage my colleagues to bring together Twitter in addition to they're non buying it! So although I'll outset past times talking almost Twitter inwards this post, I'll also verbalize almost other mechanisms for sharing ideas - conferences, TeachMeets, hubs, subdivision meetings in addition to blogs.
When Twitter plant well
I desire to outset past times showing yous an instance of Twitter working actually well.
Over the final pair of months a lot of American teachers withdraw maintain tweeted almost last gems post. I tweeted a link to my followers (see tweet below) in addition to therefore far over 500 people withdraw maintain read that post.
I honey it when teachers tell me that they've tried ideas in addition to resources from my blog, therefore I was pleased to acquire this tweet the adjacent day:
Great stuff. Twitter doing its job! The adjacent solar daytime I got some other tweet from Michelle:
Can consider yous how effective Twitter has been equally a sharing machinery here? The thought came from a summertime teaching conference inwards America, across the Atlantic to me via Twitter, in addition to I've shared it amongst my followers. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 U.K. instructor tried it, loved it in addition to volition likely invite her colleagues to popular into a lesson when she's using it therefore they tin consider it inwards action. Plickers isn't everyone's loving cup of tea but maybe ane or ii of Michelle's colleagues volition endeavour it likewise in addition to - ta dah! We collaborated, nosotros benefitted. The ability of Twitter is clear.
Making the most out of Twitter
So you've joined Twitter in addition to don't know what to produce next. Find a maths instructor in addition to follow the same people they follow. Aim to follow a hundred or therefore to outset amongst - this number volition grow quickly. I follow a hell of a lot of maths teachers in addition to organisations involved inwards maths educational activity (around 1,400!). It's of import to withdraw maintain a brusk 'bio' on your profile page. Say who yous are in addition to what you're in that location for. I've included half dozen examples of useful bios at the bottom of this post - if yous don't withdraw maintain a bio at all, base of operations your bio on these. Preferably withdraw maintain a photograph or maths moving painting too. I believe I tin larn from everyone therefore am trying to follow every unmarried U.K. maths instructor (I'm missing some because they don't withdraw maintain bios).
Start off amongst retweeting in addition to favouriting tweets that yous that honour helpful. Reply to tweets if yous withdraw maintain a interrogation or indicate to heighten or desire to arrive at some feedback (I honey it when people tell me that they relish my posts). Soon you'll live sharing your ain ideas in addition to engaging inwards helpful conversations. You may croak a prolific tweeter in addition to yous may write your ain blog. But if yous don't withdraw maintain fourth dimension for those things, you'll yet produce goodness if yous precisely popular onto Twitter every directly in addition to and therefore to pick upwards some ideas. The of import affair is yous withdraw maintain access to inspiration.
If yous produce a lot of tweets that aren't related to educational activity (eg a running commentary of football game matches) in addition to therefore consider having split professional person in addition to personal accounts.
There are enough of websites that verbalize over the benefits of Twitter for teachers in addition to furnish guides on how to utilization it therefore I won't repeat all that here. Just withdraw maintain a croak in addition to consider what happens. I intend you'll honey it.
Conferences
There are a groovy many preparation courses in addition to conferences for maths teachers every year. But unfortunately many of us function inwards schools that don't arrive at teachers the coin or fourth dimension off to attend these events. La Salle Education has come upwards to the rescue amongst maths conferences on Saturdays that are gratis to attend. These conferences are enjoyable in addition to informative. Some teachers wouldn't dream of giving upwards a Sabbatum to attend a conference but they actually are missing out. I promise to consider yous all inwards Birmingham on 14th March for the next conference.TeachMeets
For a long time, proactive innovative teachers withdraw maintain been running events to portion teaching ideas. Until I joined Twitter, I had no thought these events existed. If your schoolhouse is non on the mailing listing in addition to therefore it's slowly to missy out. Here's some examples of the form of events that people are involved in:- TeachMeets ('teachers sharing ideas amongst teachers') are a fantastic idea. TeachMeets are advertised though this website. It's a fighting difficult to navigate but is a expert identify to outset if you're looking for local events. Sometimes in that location are specific 'MathsMeets' too. I aspect the novel Maths Hubs volition acquire involved inwards these events (see below).
- FMSP. The Further Maths Support Programme runs network events for maths teachers at Key Stage four in addition to 5. Here's an instance of a recent event: Supporting the transition from GCSE to AS Mathematics. For data on your local events, aspect at your regional page on the FMSP website.
- Edexcel Hubs. I've only precisely heard almost the 'Mathematics Collaborative Networks' - this appears to live some other fantastic chance to collaborate amongst local schools.
Maths HubsI'm non solely clear on what the novel Maths Hubs are going to do, but I believe ane of their roles volition live to offering back upwards to local schools, partly past times organising in addition to leading events inwards which data in addition to ideas are shared. I intend this volition live specially helpful inwards strengthening connections betwixt primary in addition to secondary schools. Some people are sceptical that the hubs volition withdraw maintain whatsoever comport on - I tell live patient arrive at them a endangerment to acquire organised. It won't function if nosotros don't back upwards them. The hubs withdraw maintain funding in addition to fourth dimension laid aside to accept the Pb on collaboration, therefore honour out what they're doing in addition to acquire involved. Some Pb schools withdraw maintain already held launch events but many events are coming upwards inwards November. At the minute the communication from hubs is a fighting patchy - contacting hundreds of schools is likely harder than it sounds - therefore brand a outset past times next the hubs on Twitter in addition to making contact via the NCETM website.
Department Meetings
Many maths subdivision meetings are dominated past times direction in addition to dissemination of schoolhouse policies therefore there's niggling fourth dimension left to verbalize over teaching ideas. The most useful conversations are almost pedagogy eg 'how produce yous learn circle theorems?' (see Ed Southall's post about this).If yous withdraw maintain likewise much direction to do, in addition to therefore the Head of Maths should verbalize to SLT - something along the lines of, "you know that item on the agenda for the adjacent Inset that's a big waste materials of everyone's time? Let's supplant that amongst departmental collaboration time" (or maybe something a fighting to a greater extent than tactful!). You could fifty-fifty accommodate to catch maths departments at other schools therefore yous tin pick out dorsum fresh ideas to portion (Cav latterly wrote a post almost this). If your Headteacher wants grades to improve in addition to therefore every subdivision needs fourth dimension to focus on developing their teaching.
Blogs
There are therefore many expert blogs that I can't fifty-fifty commence to listing them all here. If you're on Twitter in addition to yous follow maths teachers who write blogs in addition to therefore they volition tweet almost their novel posts. Alternatively yous could set upwards a feed to have novel posts past times email. Another expert thought is to follow the The Echo Chamber - through this you'll live able to read a expert alternative of U.K. educational activity blogs (not precisely maths blogs) therefore yous tin croak along up-to-date on the latest issues in addition to opinions.
Twitter chats
Finally, dorsum to Twitter. There are ii weekly U.K. maths Twitter chats. This is where maths teachers verbalize over specific topics at a specific time.- #mathscpdchat is 7pm every Tuesday. Click here for details. Follow @mathscpdchat for data almost give-and-take topics in addition to links to summaries of previous discussions.
- #mathschat is 8pm every Wednesday. Click here and follow @BetterMaths for details.
Opportunities to Collaborate?
Even amongst all these opportunities to develop, in that location are yet huge numbers of maths teachers who experience isolated or who merely don't withdraw maintain the fourth dimension or inclination to engage amongst other teachers. Hopefully in that location is at to the lowest degree ane thought hither that they volition accept on board. League tables set schools inwards contest amongst each other but it shouldn't live similar that - everyone inwards educational activity should function together for the greater good.
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| Examples of helpful Twitter bios |
