Highlights Of 2016

2016 has been genuinely awful... The best means to learn by with as well as thus many terrible things happening inward i yr is to focus on the positives. In the footing of maths education, there's been loads of fantastic materials going on. Although nosotros overstep along to confront challenges relating to workload, behaviour, curriculum alter as well as recruitment, there's nevertheless enough to celebrate. In this post service I portion unopen to of my favourite moments of 2016.

The Conferences
La Salle's conferences are e'er brilliant. I was gutted to immature adult woman their Leeds conference inward June but I actually enjoyed the Peterborough conference inward March as well as the Kettering conference inward October. La Salle are hosting fifty-fifty to a greater extent than conferences inward 2017 (check out their dates as well as locations here) as well as thus if you lot haven't been before, produce bring together us.

Pre-conference drinks inward Peterborough inward March

Teachers enjoying #mathsconf6 inward Peterborough

Cake from Julia Smith at #mathsconf6
to celebrate my 50th gems post

Pre-conference drinks inward Kettering
- nosotros made Enigma machines!  

Rob Smith's tuck store at #mathsconf8 inward Kettering

The starting fourth dimension researchED Maths as well as Science was held inward Oxford inward June 2016. It was excellent. I actually promise to regard this trial render inward 2017.

A wonderful venue for researchED Maths as well as Science

Maths teachers come across for dejeuner at researchED Maths as well as Science

In 2016 I attended a issue of conferences equally a presenter, including Edexcel's Warwick conference, the FMSP's London KS5 Network Day, as well as Coast2Coast TSA's maths conference.

Peter Mattock as well as I presenting at
Coast2Coast TSA's maths conference

Meeting my maths hero Hannah Fry at
Edexcel's Warwick conference

The Social Events
I actually relish coming together upwardly with maths teachers who I've chatted to on Twitter. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 highlight this yr was our trip to Bletchley Park inward the summertime holidays. We were as well as thus lucky to hold upwardly treated to a tour of the grounds as well as a someone demonstration of an Enigma machine.

Summer solar daytime out at Bletchey Park with beau tweeters

Some of #teambletchley

La Salle organised their 2d summertime come across upwardly for maths teachers - Pie as well as Maths.

Summer drinks at #pieandmaths

I had a lovely fourth dimension at i of Old Andrew's blogger curries.

Out for drinks with edubloggers, organised past times
blogging legend Andrew Old

In Dec I hosted #christmaths16. 110 teachers got together for festive mathsy fun at the Science Museum followed past times a nighttime out at a Kensington pub.

Post-museum drinks at #christmaths16

Maths teachers enjoying #christmaths16

The Grassroots Events
This yr I've attended a issue of events at local schools. I presented at Maths inward the Sticks which was an Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 flat solar daytime run past times Stuart Price, as well as I presented at Paul Collins' MathsMeet at Oakwood School. I also travelled upwardly to Oldham to acquaint at Lindsey Bennett's LIME event. I hosted my ain trial also - MathsMeet Glyn took house on a Sabbatum morning time inward March as well as starred i of my maths heroes, Don Steward.

Paul Collins at Oakwood School's MathsMeet

Ben Sparks presenting at Stuart Price's 'Maths inward the Sticks' Event

With colleagues at dejeuner subsequently #mathsmeetglyn

With Don Steward
at #mathsmeetglyn

The Websites as well as Resources
During 2016 the footing of maths resources went from line to strength.

Clarissa Grandi's artfulmaths.com is a beautiful novel website, providing inspiration as well as resources for both classroom displays as well as creative maths lessons.

New website mrcartermaths.com is highly valued for its repose of use. Excellent websites such equally mrbartonmaths.com, corbettmaths.com and mathsbot.com accept continued to develop novel content.

For Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 flat teachers, undergroundmathematics.org arrived on the scene, providing high character rich tasks from the squad at the University of Cambridge. We also discovered the IYGB papers on madasmaths.com, providing a large banking firm of challenging examination manner papers for Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 flat students.

The prime game from Christian Lawson-Perfect provided hours of amusement - as well as tearing contest - with maths teachers.

Throughout 2016 maths hubs all over the province supported teachers inward both main as well as secondary schools. The White Rose Maths Hub shared splendid schemes of operate as well as assessment resources for Key Stages 1, 2 as well as 3.

Craig Barton's podcasts were a wonderful characteristic of 2016 - if you've non discovered these yet, they are good worth a listen. Look out for to a greater extent than of Craig's podcasts inward 2017.

The Networks
Since joining Twitter inward 2014, my career has been transformed. Its incredible network of teachers continues to provide an endless render of support, advice, resources, ideas as well as encouragement. During 2016 I was fortunate to overstep involved with both the AQA Maths Expert Panel as well as the TES Maths Panel too.

Some of the AQA Maths Expert Panel members
sporting Christmas jumpers at our Dec meeting

School

I can't verbalise well-nigh my 2016 maths didactics highlights without mentioning my wonderful schoolhouse as well as my awesome colleagues. They're a existent pleasance to operate with.

Lizzie as well as I with Year thirteen maths students on their
terminal solar daytime at Glyn. They don't usually aspect as well as thus scruffy!

Celebrating results on the starting fourth dimension solar daytime of the new
schoolhouse yr with colleagues Harry as well as Farah

With trainee instructor Sarah
at Glyn's staff Christmas party

With colleague Rachel at Glyn's
 staff Christmas dinner

Joint Heads of Maths Christina
as well as Catherine, with NQT Amelia 

Looking Ahead
2017 brings the starting fourth dimension sitting of maths GCSE ix - 1. The successful delivery of this novel qualification volition hold upwardly something for maths teachers to celebrate. I worry well-nigh how the media as well as populace volition react to depression degree boundaries as well as falling 'pass rates' though. I also worry well-nigh our misfortunate 'guinea pig' yr groups who won't hold upwardly funded to resit if they learn a Grade 4, fifty-fifty though it's probable they'll demand a Grade five for futurity career opportunities.

2017 also brings the start of the novel linear maths Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. Some of the specifications are non yet accredited, as well as it's with trepidation that I aspect ahead to the summertime term. I hold back that at that spot volition hold upwardly a terminal infinitesimal rush to organise schemes of work, instructor CPD, resources as well as textbooks.

The Smith Report on post-16 didactics is due to hold upwardly published whatever solar daytime right away as well as I (nervously) aspect frontwards to seeing the recommendations.

There are many wonderful events planned for maths teachers inward 2017 - regard my event listings for details. I aspect frontwards to La Salle's adjacent conference (11th March inward Bristol) as well as I actually promise I'll hold upwardly able to attend the real exciting JustMaths conference at Alton Towers inward June.

I'm positive that the many maths instructor networks, including our wonderful Twitter community, volition overstep along to thrive inward 2017.

We accept a lot to aspect frontwards to.

Happy New Year, maths teachers!

#Mathsconf10

Yesterday I attended #mathsconf10 inward sunny Essex. I'm really grateful to Mark McCourt together with La Salle Education for but about other fantastic solar daytime of maths CPD together with networking.

I started the solar daytime past times coming together upwards alongside here. We travelled from Central London to Essex past times educate together with had plenty of fourth dimension to banking concern gibe out the exhibition before the conference started. The format of the solar daytime was slightly dissimilar to previous conferences - because in that location were hence many workshops, in that location was an additional session added to the programme together with no keynote at the start. This worked good - it was expert to hold out able to select 5 workshops, though choices were every bit hard every bit ever.

In the outset session I presented my 'Angles inward Depth' workshop. This is the outset inward a novel serial of workshops where I expression at a theme inward depth (misconceptions, explanations, resources etc). I experience quite strongly that this is something that maths teachers need, though I mean value it volition accept me a spell to convince people of this! I blogged most it here.

Apart from the uncomfortably hot room together with the glare on the screen, I mean value my session went well. I focused specifically on 2 angle facts - following angles on direct lines together with angles inward a triangle. After my workshop, lots of members of the audience told me stories of their experience teaching angles - the misconceptions they'd seen together with the approaches they'd used - which was brilliant.

Lots of people at the conference requested that I portion my session online. It makes a lot to a greater extent than feel if y'all genuinely listen me verbalise through it, but hither y'all go:

• PowerPoint (includes links together with animations)
• PDF version 
• Workshop handout (angles problems for Year 7)

Links together with sources are inward the notes at the bottom of each slide.

Once I've made a few to a greater extent than of these I'll pose them on a split page hence they're all inward 1 place.

The thought is that these slide packs are shared alongside trainee teachers the outset fourth dimension they learn these topics. My following session, at Sheffield inward September, volition focus on angles inward parallel lines.

After my session Charlie Dawson showed me a bright manipulative which is genuinely elementary to make:

Simple manipulatives to assistance empathise angles: present me a crimson acuate angle, present me a yellowish angle of 295 degrees etc. pic.twitter.com/AzAwxJR48m

— Charlie Dawson (@dawsonmaths) 24 June 2017

In the 2d session I attended Mark McCourt's workshop on the history of maths education. I did a lot of query on this before inward the twelvemonth because I ran a session on it for my SCITT trainees, but I felt that I had but about gaps inward my noesis hence it was worth aid Mark's session to uncovering out more. As expected, this was a genuinely interesting session. It's fascinating that maths teaching keeps swinging from progressive to traditional together with dorsum again.

I together with then went to Andrew Taylor's session where he talked most his personal history of employment solving. He shared but about lovely Malcolm Swan problems, including Skeleton Tower from the blue box.

When he shared the mark guides for the sometime maths GCSE coursework it made me really happy that I became a instructor subsequently coursework was removed from GCSE. Tilly's tweet most this genuinely made me laugh:

Andrew spoke most the reasons that coursework was discontinued together with how exams straightaway endeavor to show employment solving skills, though of course of instruction nosotros know that conducting mathematical investigations nether fourth dimension atmospheric condition is non ideal.

During this workshop a lot of people attended the lovely here together with included but about links to learn out ticket resources (though, arguably, an learn out ticket should solely accept a few minutes to create hence teachers may hold out amend off making their ain tailored learn out tickets instead of using pre-made ones).

At tiffin I popped along to the tweet-up together with tried (unsuccessfully!) to brand a cobra weave stick bomb alongside Lucy Rycroft-Smith.

After tiffin I attended Rachel Horsman's session 'Geometrical Gems'. This was a lovely session total of practical activities. My favourite purpose was the Area Game, which I played alongside Martin Noon. The thought is to accept it inward turns to describe lines within a rectangle to cast triangles. When y'all cast a triangle y'all claim it past times colouring or labelling it. Each business y'all describe must start where the previous business finished together with has to encounter the other side of the rectangle. The mortal alongside the biggest total expanse at the terminate wins.

It's obvious now, but whatever y'all do you'll terminate upwards alongside a describe - because you'll both receive got the length of the rectangle every bit your total base, together with all the triangles receive got the same height. Clever!

In the terminal session Dani together with Rose headlined alongside a workshop on workload. I didn't become to this session because I experience that my workload is every bit nether command every bit it tin be. Most of the large drains on my workload (UCAS references, mock mark etc) are unavoidable. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the tweets mentioned quizzes, which I've been using for a twain of years straightaway together with absolutely love. Regular depression stakes quizzes are 1 of the best changes to my practise that I've made inward recent years together with I cannot recommend them plenty (I blogged most it here). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 flat mark together with feedback for a giant cast of 28 is the primary affair that's caused me ongoing workload issues this twelvemonth - I'm non convinced that quizzes are a suitable option at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, but I suppose it's worth considering.

Instead I went to Peter Mattock's session 'Opportunities for Reasoning' inward which he shared lots of interesting activities together with resources, including this from the Standards Unit which requires students to explicate what's happening inward each step:

He likewise shared his lovely fractions activity which y'all tin download here.

I stayed for a twain of drinks subsequently the conference together with had a lovely chat alongside swain maths teachers. Overall it was a slap-up solar daytime together with I expression forrad to the Sheffield conference inward September.

In illustration you're interested, my previous maths conference weblog posts tin hold out institute here:

#mathsconf9 (March 2017)
#mathsconf8 (September 2016)
#mathsconf6 (March 2016)
#mathsconf5 (September 2015)
#mathsconf4 (June 2015)
#mathsconf2015 (March 2015)
Gems 8 (September 2014)

I'm going to the JustMaths Conference on Tuesday (two maths conferences inward 4 days!) - if you're going, catch y'all there.

Justmaths Conference 2017

I dear the summertime term for CPD - I've been to 2 conferences inwards 4 days!

I'm rattling grateful to the JustMaths squad for inviting me along to their outset annual conference. I don't usually attend events on schoolhouse days, but because all my try classes lead maintain left I didn't demand to laid upward whatsoever comprehend for this one. It was a keen stance to agree this conference after the destination of the try period.

I attend quite a lot of conferences as well as ever pay my ain go as well as accommodation - although it's financially challenging, I intend it's worth it for all the ideas, insights as well as networking.

I got the prepare to Stoke after schoolhouse on Mon as well as was rattling grateful to Emma (@El_Timbre) and Laura (@LauraCodd1) for collecting me from the station. Once I'd checked into the Alton Towers Hotel I went along to pre-conference drinks, where Jenny (@MsSteel_Maths) was busy paradigm nails amongst mathsy designs (the templates tin live bought here, as well as hopefully Jenny volition live doing nails for charity at #mathsconf13 inwards Sheffield).

The Alton Towers Hotel was total of quirky features. The children's amusement went on surprisingly late, amongst dancing toddlers everywhere at 10pm!

On the Tuesday morning, I enjoyed collecting bits as well as pieces from the conference exhibition including H5N1 grade SAMs from AQA, GCSE problems from Edexcel, as well as stationery freebies from ypo. Ypo had some practiced Brain Booster packs which each incorporate fifty cards giving teachers ideas on how to role manipulatives inwards the classroom.

I was surprised to consider a BBC stand upward equally I've non seen i at a maths conference earlier - they told me most their new maths videos for role inwards the classroom.

The conference venue was beautifully decorated. I was surprised yesteryear the size of the upshot - it was much bigger than I expected. There were closed to 300 delegates - many were at their outset ever maths conference. I usually consider lots of familiar faces at La Salle's conferences but this was a totally dissimilar crowd - it was actually prissy to consider thus many lovely novel people. Some teachers had travelled from overseas to attend. The bulk of teachers I spoke to had never heard of resourceaholic.com, thus I gauge I nevertheless lead maintain a lot of operate to do (but I brand no coin from my website, thus my marketing budget is non-existent... I rely on give-and-take of mouth, thus was rattling grateful to Mel for mentioning my spider web log during the conference).

There were lots of prissy surprises throughout twenty-four lx minutes menstruum - including a huge publish of prizes (I was delighted to win a bottle of champagne inwards the prize draw!), as well as a complimentary JustMaths marker handbag as well as fidget spinner for every delegate.

The twenty-four lx minutes menstruum was organised a flake differently to conferences I've been to earlier - instead of choosing smaller workshops, nosotros all stayed together for the whole twenty-four lx minutes menstruum as well as listened to vi sessions - i from each of the try boards, i from Ofqual as well as i Q&A at the end. It was a shame non to lead maintain a session from the fantabulous Mel as well as Seager of JustMaths (it would lead maintain been practiced to hear what they do at their schoolhouse that earned them TES Maths Team of the Year lastly year) but they did an awesome undertaking of hosting the upshot as well as were rattling entertaining.

In the try board sessions it was practiced to expression at try questions as well as to hear most some of the resources available to teachers (such equally OCR's check-in tests, Edexcel's Access to Foundation Tier resources, and Eduqas's takeaway menus).

The absolute highlight of the twenty-four lx minutes menstruum was Craig Barton's session for AQA. I've seen Craig utter at a few conferences earlier as well as it's been fascinating to consider his approaches develop over time. Craig has read tonnes of enquiry recently, as well as has rattling helpfully summarised it for maths teachers on his research page. In his session he discussed how teachers oft rush ahead to complex try questions earlier students lead maintain developed fluency inwards the each of the private skills involved, as well as he said (controversially...?) that students shouldn't live doing a total GCSE newspaper until the March earlier their terminal exams.

Craig's suggested approach was the catchy 'IDAP': 1. Isolate the skill, 2. Develop the skill, 3. Assess the skill, 4. Practise retrieval later. He showed us examples of resources that worked good for science evolution inwards novice learners.

The matter that stood out the most for me was what Craig said most 'non-problems'. At the moment, many of us learn Pythagoras as well as and thus give students a charge of Pythagoras questions inwards dissimilar contexts as well as guises. These problems lead maintain the same deep construction (Pythagoras) but dissimilar surface structures, similar these:

Students don't lead maintain to operate out that they should role Pythagoras inwards these questions, because it's obvious if the lesson is all most Pythagoras. An option approach would live to give a laid upward of questions amongst the same surface construction (eg an isosceles triangle) but dissimilar deep structures (eg non all involving Pythagoras). This makes a lot of sense.

I kept a tally of how many times Craig said the give-and-take flippin' - I got to 15, but I may lead maintain missed a few equally I was rattling busy taking notes! It was an utterly awesome session as well as I'm actually glad I was at that topographic point to consider it.

At the destination of the conference all delegates had complimentary access to the topic green - including a menstruum of exclusive access to the large rides. I was actually excited to endeavor out a few rides but, annoyingly, I had a prepare to catch. By the fourth dimension Craig as well as I got off the monorail as well as walked closed to the park, nosotros didn't lead maintain whatsoever fourth dimension left for rides because I had to rush off as well as acquire my taxi. But at to the lowest degree I had a practiced grab upward amongst Craig!

I bet that everyone who stayed for the rides had a fantastic time! What a fun agency to destination an event.

Well done as well as congratulations to Mel, Seager as well as Fize from JustMaths - I can't imagine how much operate is involved inwards pulling together such a large event. The adjacent i is on Th 28th June 2018 - salve the date!

5 Maths Gems #74

Welcome to my 74^th gems post. This is where I portion some of the latest news, ideas too resources for maths teachers.

1. Area Mazes
Two years agone I wrote nearly Area Mazes in Gems 36 . Last calendar week Nicke (@NEdge9) told me nearly the lovely website areamaze.com which I'd never seen before. This simple, user-friendly website presents a serial of increasingly hard expanse mazes for students to locomote through online. Helpfully, students are able to depict workings on the diagrams spell they argue their agency through the puzzles.

2. Animations
Tim Brzezinski (@dynamic_math) has been tweeting some vivid online geogebra materials lately. I similar to utilisation things similar this inwards lessons every bit role of my explanations. No Geogebra skills are required! For illustration Tim has made excellent collections of animations for exterior angles and interior angles of polygons and a tool exploring linear increase vs exponential growth. Follow Tim on Twitter for lots to a greater extent than similar this.

Another clever animation that I spotted on Twitter this calendar week was 1 by Kendra Lockman (@klockmath). Kendra has created a tool inwards Desmos: 'Adding Integers on a Number Line' which is worth a look.

3. Angles inwards Polygons
Ed Southall (@solvemymaths) has been finding out nearly maths instruction over inwards Nippon too volition no dubiety portion lots of weblog posts too articles nearly what he's discovered. He's already tweeted nearly multiple approaches for finding a formula for the interior angles of polygons.

Most teachers leave of absence amongst the offset approach here, but for a spell I've persuasion that the 2d approach (triangles that run across inwards the centre, leading to the formula 180n - 360) powerfulness hold upward to a greater extent than intuitive. It's worth discussing.

4. Odd One Out

MathsPad has published a novel laid of Odd One Out resources. Students need to uncovering matching pairs from nine items inwards a box, too hence circle the strange 1 out. These activities are designed to depict out possible misconceptions. There are currently nine topics available to MathsPad subscribers too ii topics available for free: Reciprocals too Simplifying Surds.

5. End of Term Quiz

My postal service 'End of term resources' lists maths activities that are helpful when y'all convey a one-half a shape or one-half a lesson. I believe it's really of import to continue teaching maths correct upward to the concluding twenty-four lx minutes catamenia of term - I never laissez passer inwards to students' requests for films or games! But sometimes lessons are disrupted past times schoolhouse events, important that teaching a novel topic becomes difficult. This presents a proficient chance for maths enrichment.

Thanks to Richard Tock (@TickTockMaths) for sharing his End of Year Maths Quiz. This quiz is really mathsy too is written specifically for summertime 2017.

This Maths Pub Quiz Pack by @SE_Education is also worth a look.

Update
I'm really pleased that evidence flavor is over! It's proficient to convey some gained time, though I'm actually busy writing UCAS references, sorting out displays ahead of opened upward evening, too finding resources for the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. I volition hold upward blogging nearly novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking topics soon.

Last calendar week I was appointed to the role of Acting Joint Head of Maths at Glyn School (it's precisely motherhood cover, too I was the alone applicant, but hi - it's dainty to larn a temporary promotion). It's going to hold upward a challenge but I'm delighted to hold upward given the opportunity.

A tertiary of Glyn Maths Faculty enjoying prom concluding week

In instance y'all missed them, my recent posts were:

• JustMaths Conference 2017
• #mathsconf10
• Topics In Depth
• New GCSE: Done!

I'm presenting my Angles inwards Depth workshop at the ATM & MA London Branch conference this Sabbatum hence if you're based inwards London, produce come upward along.

In other maths news, MEI launched a novel app (Bundles of Graphs) too Simon Singh launched his Parallel Project for slap-up high attainers. Also, MEI convey launched some first-class novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking resources on Integral, including helpful revision summary sheets.

Don't forget to majority tickets for my #summaths event!

I'll leave of absence y'all amongst this lovely activeness 'Ab-surd!' from Underground Maths - I dearest surds!