Planning For September: Twelvemonth 12

I'm looking frontwards to education the novel linear Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bird to 2 Year 12 classes this year. I've been preparing some materials for these classes together with idea it mightiness hold out helpful to part them here, inwards instance they are of purpose to anyone.

1. Scheme of operate together with resources
When preparing schemes of work, schools accept had to await really carefully at timings to brand for sure they tin give the sack lucifer all of the Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bird content into the 2 twelvemonth fourth dimension frame (I blogged almost this here). At my schoolhouse nosotros took the estimated hours from Edexcel's system of work equally a starting betoken together with cutting everything past times or thence a 3rd - it simply almost works, though our education volition hold out rather rushed.

My school's novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bird system of operate looks really similar to our GCSE system of work, alongside a front end page showing an approximate timeline together with thence a to a greater extent than detailed page for each topic showing the specification together with resources. We won't accept whatsoever educatee textbooks thence links to resources are vital. I've blogged almost A bird resources earlier together with many of these are silent useful for the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. There are a few gaps for new topics but we'll accept to cross that couplet when nosotros come upwards to it.

Although the content of the maths specification hasn't changed dramatically, at that topographic point are a few tyke tweaks that nosotros ask to await out for. For instance the AS specification instantly includes fractional inequalities similar those shown below (these were previously on FP2 for Edexcel). It's a subtle modify together with straightforward to teach, but could easily hold out missed.

From Pearson Textbook Pure AS (spot the typo!)

Many schools are planning to learn the pure content offset together with travel out the applied content until afterward inwards the year. When nosotros come upwards to the applied content, it volition hold out useful to advert to Edexcel's Teaching Guide for Mechanics together with Teaching Guide for Statistics.

2. First lesson
I've created a here.

First lesson activity from Susan Whitehouse

3. Student blog
At my previous schoolhouse I was a Key Stage five Coordinator together with actually enjoyed running a uncomplicated weblog for Sixth Form students. I promise to create this 1 time again this year. I've laid upwards 1 upwards at glynmaths.blogspot.co.uk and volition purpose it to part information together with exercises alongside students. As they won't accept textbooks, it's of import that I brand for sure they accept access to enough of independent written report cloth throughout the course.

4. Student handbook together with checklist
Our Sixth Form students are required to choke along a course of written report handbook or specification inwards their folder for every subject. This twelvemonth I accept updated our handbook for the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, including the topic checklist at the back. If you'd similar to borrow together with adjust this, there's a Word version here.

Delivering the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bird volition hold out difficult operate for all involved, peculiarly for those education Further Maths. Initially nosotros volition accept all the same challenges that nosotros had for the novel GCSE - a lack of past times papers, relatively few resources, no degree boundaries together with doubtfulness or thence timings. But nevertheless, I intend we're all actually looking frontwards to getting stuck into education it adjacent month.

Teaching back upwards from Tarquin Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level

Summaths 2017

My Summaths number took house yesterday inwards the glorious sunshine at Bletchley Park. In this post I only desire to percentage a few highlights in addition to tell a few give thank you lot yous. This was the 4th maths instructor number that I've organised (my previous events beingness Christmaths 2015, Maths Meet Glyn in addition to Christmaths 2016). I mean value that our online maths didactics community is wonderful then I actually savour getting everyone together inwards person.

I vicious inwards honey alongside Bletchley Park when I visited it final summer. I knew that it would live on a bully venue for a maths instructor event.

75 teachers arrived vivid in addition to early Sun morning time in addition to spent the 24-hour interval exploring the beautiful Bletchley Park. Thomas Briggs ran a serial of workshops on codebreaking which were really good received past times all. In closed to other room, at that spot were maths activities in addition to fantabulous Enigma demonstrations.

After a lovely luncheon in addition to drinking glass of Pimms on the lawn past times the lake, nosotros wandered circular to the National Museum of Computing. This house is awesome. They bring loads of cool materials for mathematicians, including collections of slide rules in addition to calculators. I loved playing Mario Kart on an former N64, in addition to 1 of the highlights of my 24-hour interval was a virtual reality dinosaur.

We returned to Bletchley Park for a super difficult quiz which was won past times Angus, Em, Jan, Brian, Em, Chris in addition to Rob who solely dropped 1 mark! Very impressive. The quiz is here if you'd similar to bring a larn (with answers, in addition to previous quizzes). Thank you lot to Ed Southall (@solvemymaths) for contributing the cryptarithm in addition to anagrams.

Each attendee got a goody pocketbook which contained freebies from @TTRockStars, @JaneAppleton24, @AQAMaths, @OCR_Maths, @thinkmaths, @FlipTheSystemUK, @Cipher_Master in addition to @BuzzardPublish. Thank you lot really much to each of these generous contributors.

H5N1 large grouping of us went to the pub for dinner afterwards, in addition to had a actually overnice evening.

Huge thank you lot to Thomas Briggs (@TeaKayB) from Bletchley Park in addition to Jacqui Garrad (@JacquiGarrad) from The National Museum of Computing for helping me to organise the event. Thank you lot to everyone who enthusiastically participated, in addition to particular thank you lot to those who helped me fill upwards in addition to distribute goody bags. Finally, a huge give thank you lot you to my lovely colleague Lizzie Stokes (@MissStokesMaths) for giving me a elevator to Bletchley in addition to back.

It was a hot in addition to tiring day, but I loved every minute. All of my photos are inwards a Facebook album here, in addition to depository fiscal establishment tally out the hashtag #summaths to run into to a greater extent than photos in addition to tweets from the day.

I'm dorsum to schoolhouse on Friday, feeling inspired in addition to raring to go.

5 Maths Gems #76

Welcome to my 76^th gems post. This is where I part or thence of the latest news, ideas together with resources for maths teachers.

1. 'For Interest'
Dr Frost has made a educate of 'Just For Your Interest' posters for H5N1 degree mathematicians. These render groovy dependent champaign cognition evolution for maths teachers too.

I met Jamie Frost for drinks over summertime - he has loads of exciting plans for his website thence it's worth next him on Twitter (@DrFrostMaths) for updates. Lately he has been publishing PowerPoints for the novel H5N1 degree thence create cheque them out if you're didactics Year 12 this year.

Drinks amongst Jamie Frost (@DrFrostMaths)
together with Megan Guinan (@MeganGuinan1)

2. thaMographe
I was real pleased to have a gratuitous thaMographe inwards the post! This is a wonderful conception that combines an entire maths educate into a unmarried slice of equipment.

I acknowledge that I'm non groovy amongst accuracy at the best of times - constructions are my to the lowest degree favourite business office of maths. I loathe to come across students struggling to move a twosome of compasses together with I real much promise that the thaMographe volition ane twenty-four lx minutes menstruum endure widely used yesteryear schoolhouse children. It is for certain tardily to move together with accurate plenty for schoolhouse degree mathematics - every bit demonstrated yesteryear my quick perpendicular bisector:

Ed Southall has written a thorough review of the thaMographe here.

You tin flame social club a thaMographe from www.thamtham.fr - transportation is free! Hopefully it volition endure available to purchase inwards the Britain soon.

3. Subtraction Methods
I dear this graphic showing choice methods for subtraction. It was shared yesteryear James Tanton (@jamestanton) who tweeted "Math is for each of us to ain together with create inwards whatsoever practiced means suits us best".

4. Graspable Maths
In Gems 75 I shared an algebra maze from MEI that was real popular. Through a comment left on that spider web log post, I discovered graspablemath.com, which is an exciting novel interface for working amongst algebra. It's lovely to move - if you're on a reckoner together with direct keep or thence fourth dimension to spare, direct keep a play amongst the online algebra maze.

5. H5N1 Level Problem Book
Stuart Price (@sxpmaths) has been difficult at piece of employment pulling together a large educate of problems for H5N1 degree maths. He has collated questions on a topic-by-topic basis, inwards 4 sections: Techniques; Problem Solving; Puzzles & Challenges, together with Exam Review. The thought is that students tin flame move these sets of questions for independent report throughout the course.

It's piece of employment inwards progress, but if y'all desire Stuart to e-mail y'all a link to his piece of employment thence far (it's great!) delight contact him via Twitter.

Update
Here are my recent posts, inwards representative y'all missed them:

• here.
  
  You tin flame social club a thaMographe from www.thamtham.fr - transportation is free! Hopefully it volition endure available to purchase inwards the Britain soon.
  
  3. Subtraction Methods
  I dear this graphic showing choice methods for subtraction. It was shared yesteryear James Tanton (@jamestanton) who tweeted "Math is for each of us to ain together with create inwards whatsoever practiced means suits us best".
  
  
  4. Graspable Maths
  In Summaths 2017
• here.
  
  You tin flame social club a thaMographe from www.thamtham.fr - transportation is free! Hopefully it volition endure available to purchase inwards the Britain soon.
  
  3. Subtraction Methods
  I dear this graphic showing choice methods for subtraction. It was shared yesteryear James Tanton (@jamestanton) who tweeted "Math is for each of us to ain together with create inwards whatsoever practiced means suits us best".
  
  
  4. Graspable Maths
  In Planning for September: Year 12

I also launched my novel 'Topics inwards Depth' page.

I was real grateful to a sort Summaths attendee for lending me copies of these 'Developing Thinking...' books which volition assistance me inwards my enquiry for my Topics inwards Depth project. These books come upwardly highly recommended.

If you're going to researchED side yesteryear side Sabbatum thence create come upwardly along to the struggle nearly maths GCSE - I'm on the panel of speakers.

Have y'all booked your ticket for #mathsconf13 on 30th September inwards Sheffield? I promise to come across y'all there.

TES Maths Panel
On Tuesday I spent the twenty-four lx minutes menstruum at TES amongst the lovely members of the here.

You tin flame social club a thaMographe from www.thamtham.fr - transportation is free! Hopefully it volition endure available to purchase inwards the Britain soon.

3. Subtraction Methods
I dear this graphic showing choice methods for subtraction. It was shared yesteryear James Tanton (@jamestanton) who tweeted "Math is for each of us to ain together with create inwards whatsoever practiced means suits us best".

4. Graspable Maths
In here together with here.

You tin flame social club a thaMographe from www.thamtham.fr - transportation is free! Hopefully it volition endure available to purchase inwards the Britain soon.

3. Subtraction Methods
I dear this graphic showing choice methods for subtraction. It was shared yesteryear James Tanton (@jamestanton) who tweeted "Math is for each of us to ain together with create inwards whatsoever practiced means suits us best".

4. Graspable Maths
In here.

With ane of my favourite Scottish mathematicians - Chris Smith

Pizza amongst the panel

I had Inset yesterday together with I showtime didactics on Mon - exciting!

Don't forget that my resource libraries mightiness assistance amongst your lesson planning.

I'll move out y'all amongst this thought from Underwood Dudley, taken from his first-class slice "What Is Mathematics For?". I mean value this is quite inspirational at the showtime of a novel schoolhouse year.

"...when I am earlier a bar of judgement, heavenly or otherwise, together with asked to justify my life, I volition depict myself upwardly proudly together with say, “I was ane of the stewards of mathematics, together with it came to no terms inwards my care.”"

Cover Work

No i likes beingness set on cover. We create got precious few gratis periods together with we're ever ridiculously busy, so terminal infinitesimal embrace is an absolute day-ruiner. I lost count of the set out of times I had to do embrace for other subjects terminal year. It prompted me to intend almost what makes a decent embrace lesson.

Unlike long term supply, a embrace lesson for an unplanned absence is unremarkably delivered past times a randomly chosen instructor from some other champaign of report who happens to create got some non-contact time. These lessons are planned inwards a hurry, either past times an unwell instructor who has logged inwards from home, or past times a busy Head of Department. I intend nosotros create got to convey that a pupil may non larn anything new when their instructor is off sick. As long every bit it's rare, that's non the cease of the world. There are plenty of useful things that a pupil tin do independently when their instructor is absent - inwards fact, it tin locomote a actually goodness chance to do some focused practice. To me, the worst form of embrace lessons are those where:

• The lesson requires goodness noesis on the business office of the instructor delivering it. No i should locomote expected to stand upward up together with learn a total lesson on something that they know zippo about. Cover lessons should locomote written amongst non specialists inwards mind. 
• The lesson is difficult run for the embrace teacher. From a staff welfare perspective, nosotros must be prissy to our colleagues together with non laissez passer on them anything complicated to deliver or challenging to oversee. Activities should minimise opportunities for disruptive behaviour. No i wants a embrace lesson from hell.
• There isn't plenty run for students to do, or the instructions are unclear, or the required technology doesn't work, or in that place aren't plenty resources to become round. Four students huddled around a unmarried textbook isn't ideal. 

Ideally nosotros should ever develop an assessment inwards a embrace lesson. That industrial plant perfectly. The embrace instructor only has to invigilate, together with may fifty-fifty locomote able to acquire on amongst their marker or lesson planning. Instructions are clear together with the run a peril of behavior problems is minimised. However, sometimes the timing isn't correct for an assessment.

From a maths perspective, the side past times side best selection is a whole lesson's worth of independent run - starting amongst a reminder of a method (in a textbook, on a worksheet or inwards a video), so a goodness develop of exercise questions together with some extension problems. Ideally this lesson volition locomote a continuation of the topic covered inwards the previous lesson. If your schoolhouse has textbooks so this is easily done, but for schools without textbooks, I intend that Corbett Maths is a rattling useful source of material.

Below is an event of a measure develop of instructions for this form of embrace lesson - this tin easily locomote copied together with adapted for whatever topic.

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Cover Lesson: Solving Quadratic Equations past times Factorising

1. Students write downwardly the engagement together with championship inwards their exercise book.
2. Show this 7 infinitesimal video: https://corbettmaths.com/2013/05/03/solving-quadratics-by-factorising
3. Display this slide on the board for the residuum of the lesson: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9L2lYGRiK2bRkhHM19WeGVPT1E/view?usp=sharing 
4. Hand out these worksheets: https://corbettmaths.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/solving-quadratics-by-factorising-1-pdf.pdf. Students must run independently inwards their exercise book. They must write downwardly the questions together with demonstrate all workings.
5. If a pupil finishes the entire sheet, manus them these extension problems:  /search?q=03/solving-quadratics-by-factorising" target="_blank">https://corbettmaths.com/2013/05/03/solving-quadratics-by-factorising
6. Display this slide on the board for the residuum of the lesson: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9L2lYGRiK2bRkhHM19WeGVPT1E/view?usp=sharing 
7. Hand out these worksheets: https://corbettmaths.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/solving-quadratics-by-factorising-1-pdf.pdf. Students must run independently inwards their exercise book. They must write downwardly the questions together with demonstrate all workings.
8. If a pupil finishes the entire sheet, manus them these extension problems: Five to x minutes earlier the cease of the lesson, display or read out the answers together with inquire students to score their ain work: https://corbettmaths.com/2016/10/15/solving-quadratics-by-factorising-1

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This lesson is slow for a non-specialist to deliver. The video ensures that all students are reminded of the method together with so able to acquire started. Students so run independently throughout the lesson, getting lots of worthwhile exercise done. Perhaps the embrace instructor volition let them to quietly inquire their partner for assist if they acquire stuck. Meanwhile, depending on the class, the embrace instructor (assuming they're non a maths teacher) may fifty-fifty locomote able to acquire on amongst their work.

Mathsbox provides helpful embrace lesson resources (with subscription), but I don't know of whatever other resources available that are specifically designed for cover. Corbett Maths videos together with textbook exercises look to run rattling good though. I'd honey to listen if you've come upward up amongst some other approach to embrace lessons that makes them slow to plan, slow to run together with worthwhile for students. Please share!

The Novel Gcse Debate

On Sabbatum I participated inwards an Institute of Ideas panel give-and-take on the novel maths GCSE. Here is the description of the session from the blogged previously almost using an entrance examination to assess algebra skills at the get-go of Year 12 - this wouldn't survive necessary if the GCSE was doing its project correctly. I know of a pupil who got cypher out of 15 on his entrance assessment - which consisted of pretty basic algebra questions - fifty-fifty though he got a Grade half-dozen at GCSE. This begs the question, what does a Grade half-dozen inwards maths genuinely mean? 

I'm non convinced that standards direct keep improved. I'd fighting that mistakes were made inwards designing the content of the novel GCSE specification. 

Over the final ii years, maths has gained extra teaching fourth dimension inwards most schools. This has oftentimes come upward at a damage to other subjects. Many schools direct keep gone from iii maths lessons a calendar week to four, or fifty-fifty more. But the extra fourth dimension inwards the classroom has non been spent improving fluency inwards algebra together with tackling key misconceptions - which would direct keep been the best agency to pass the extra time. Instead nosotros direct keep had to pass the extra fourth dimension teaching all the new, random, bitty topics that were added to GCSE - quadratic sequences, functions, iteration, frequency trees together with and then on. The breadth of the GCSE is vast - at that spot are 97 topics listed inwards the government's specification. Why precisely were all the novel topics added? 

It isn't a caput get-go on H5N1 flat at all - if our students pass a few lessons rushing through functions inwards Year 11, nosotros volition even together with then direct keep to instruct them functions from scratch inwards Year 13. Due to fourth dimension constraints, most students volition entirely attain a superficial agreement of the H5N1 flat topics that were added to GCSE.

What would direct keep been ameliorate - what would direct keep genuinely made a deviation to our H5N1 flat mathematicians - would direct keep been fewer topics on GCSE. I am pleased that Higher GCSE got harder, it used to survive likewise slowly for many students, just inwards my thought it got harder inwards the incorrect way. I would direct keep liked to direct keep seen the questions on the of import materials - algebra, number, trigonometry - made harder. I'd direct keep liked it if it was impossible to larn a high GCSE flat without truthful algebraic fluency together with understanding.

This increased flat of difficulty - just on fewer topics - would direct keep ameliorate equipped our students for the challenges of H5N1 level. Depth was the answer. And depth is the reply inwards many high performing jurisdictions. But our regime went for breadth.

It all comes downward to curriculum. It volition survive a few years until nosotros are able to get-go measure the comport on of GCSE reform inwards whatever meaningful agency - possibly fifty-fifty longer, equally nosotros await for the changes at Key Stages 1 together with 2 to filter through to Key Stage 4. But at the moment, whilst the specification remains together with then broad, it's hard for me to run into at that spot beingness whatever important comport on on our time to come generation of mathematicians". 

There were or together with then genuinely interesting points raised during the debate, together with I was frustrated that I couldn't address every betoken inwards equally much exceptional equally I'd direct keep liked (particularly points relating to the suitability of the Foundation specification together with the sense of students who struggle amongst maths). Apologies if yous were at the session together with raised something that nosotros didn't direct keep fourth dimension to properly explore - it would survive neat if nosotros (ie the maths teaching community) could proceed the conversation on Twitter or at a time to come conference. It's genuinely of import that teachers brand their vocalism heard inwards discussions almost qualifications together with curriculum.

Many thank yous to the Institute of Ideas Education Forum for organising the debate, together with to Tom Bennett together with all those involved inwards researchED for hosting an fantabulous conference.