Maths Mahi and Expectations

Increasing Acceleration in Maths

High expectations are essential in all learning areas, as students need to be involved in the tasks to find success. Games and hands-on investigations can help to achieve this. Students are often unable to see the purpose or relevance to their daily lives to work in textbooks. 

The focus is not on remediation, informing students they are behind. The focus is on acceleration. Skills that are needed are taught using a just in time strategy, then utilised straight away, giving students a sense of power. The tasks are constantly relevant and inspire students to engage. The pace of learning is maintained and students feel they are part of the core class not lagging behind.

As a group, we all had 10 seconds to look at this image and then describe what we saw.

   

Initially, teachers were reluctant to share their ideas. Sound familiar? All ideas were accepted with no judgement, just the question 'What else?'

Ways we can ignite curiosity with Maths:

• 
  Photos, images, posters
• Saying, Riddles
• Meme
• Video
• Guest Speaker
• Article
• Facebook Post

These two images created a lot of discussion in my class the first was an introduction to decimals and what was wrong with the sign. The second was used to introduce fractions before heading into decimals.

Acceleration Framework

1. Generate Thinking
2. Clearly Articulate learning and expectations
3. Scaffold, practise skills
4. Introduce vocabulary, and review Prior knowledge
5. Dip into new concepts
6. Conduct Formative Assessment

To help with Vocab use a Tip Chart (Term Information Picture) best when student-driven.

We need to change the disposition of teachers and students towards maths before attainment will change.