MATHS MATTERS IN KINGSTON Statement of Purpose Hi all, The Kingston Network has as one of its main priorities, the improvement of the numeracy data across all the Kingston schools, primary and secondary. I am delighted that we have, over 2010, been able to establish a vibrant teacher network to support this end. However, I believe this network is just taking flight and has huge potential, through your continued contribution and support, to enhance the teaching of Mathematics and the performance of our students. Our Teaching and Learning Coaches, together with contracted Critical Friends, will continue to guide the evolution of the work. A strategy for this improvement is to provide a vehicle for sharing and recognising best practice ideas in our schools. This publication hopes to contribute to that sharing and recognition process. I hope you find it valuable! Judi Gurvich, Regional Network Leader

SPOTLIGHT ON THE MATHS DOMAIN By Nadia Walker

What other strategies do you encourage your students to use? Strategies are an important part of the problem-solving process and students need to know a wide range of strategies and how to access them. However, they are only useful once the nature of the problem has been established. Many problems can be solved in a variety of ways using different strategies. How a teacher might solve a problem can be contrary to how a student might solve the same problem. Imposing a teacher’s strategy on the student usually only serves to teach that one problem, as the strategy is not one which the student would have selected and therefore does not necessarily make sense to the student. Encouraging a class to solve a problem in a variety of ways and then discussing and justifying the different approaches gives access to many strategies and exposes students to a variety of different mathematical thinking. Extract from Teaching Primary Mathematics Page 43-44, G. Booker, D Bond, J Briggs, G Davey, Longman, 1997.

KINGSTON NETWORK 24 CHALLENGE

On Friday September 3rd, Kingswood Primary School Mathematics Developmental Continuum: Real hosted the Inaugural Kingston Network 24 Challenge. The 10 participating schools included Aspendale PS, World Investigations http://www.education.vic.gov.au/studentlearning/ Aspendale Gardens PS, Chelsea Heights PS, Mentone PS, Mordialloc Beach PS, Parkdale PS, Dingley PS, teachingresources/maths/mathscontinuum/

wmathly/W40006P.htm This indicator of progress links to Fermi Questions and highlights different strategies to use when solving mathematical problems. Fermi questions are often very open-ended questions which may initially seem impossible to answer ... but this is part of the fun of them! By supporting students and scaffolding their mathematical thinking to make some sensible assumptions and estimations, we may be able to come up with a moderately good approximation of the real answer. Students are genuinely fascinated by the enormous numbers, the unlikely scenarios and the ”impossibility” of these types of tasks.

Edithvale PS, Kingston Heath PS and Kingswood PS. Following school-based tournaments, winners were selected from grades 3, 4, 5 and 6 to represent their schools. It was fierce, yet friendly competition with all students trying their best to apply strategies and Strategies to approach mathematical problems include: manipulate Working backwards numbers to make Acting out the problem 24. After 10 rounds, Making a table or list Looking for a pattern the winners were announced and Drawing a diagram or graph awarded their prize Using smaller numbers and certificate. All Guessing and checking participants were Using materials Thinking of a similar problem congratulated on

MATHS MATTERS IN KINGSTON Wednesday 13th October - Middle Years Numeracy Assessment & Planning:- Aspendale Primary School, 4.15 sharp to 5.30. Wednesday 20th October - Early Years Numeracy Assessment & Planning Please take the time to fill out the feedback survey on Sharron Cramer each of the PD sessions. We use the feedback Kingswood Primary School from these surveys to plan the next PD sessions so we are meeting the schools’ needs. The Kingston Network Steering Committee together with Nadia Walker would like to work with Kingston Schools on creating a descriptor for Effective Numeracy Co-ordination in schools. Common Misconceptions in the Early Years Could school leaders or Numeracy co-ordinators Nadia Walker delivered the 4th instalment of please forward any information on the role and Professional Learning at Kingswood Primary School on responsibilities of their Numeracy Co-ordinator Wednesday 1st September. to Paul Arnts or Bryony Lowe (Kingston Network The session was well attended with over 60 teachers Teaching & Learning Coaches) from more than 12 of the Kingston Primary Schools. Our Kingston Literacy & Numeracy Wiki address is: Nadia focused on the use of the Common www.kingstonnetworknumandlitteam.wikispaces.c Misconceptions tools, giving a brief summary of the om. All of the resources and activities from the components, followed by a ‘hands on’ session. Here Numeracy and Literacy PDs are available for download the teachers were able to explore and trial many of the from this site. If you would like to join, please email tools using the fantastic laptops provided by our hosts. Paul Arnts or Bryony Lowe The discussion centred on how these tools could best be used in the individual school’s settings. Nadia TPL SUCCESS indicated that Di Siemon was seeking feedback on In the most recent round of Teacher Professional their use with small groups. Even though the tools were originally designed for short one on one sessions, Leave allocations, a number of Kingston Network proposals ‘got up’. Possibly the one with the most far reaching and long term benefits for the Network, was a joint a primary and secondary project. The application was titled ’Beginning teachers making their conduct and high level of mental computation skills. It was a most successful event that we hope will continue as part of the Kingston Network’s commitment to improving Numeracy standards and promoting student engagement in mathematics.

Kingston Network Numeracy Team News

a difference in Mathematical teaching practice’ and as the title implies the participants are a group of teachers with less than 5 years experience who are keen to work as a team using the e5 Instructional model, across our schools, between primary & secondary and the Network to develop our pedagogical content knowledge in the area of Multiplicative Thinking and mathematical misconceptions. Matt Bird & Marina Koumi from Aspendale Primary, David Hornbeck from Mordialloc Beach Primary, Nick Wilton & Britt Baker from Edithvale Primary and Alana Stewart and Justin Wischusen from Mordialloc Secondary College will work together and Di hoped to look at small group applications. with the support of the Kingston Network Numeracy A huge thank you to the Kingswood Primary School Team. Nadia Walker and the Teaching & Learning staff for hosting this event and especially Sharron coaches will act as critical friends. Cramer for her on site coordination. Their learning will be a benefit to their individual Upcoming Events Early next term the Network will once again be running schools and to the Kingston Network as a whole. The Professional Learning sessions. The sessions offered partnerships created between individual schools and will again be very much ‘hands on’ with specific details between the primary and secondary divisions will also be invaluable. below; The Kingston Network Numeracy Steering Committee will be meeting on Wednesday 6th October at Aspendale Gardens Primary School from 4.00-5.00pm. We During literacy and numeracy week Chelsea Heights welcome anyone who is Primary School enjoyed some number fun by playing interested in promoting whole school bingo! At lunchtime everyday Miss. Numeracy across the Kingston Evans would choose a student from her class to help Network to join us at this time.

SCHOOL NEWS Whole school bingo!

MATHS MATTERS IN KINGSTON her with the bingo calling. Some of the lucky students who got to roll the 12 sided dice were Pal Bidong, Ashleigh Pegrum, Matthew Grice and Nicholas Lee. It was a lot of fun to hear the numbers called over the PA system and each class shared the excitement and nerves of waiting for that last number. If you crossed off all your bingo numbers, you then had to be the 1st person down to Miss. Evans’ room! We had one false bingo from 6 Thompson- Tisk! Tisk! J The winning class each day was: Monday- 2 Aldred Tuesday – 5 Tan Wednesday – Room 1, Rotation Group 7. Thursday – 1 Evans Friday – 4 Powell/Sell Congratulations to all the classes for their participation and enthusiasm.

other countries. It was great to see and hear students’ engaged and animated in their discussions about Maths; a reminder to all of us about how hands-on activities can be such a motivating factor to students. If you were going to create a Maths trail for your school, consider using playground markings, shapes and patterns in play equipment and buildings, information on classroom windows / walls, canteen menus, cars and road signs they can see from school. Go for a walk around your school, it is surprising how many Maths opportunities you can find.

Maths Games Evening at Edithvale Primary As an introduction to Numeracy and Literacy Week, The Maths Team at Edithvale Primary organised a family games night. It was wonderful to see parents, grandparents, friends and students playing maths related

MATHS TRAIL AT AGPS

activities and enjoying themselves. Yes that’s right, Maths can be fun!! Families enjoyed the games so much that many purchases were made, allowing Edithvale Primary to receive some complimentary games. Thank you again to Heather McIntosh from Curious Kids, the students who set up the hall and assisted in teaching During Literacy and Numeracy Week, Aspendale many of the games and to all the staff and families that Gardens’ students and their parents took Maths outside attended. Together this made the night a great success. of the classroom and went on a Maths Trail. There was a trail for Level 1 + 2 students that involved recognising Amanda Scafidi shapes, telling the time, counting, sharing and Numeracy Team Leader Edithvale Primary School measuring.(which the Level 3 students devised) The Level 3 + 4’s trail had students recognising nets of 3D shapes, calculating perimeters and areas, costing meal packs from the Mathematics is alive and well at Kingswood Primary canteen and working out times in School. From Prep to Year 6 our students engage in

MATHEMATICS AT KINGSWOOD PRIMARY

MATHS MATTERS IN KINGSTON meaningful, challenging and engaging tasks that explore and develop their mathematical skills and understandings through a Differentiated Curriculum. World Maths Day and Numeracy Week were celebrated with lots of fun activities, competitions and maths trails around our school. Kingswood Primary hosted the Inaugural Kingston 24 Maths Challenge and participation in the University of New South Wales Maths competition was high. Our Targeting Talent students have worked their way through challenging problem-solving and extension tasks in multiplication, Division, Algebra and Fractions. Our junior students had lots of fun exploring mathematics in the environment and manipulating a wide range of materials to support their learning. The Preps and their Year 6 Buddies went on a neighbourhood walk to locate shapes, lines, numbers and patterns. They

Celebrating Numeracy Week at assembly

and Decimals interview, Scaffolding Numeracy and Common Misunderstandings. The data is used to determine focussed teaching points, establish flexible groupings and monitor student progress. We are looking forward to implementing our Differentiated Mathematics program in new, flexible learning spaces in the near future.

Nick and Matt enjoy investigations using Problem Solving strategies

We love maths at Kingswood!

Sharron Cramer-Numeracy Coordinator

‘WALKING THE WALLS’ AT MORDIALLOC BEACH PRIMARY As one of many school improvement initiatives instigated at Mordialloc Beach Primary, staff were involved in an activity called ‘Walking the Walls’. This data collection tool had all members of staff visit grades after school to collect data in particular areas of focus in Numeracy. enjoyed shopping and counting change and making predictions about the traffic patterns. One hundred days One of the foci was to investigate the level of Maths evident in classroom displays as a percentage of all of Prep was celebrated with counting and estimation classroom displays. Mordialloc Beach, as is true of many activities and the grade 1s and 2s produced some schools in our Network, has Maths as one of its main fantastic work priorities. The investigation was initiated to see if transforming, classrooms reflected this focus. The data was collated sorting and tessellating shapes. and presented to staff as baseline data. The results were surprising and helped all staff to commit to making the The staff at learning of Maths more apparent. The evidence of this Kingswood commitment would take the form of classroom displays continually strives to develop effective including children’s work, appropriate Maths Language, teaching and learning practices. Attendance at Network Professional Learning events Representing Pascal’s Triangle and and In-House exploring patterns in Literature Professional Development features strongly through internal Coaching, Collegiate Visits, ‘Walk Throughs’ and have hosted many visits for teams of teachers undertaking Teacher Professional Leave. In 2010 we have refined our use of Assessment and Monitoring Tools. Staff are gaining experience in administering and analysing OnLine Demand Testing, the On-Line Maths strategies etc. A subsequent ‘Walking the Walls’ Numeracy Interview, The Fractions session revealed a significant change in the percentage

MATHS MATTERS IN KINGSTON and quality of Maths displays.

If a colleague were to walk through your school would it be apparent what was the priority of the school? Gill Phillips Principal - Mordialloc Beach Primary

STORIES FROM THE STUDENTS Literacy and Numeracy Week at Chelsea Heights. Last week grade 5 and 6 were working on decimals, fractions and percentages. We learnt to convert them into one another. Earlier in the subject we learnt the process of it. Gradually all of the students were capable enough to make up their own questions and “who am I?” page. Ms. Wood’s grade was all confident enough to go into other classes and ask them their questions. With the confidence of what they had just accomplished they then went on to make PowerPoints which involved all of the students’ knowledge about this subject. Things like facts, the process and questions. We had one day to make the PowerPoint then we presented them in front of our won class.

Chloe D and Gagan, Grade 6 leaders. Chelsea Heights Primary School.

ROCKET TABLES In 5/6T we have been doing Rocket Tables. It’s a fun way to learn our multiplication tables. We have levels that have rows of tables, 0 to 10, which you have to complete in less than five minutes. We have a Rocket Tables session three or four times a week. When you finish the first level three times under five minutes, you will move on to the next level. After the first level you go onto Bronze, then Silver and then Gold. Most people in our class think that Bronze is the hardest level.

Once you finish all the levels, you will make up your own tables, from 0 to 12, on the computer. When you have printed your level out, you will then have to do it three times less than four minutes. After you have passed your level, you will then swap your level with another person and complete theirs. Then you will continue to make up your own rocket tables. Rocket Tables is a challenge that is supposed to challenge yourself, and is not a race against anyone else. It is probably the best way we can learn our multiplication tables in 5/6T. Joan Zhong 5/6T Chelsea Heights PS

‘FOOTY MATHS’ MANIA AT EDITHVALE Footy maths is a game that is played with 2 teams and obviously it involves maths. Each team has 5 players and an interchange player who can be used after half time. There are 5 teams in our competition and each team has a captain who also coaches the team when there is training. Goals are scored and results are recorded with a ladder and a draw all part of the action. One of the teams that are not playing that particular game acts as the ‘duty’ team. They do the timekeeping, scoreboard and the voting for the best and fairest. We are going to put a video on the Ultranet so you can see how the game works. Each round of footy has a different set of tables or facts to be used. For example ‘Round 1’ might have x6 ÷6 and + and – with numbers from 10 to 30. Round 2 might doubles, triples and h a l v e s . D u r i n g training, which is run by the captains, the teams try and improve their skills to prepare for the big game. All the kids really enjoy playing and it gets very exciting especially when you play in the finals. We even have ‘Grade of Origin’ where the best from one grade will play the best from the other grade. Our Edithvale Primary Brownlow medallist winner was Molly Gough. The medal next year might be named after Molly who will have to come back to do the presentation. Julian Cook

MATHS MATTERS IN KINGSTON Contributions are most welcome from all Kingston Network schools for our next edition to be published in late November. Please forward text and if possible, photos to Bryony or Paul by November 20th.

MATHS MATTERS IN KINGSTON