seminars and meetings in 2016-17
Tuesday 4 July 2017, 1:00-5:00 pm, Room: 421, Nunn Hall What is a mathematical concept?
You are warmly invited to attend an afternoon event focused on the theme: ‘What is a Mathematical Concept?’. This question forms the title of a new publication, by Cambridge University Press, of an edited volume comprising contributions from educators, mathematicians and philosophers.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/what-is-a-mathematical-concept/17FA5EB0B83320F90ADDDB74BD13B089
Tuesday 27 June room 603 from 1300 to 1500
NB different day of the week and slightly later start time
Sinead Vaughan and Teresa Smart
Meeting with mathematics teacher educators from Jordan
Three mathematics teacher educators from the Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) Jordan are visiting London at the end of June. The QRTA is a new institution to provide initial teacher education in Jordan. Up till now teachers go straight into school after gaining their degree. Teresa and Sinead have been working with the mathematics TEs advising them on curriculum, teaching and school practice. They are visiting London really for their own professional development and we have organised a programme of visits to schools and to the MEI conference. They would love to hear from the maths SIG at the IoE about your work with ITE, school practice, masters’ education, research and curriculum change. Please bring any resources, ideas and materials to share. The mathematics TEs started work in September 2016 and they are developing the ITE curriculum as well as teaching and mentoring 86 beginner mathematics teachers. This short visit will allow them to draw breath and see what is happing outside Jordan.
We will provide a sandwich lunch and look forward to seeing you all there.
22 June room 803
Social event: Cathy Smith's leaving IOE lunch.
15 June 2017 room 803
Mathematics Education at IOE meeting
Wednesday 21 June 2017 10:30-12noon room PC Lab1 (inside the IoE library)
NB different day of the week and time of day
Chris Sanguin, University of Edinburgh
Automatic assessment of mathematics using computer algebra, in particular the development of the STACK system
Discussion to include:
If enough people are interested, the talk will be followed by a practical hands-on with STACK an open-source system for computer-aided assessment in Mathematics and related disciplines, with emphasis on formative assessment. STACK is being used live at a number of institutions, including the UK Open University, Loughborough University, and the University of Birmingham in the UK and can be installed as a Moodle plugin.
8 June 2017 room 803
Cosette Crisan, Eirini Geraniou, Suman Ghosh and Jennie Golding
A new initiative for increasing the supply of mathematics teachers
An informal reporting back from the London Mathematical Society's Education Day on 25 May 2017 and discussion about mathematics teacher supply and possible new initiatives.
1 June 2017 room 803
Janet Ainley, University of Warwick, and Dave Pratt
Computational modelling and children’s expressions of signal and noise
Previous research has demonstrated how young children can identify the signal in data. In this exploratory study we considered how they might also express meanings for noise when creating computational models using recent developments in software tools. We conducted extended clinical interviews with four groups of 11-year-olds and analysed the videos of the children’s activity through a process of progressive focusing.
In this paper we explain the design of our tasks and report how the children’s expressions for noise, supported by the need to communicate with the software, developed from specific values to verbal expressions of uncertainty such as ‘around’, to offering ranges of values. We consider the opportunities and constraints of such an approach, which we call ‘purposeful computational modelling’.
25 May 2017 room 803
Planning for UCL Mathematics Education Colloquium and Seasonal Symposium
Queries in advance of the meeting to Alison Clark-Wilson or Melissa Rodd.
18 May 2017 room 803
Jeff Evans, Middlesex University
Have statistics lost their power in public policy discussions?
Statistics is one of the important branches of mathematics taught in schools, colleges and universities. It is clearly an important tool in public policy discussions. This session aims to propose a response to an article by Will Davies in The Guardian, which challenged the role of statistics in public discussions: “Rather than diffusing controversy and polarisation, it seems as if […] antipathy to statistics has become one of the hallmarks of the populist right, with statisticians and economists chief among the various ‘experts’ ostensibly rejected by voters in 2016.” The discussion will review the characteristics of the statistical approach, and will consider the meaning and consequences of “big data”, as well as some results of trends towards “identity politics” and globalisation. Some modest suggestions will be made about what may be done, hope fully to be augmented in discussion.
Participants are encouraged to read the article, before the session:
Davies, W. (2017). “How statistics lost their power”, The Guardian, 19 Jan. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/19/crisis-of-statistics-big-data-democracy
11 May 2017 room 803
Mathematics education team
'Staff room' conversations: what's on your mind?
For example: ideas for projects, sharing professional experience, ethics issues, new initiatives, a grumble or two, how can we help each other, discussion about recent broadcasts http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08ns2lw ...
4 May 2017 room 803
Reading & discussion: how Basil Bernstein's sociological ideas have been used in mathematics education.
Differentiated readings, according to time and interest:
A shorter BSRLM paper that uses the concepts of classification and framing to study the messages that one university maths teacher gives/ his students receive http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BSRLM-IP-35-2-06.pdf
or a longer paper (McLean &al 2013) that discusses these concepts, and others, more theoretically in the context of university education in social science.
Bernstein introduces a whole new conceptual vocabulary, for example: code, discourse, message, classification, framing, recontextualisation, pedagogic device. Discussion points include: What work these concepts do? Why does he think we need them? Do we think we need them?
27 April 2017 room 915
Jill Adler, Wits University South Africa
Take-up and tools: Teachers’ learning from professional development focused on subject matter knowledge.
In this seminar, I will discuss teachers’ take-up from a mathematics focused secondary professional development program in South Africa. ‘Take-up’ is indicated by (1) teachers’ scores in mathematics assessments pre and post their PD participation and (2) by differences in practice – specifically in what mathematics is made available to learn in these teachers’ lessons collected before and after the course. The latter is described using a set of tools developed to describe mathematics teaching and interpret differences in practice. I will raise for discussed the emerging patterns of difference, and so shifts in practice, where there was unevenness within and across teachers. This diversity, while expected, is provocative when set alongside the teachers’ mathematical progress. Jill's presentation link.
Readings theme: mathematics teacher learning
23 March 2017 room 828
Horn, Ilana Seidel. "Learning on the job: A situated account of teacher learning in high school mathematics departments." Cognition and Instruction 23.2 (2005): 207-236. click title :-)
In this paper Horn highlights curriculum resources, together with professional interactions in the shape of both pedagogical classification conversations and classroom experience-focused conversations, as key resources for teacher learning, highlighting the social and situated nature of that.
. Does this model of replays, rehearsals, (and in her subsequent 2010 paper, re-envisaging practice) also apply to beginner teachers' learning? If so, how can we/do we harness it in our ITE provision?
. How does it relate to other frameworks of teacher learning?
. Could it usefully be harnessed to structure thinking about our own practice as teacher educators?
For extra queries click here.
16 March 2017 room 805
Sharing mathematical starting points/questions/problems/queries.
Please bring a problem or two that has recently intrigued you.
9 March 2017 room 903
Jeremy Hodgen and Colin Foster, Nottingham University
Low attainment in mathematics: an investigation focusing on Year 9 students in England.
From the Investigating Mathematical Attainment and Progress (IMAP) project; click here for the slides.
2 March 2017 room 537
Mathematics Education at IOE
Meeting with Clare Brooks and Pre-meeting for the 3 and 4 March IOE BSRLM conference.
23 February 2017 room 603
Melissa Rodd
Maths in Chinese, is it easier? 1230-1330; 'Future plans' maths ed team meeting 1330-1400
A light hearted beginners' introduction to some mathematical vocabulary in 汉字 (Chinese characters). If possible, please get the Pleco app on your phone or tablet and bring it along. This will be followed by a meeting of IOE maths ed staff to discuss their future plans.
9 February 2017 room 828
CHUA Boon Liang, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Developing a research study for mathematical reasoning and justification
Curriculum documents across the world emphasise the importance of students developing reasoning and justification skills in the learning of mathematics. For instance, the Singapore secondary mathematics syllabus advocates providing students with learning experiences to help them articulate and explain ideas to develop reasoning skills. However, the justification process seems to be often fraught with difficulties not only for secondary school students in Singapore but for mathematics teachers as well, with many failing to navigate this process successfully.
In this seminar, I will describe an empirical research project funded by the Office of Education Research in Singapore that examines the understanding of justification of students and mathematics teachers. Some questions that this project seeks to address include: Are students and mathematics teachers clear about the demand expected of them in a justification task? Do they know what an acceptable justification entails? Do they know why their justifications are not acceptable? This presentation will concentrate on the development and trialling of the test items with a small group of mathematics teachers.
Click HERE for materials from the seminar.
January readings theme: mathematics, learning and materiality
26 January 2017 room 828
19 January 2017 room 790
Mathematics problem solving - informal meeting, please bring a mathematical starting point for enquiry
15 December 2016 room 834
Maths lunch: seasonal mathematics and lunch
Please bring a dish/food/soft drink to share and/or a fun maths activity
8 December 2016 committee room 2
Pete Wright
Participatory action research as a critical model for transforming classroom practice
24 November 2016 room 805
Post-graduate research students
Presentations of on-going research and discussion
Leandra Laidlow
Much research had shown positive relationships between early numeracy proficiencies and future mathematics achievement. In Dominica, a developing country, such research is non-existent and this project will begin to investigate issues dealing with mathematics achievement among our early years.
Graham Griffiths
This work involves the study of the effect of using a particular intervention with adult learners. The intervention is a collaborative activity in which learners play the roles in a short scene of dialogue concerning percentages and then discuss whether a given statement is true or false. I am investigating potential analytical frameworks that can be used to interpret the learner discussions.
Cristina Yogui
Since September 2012 the UK government started fully funded GCSE maths courses to anyone who hasn’t previously achieved a Grade ‘C’ in this subject. Many adults are taking this opportunity to seek a qualification in maths and enrolling on GCSE courses. My research focus on learners’ experiences of returning to study maths as an adult and the impact of this experience in their lives.
10 November 2016 room 805
Cathy Smith convening
Mathematics education response to the IOE review of research in ITE click HERE for intranet link to call
3 November 2016 room 805
Jennie Golding and Cathy Smith
Working on the teaching and assessment of AS mathematics problem solving with beginner teachers at the end of their ITE year.
20 October 2016 room 805
Richard Cowley
‘Pace’ as problematic terminology in mathematics education
The above was the title of a workshop I offered at the National Association of Mathematics Advisors (NAMA) Annual Conference 2015. The outline in the conference programme was as follows.
In the main part of the workshop, we will consider how the term ‘pace’ has been and is being used in mathematics education. A strategic selection of educational literature will be provided as a stimulus for discussion. This will be followed by a summary of analysis and reflections on possible implications for professional development.
NAMA’s invitation followed a discussion session I ran at BSRLM, “How frequent are your eureka moments? A discussion of pace in mathematics education”, which you can view here:http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/IPs/ip32-2/BSRLM-IP-32-2-03.pdf. It is not necessary to read this paper in preparation for the SiG.
In the SiG session, I will show the workshop presentation, give an account of what I said, and give you the same activities to do. You might help me with the following.
13 October 2016 room 770 (NB change from room previously posted)
Richard Thomas (Maths, Imperial College) and Balazs Szentes (Economics, LSE)
Experiences of a mathematician and a game theorist teaching in primary school.
We have been running a maths club in a primary school in north London for the past six months. The club meets once a week for an hour during the first lesson of the day. One or two pupils are sent from each class (not the same pupils each week). So we work with about 15 pupils of varying ages 5-11. Our aim is to create a non-competitive environment and to encourage pupils to focus on a single problem for an extended period of time. To this end:
(i) each pupil gets a different problem or a game to solve – they do not know what the others are doing;
(ii) we give hints to the pupils only in the form of questions.
We will describe some of our observations and experiences with this model.
6 October 2016 room 805
Cosette Crisan
Discussion on a draft of Cosette Crisan's chapter on 'What is Mathematics as a school subject?'
Background information on the aims of the book for which the chapter has been written:
The chapter I am working on is part of a book titled provisionally 'Subject knowledge and the liberal citizen'. This title is likely to change for two reasons: 1. to make it more appealing to, amongst others, the teachers and 2. to reflect the fact that the book is making a case for a particular type of subject knowledge, namely disciplinary knowledge. This is made explicit in Chapter 1. From Disciplines to Subjects – the derivation of subject knowledge explains the other chapters focus on school subjects. The focus of the chapters should thus be on what disciplinary knowledge looks like in schools and why it matters. Authors to give authorial voice to their subject – what it is, why it is so great and why all children should study it. Some suggested structure for the chapters: Its purpose and origins; The object of study; The concepts through which the subject is organised; Its epistemology/structured framework of knowledge; The methods and modes of enquiry or practice; It’s value to children and young people; It is envisaged that the audience are student teachers, new teachers or teacher trainers.
22 September 2016 room 805
Cosette Crisan, Eirini Geraniou and Nicola Bretscher
On-line teaching: issues, experiences and solutions
Thursday 15th September 2016 ROOM 836
Discussion following-on from the seminar on Japanese Lesson Study in Mathematics on Tuesday 6 September 2016
Richard Cowley and colleagues
This Mathematics Education SiG meeting will be a discussion following-on from the seminar on Japanese Lesson Study in Mathematics and the critical role of external experts held at UCL Institute of Education on September 6th. Evereyone is welcome whether you were able to attend the seminar or not. The seminar was attended by approximately 60 people including researchers, teacher educators, independent consultants, senior school leaders and school teachers. Attendees came from all over England and included both primary and secondary age phases. The seminar was organised into three parts of one hour each and each part was a short talk followed by discussion in groups of 12 to 15.
Topics discussed were: key elements of Japanese lesson study; problem solving and lesson study; the role of external experts. Guest speakers were: Prof Toshiakira FUJII (Director of IMPULS, Tokyo Gakugei University); Dr Akihiko TAKAHASHI (IMPULS, DePaul University); Prof Keiichi NISHIMURA (IMPULS, Tokyo Gakugei University). UCL Institute of Education staff were in different groups so this meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the issues and ideas arising.
TUESDAY 6 September 2016 room 642 16:00-19:00
Richard Cowley and colleagues
A Discussion of Japanese Lesson Study in Mathematics in England
You are invited to participate in a seminar on Japanese Study in Mathematics, which brings together colleagues in lesson study from Japan, teacher educators, researchers in mathematics education, and leaders of lesson study in London schools.
This event is a collaboration between UCL Institute of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, The University of Nottingham, The Bowland Trust and the National Association of Mathematics Advisors.
The seminar/discussion will be organised into three parts. In each part colleagues from Tokyo Gakugei University will give brief presentations and this will be followed by sharing experiences of lesson study and to a discussion of the implications for policy and practice in mathematics teacher professional development in England. Chaired by Richard Cowley, UCL Institute of Education. For detailed programme and application procedure please click HERE.
You are warmly invited to attend an afternoon event focused on the theme: ‘What is a Mathematical Concept?’. This question forms the title of a new publication, by Cambridge University Press, of an edited volume comprising contributions from educators, mathematicians and philosophers.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/what-is-a-mathematical-concept/17FA5EB0B83320F90ADDDB74BD13B089
Tuesday 27 June room 603 from 1300 to 1500
NB different day of the week and slightly later start time
Sinead Vaughan and Teresa Smart
Meeting with mathematics teacher educators from Jordan
Three mathematics teacher educators from the Queen Rania Teacher Academy (QRTA) Jordan are visiting London at the end of June. The QRTA is a new institution to provide initial teacher education in Jordan. Up till now teachers go straight into school after gaining their degree. Teresa and Sinead have been working with the mathematics TEs advising them on curriculum, teaching and school practice. They are visiting London really for their own professional development and we have organised a programme of visits to schools and to the MEI conference. They would love to hear from the maths SIG at the IoE about your work with ITE, school practice, masters’ education, research and curriculum change. Please bring any resources, ideas and materials to share. The mathematics TEs started work in September 2016 and they are developing the ITE curriculum as well as teaching and mentoring 86 beginner mathematics teachers. This short visit will allow them to draw breath and see what is happing outside Jordan.
We will provide a sandwich lunch and look forward to seeing you all there.
22 June room 803
Social event: Cathy Smith's leaving IOE lunch.
15 June 2017 room 803
Mathematics Education at IOE meeting
Wednesday 21 June 2017 10:30-12noon room PC Lab1 (inside the IoE library)
NB different day of the week and time of day
Chris Sanguin, University of Edinburgh
Automatic assessment of mathematics using computer algebra, in particular the development of the STACK system
Discussion to include:
- To what extent can we automate the assessment of reasoning now?
- Where are the limits of automatic assessment in the future?
If enough people are interested, the talk will be followed by a practical hands-on with STACK an open-source system for computer-aided assessment in Mathematics and related disciplines, with emphasis on formative assessment. STACK is being used live at a number of institutions, including the UK Open University, Loughborough University, and the University of Birmingham in the UK and can be installed as a Moodle plugin.
8 June 2017 room 803
Cosette Crisan, Eirini Geraniou, Suman Ghosh and Jennie Golding
A new initiative for increasing the supply of mathematics teachers
An informal reporting back from the London Mathematical Society's Education Day on 25 May 2017 and discussion about mathematics teacher supply and possible new initiatives.
1 June 2017 room 803
Janet Ainley, University of Warwick, and Dave Pratt
Computational modelling and children’s expressions of signal and noise
Previous research has demonstrated how young children can identify the signal in data. In this exploratory study we considered how they might also express meanings for noise when creating computational models using recent developments in software tools. We conducted extended clinical interviews with four groups of 11-year-olds and analysed the videos of the children’s activity through a process of progressive focusing.
In this paper we explain the design of our tasks and report how the children’s expressions for noise, supported by the need to communicate with the software, developed from specific values to verbal expressions of uncertainty such as ‘around’, to offering ranges of values. We consider the opportunities and constraints of such an approach, which we call ‘purposeful computational modelling’.
25 May 2017 room 803
Planning for UCL Mathematics Education Colloquium and Seasonal Symposium
Queries in advance of the meeting to Alison Clark-Wilson or Melissa Rodd.
18 May 2017 room 803
Jeff Evans, Middlesex University
Have statistics lost their power in public policy discussions?
Statistics is one of the important branches of mathematics taught in schools, colleges and universities. It is clearly an important tool in public policy discussions. This session aims to propose a response to an article by Will Davies in The Guardian, which challenged the role of statistics in public discussions: “Rather than diffusing controversy and polarisation, it seems as if […] antipathy to statistics has become one of the hallmarks of the populist right, with statisticians and economists chief among the various ‘experts’ ostensibly rejected by voters in 2016.” The discussion will review the characteristics of the statistical approach, and will consider the meaning and consequences of “big data”, as well as some results of trends towards “identity politics” and globalisation. Some modest suggestions will be made about what may be done, hope fully to be augmented in discussion.
Participants are encouraged to read the article, before the session:
Davies, W. (2017). “How statistics lost their power”, The Guardian, 19 Jan. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/19/crisis-of-statistics-big-data-democracy
11 May 2017 room 803
Mathematics education team
'Staff room' conversations: what's on your mind?
For example: ideas for projects, sharing professional experience, ethics issues, new initiatives, a grumble or two, how can we help each other, discussion about recent broadcasts http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08ns2lw ...
4 May 2017 room 803
Reading & discussion: how Basil Bernstein's sociological ideas have been used in mathematics education.
Differentiated readings, according to time and interest:
A shorter BSRLM paper that uses the concepts of classification and framing to study the messages that one university maths teacher gives/ his students receive http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/BSRLM-IP-35-2-06.pdf
or a longer paper (McLean &al 2013) that discusses these concepts, and others, more theoretically in the context of university education in social science.
Bernstein introduces a whole new conceptual vocabulary, for example: code, discourse, message, classification, framing, recontextualisation, pedagogic device. Discussion points include: What work these concepts do? Why does he think we need them? Do we think we need them?
27 April 2017 room 915
Jill Adler, Wits University South Africa
Take-up and tools: Teachers’ learning from professional development focused on subject matter knowledge.
In this seminar, I will discuss teachers’ take-up from a mathematics focused secondary professional development program in South Africa. ‘Take-up’ is indicated by (1) teachers’ scores in mathematics assessments pre and post their PD participation and (2) by differences in practice – specifically in what mathematics is made available to learn in these teachers’ lessons collected before and after the course. The latter is described using a set of tools developed to describe mathematics teaching and interpret differences in practice. I will raise for discussed the emerging patterns of difference, and so shifts in practice, where there was unevenness within and across teachers. This diversity, while expected, is provocative when set alongside the teachers’ mathematical progress. Jill's presentation link.
Readings theme: mathematics teacher learning
23 March 2017 room 828
Horn, Ilana Seidel. "Learning on the job: A situated account of teacher learning in high school mathematics departments." Cognition and Instruction 23.2 (2005): 207-236. click title :-)
In this paper Horn highlights curriculum resources, together with professional interactions in the shape of both pedagogical classification conversations and classroom experience-focused conversations, as key resources for teacher learning, highlighting the social and situated nature of that.
. Does this model of replays, rehearsals, (and in her subsequent 2010 paper, re-envisaging practice) also apply to beginner teachers' learning? If so, how can we/do we harness it in our ITE provision?
. How does it relate to other frameworks of teacher learning?
. Could it usefully be harnessed to structure thinking about our own practice as teacher educators?
For extra queries click here.
16 March 2017 room 805
Sharing mathematical starting points/questions/problems/queries.
Please bring a problem or two that has recently intrigued you.
9 March 2017 room 903
Jeremy Hodgen and Colin Foster, Nottingham University
Low attainment in mathematics: an investigation focusing on Year 9 students in England.
From the Investigating Mathematical Attainment and Progress (IMAP) project; click here for the slides.
2 March 2017 room 537
Mathematics Education at IOE
Meeting with Clare Brooks and Pre-meeting for the 3 and 4 March IOE BSRLM conference.
23 February 2017 room 603
Melissa Rodd
Maths in Chinese, is it easier? 1230-1330; 'Future plans' maths ed team meeting 1330-1400
A light hearted beginners' introduction to some mathematical vocabulary in 汉字 (Chinese characters). If possible, please get the Pleco app on your phone or tablet and bring it along. This will be followed by a meeting of IOE maths ed staff to discuss their future plans.
9 February 2017 room 828
CHUA Boon Liang, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
Developing a research study for mathematical reasoning and justification
Curriculum documents across the world emphasise the importance of students developing reasoning and justification skills in the learning of mathematics. For instance, the Singapore secondary mathematics syllabus advocates providing students with learning experiences to help them articulate and explain ideas to develop reasoning skills. However, the justification process seems to be often fraught with difficulties not only for secondary school students in Singapore but for mathematics teachers as well, with many failing to navigate this process successfully.
In this seminar, I will describe an empirical research project funded by the Office of Education Research in Singapore that examines the understanding of justification of students and mathematics teachers. Some questions that this project seeks to address include: Are students and mathematics teachers clear about the demand expected of them in a justification task? Do they know what an acceptable justification entails? Do they know why their justifications are not acceptable? This presentation will concentrate on the development and trialling of the test items with a small group of mathematics teachers.
Click HERE for materials from the seminar.
January readings theme: mathematics, learning and materiality
26 January 2017 room 828
19 January 2017 room 790
Mathematics problem solving - informal meeting, please bring a mathematical starting point for enquiry
15 December 2016 room 834
Maths lunch: seasonal mathematics and lunch
Please bring a dish/food/soft drink to share and/or a fun maths activity
8 December 2016 committee room 2
Pete Wright
Participatory action research as a critical model for transforming classroom practice
24 November 2016 room 805
Post-graduate research students
Presentations of on-going research and discussion
Leandra Laidlow
Much research had shown positive relationships between early numeracy proficiencies and future mathematics achievement. In Dominica, a developing country, such research is non-existent and this project will begin to investigate issues dealing with mathematics achievement among our early years.
Graham Griffiths
This work involves the study of the effect of using a particular intervention with adult learners. The intervention is a collaborative activity in which learners play the roles in a short scene of dialogue concerning percentages and then discuss whether a given statement is true or false. I am investigating potential analytical frameworks that can be used to interpret the learner discussions.
Cristina Yogui
Since September 2012 the UK government started fully funded GCSE maths courses to anyone who hasn’t previously achieved a Grade ‘C’ in this subject. Many adults are taking this opportunity to seek a qualification in maths and enrolling on GCSE courses. My research focus on learners’ experiences of returning to study maths as an adult and the impact of this experience in their lives.
10 November 2016 room 805
Cathy Smith convening
Mathematics education response to the IOE review of research in ITE click HERE for intranet link to call
3 November 2016 room 805
Jennie Golding and Cathy Smith
Working on the teaching and assessment of AS mathematics problem solving with beginner teachers at the end of their ITE year.
20 October 2016 room 805
Richard Cowley
‘Pace’ as problematic terminology in mathematics education
The above was the title of a workshop I offered at the National Association of Mathematics Advisors (NAMA) Annual Conference 2015. The outline in the conference programme was as follows.
In the main part of the workshop, we will consider how the term ‘pace’ has been and is being used in mathematics education. A strategic selection of educational literature will be provided as a stimulus for discussion. This will be followed by a summary of analysis and reflections on possible implications for professional development.
NAMA’s invitation followed a discussion session I ran at BSRLM, “How frequent are your eureka moments? A discussion of pace in mathematics education”, which you can view here:http://www.bsrlm.org.uk/IPs/ip32-2/BSRLM-IP-32-2-03.pdf. It is not necessary to read this paper in preparation for the SiG.
In the SiG session, I will show the workshop presentation, give an account of what I said, and give you the same activities to do. You might help me with the following.
- What you see in the literature as data.
- Whether ‘pace’ is/was an issue (still/ever).
- Reflecting on the way I chose to do the workshop.
13 October 2016 room 770 (NB change from room previously posted)
Richard Thomas (Maths, Imperial College) and Balazs Szentes (Economics, LSE)
Experiences of a mathematician and a game theorist teaching in primary school.
We have been running a maths club in a primary school in north London for the past six months. The club meets once a week for an hour during the first lesson of the day. One or two pupils are sent from each class (not the same pupils each week). So we work with about 15 pupils of varying ages 5-11. Our aim is to create a non-competitive environment and to encourage pupils to focus on a single problem for an extended period of time. To this end:
(i) each pupil gets a different problem or a game to solve – they do not know what the others are doing;
(ii) we give hints to the pupils only in the form of questions.
We will describe some of our observations and experiences with this model.
6 October 2016 room 805
Cosette Crisan
Discussion on a draft of Cosette Crisan's chapter on 'What is Mathematics as a school subject?'
Background information on the aims of the book for which the chapter has been written:
The chapter I am working on is part of a book titled provisionally 'Subject knowledge and the liberal citizen'. This title is likely to change for two reasons: 1. to make it more appealing to, amongst others, the teachers and 2. to reflect the fact that the book is making a case for a particular type of subject knowledge, namely disciplinary knowledge. This is made explicit in Chapter 1. From Disciplines to Subjects – the derivation of subject knowledge explains the other chapters focus on school subjects. The focus of the chapters should thus be on what disciplinary knowledge looks like in schools and why it matters. Authors to give authorial voice to their subject – what it is, why it is so great and why all children should study it. Some suggested structure for the chapters: Its purpose and origins; The object of study; The concepts through which the subject is organised; Its epistemology/structured framework of knowledge; The methods and modes of enquiry or practice; It’s value to children and young people; It is envisaged that the audience are student teachers, new teachers or teacher trainers.
22 September 2016 room 805
Cosette Crisan, Eirini Geraniou and Nicola Bretscher
On-line teaching: issues, experiences and solutions
Thursday 15th September 2016 ROOM 836
Discussion following-on from the seminar on Japanese Lesson Study in Mathematics on Tuesday 6 September 2016
Richard Cowley and colleagues
This Mathematics Education SiG meeting will be a discussion following-on from the seminar on Japanese Lesson Study in Mathematics and the critical role of external experts held at UCL Institute of Education on September 6th. Evereyone is welcome whether you were able to attend the seminar or not. The seminar was attended by approximately 60 people including researchers, teacher educators, independent consultants, senior school leaders and school teachers. Attendees came from all over England and included both primary and secondary age phases. The seminar was organised into three parts of one hour each and each part was a short talk followed by discussion in groups of 12 to 15.
Topics discussed were: key elements of Japanese lesson study; problem solving and lesson study; the role of external experts. Guest speakers were: Prof Toshiakira FUJII (Director of IMPULS, Tokyo Gakugei University); Dr Akihiko TAKAHASHI (IMPULS, DePaul University); Prof Keiichi NISHIMURA (IMPULS, Tokyo Gakugei University). UCL Institute of Education staff were in different groups so this meeting will be an opportunity to discuss the issues and ideas arising.
TUESDAY 6 September 2016 room 642 16:00-19:00
Richard Cowley and colleagues
A Discussion of Japanese Lesson Study in Mathematics in England
You are invited to participate in a seminar on Japanese Study in Mathematics, which brings together colleagues in lesson study from Japan, teacher educators, researchers in mathematics education, and leaders of lesson study in London schools.
This event is a collaboration between UCL Institute of Education, Tokyo Gakugei University, The University of Nottingham, The Bowland Trust and the National Association of Mathematics Advisors.
The seminar/discussion will be organised into three parts. In each part colleagues from Tokyo Gakugei University will give brief presentations and this will be followed by sharing experiences of lesson study and to a discussion of the implications for policy and practice in mathematics teacher professional development in England. Chaired by Richard Cowley, UCL Institute of Education. For detailed programme and application procedure please click HERE.