The start of something new

This week saw the start of Term 2 here in New Zealand. This was a very different start to how we normally begin our terms. There wasn't any excited learners inside classrooms instead we had excited learners working from home for the first time.

I am super grateful that I work in a school which has a digital learning focus - meaning that our learners already knew how to navigate online learning.

This week also meant that staff catch ups were done over Google Meet. I was lucky enough to run a PD session on Maths with teachers as they look towards the future.


During this session it was great to share how my MIT 2019 inquiry had changed. It gave me a time to talk with new staff about how to mix up maths teaching. Rachael (from last year) also got to speak about how they were now doing this same approach with the new entrants.

During my presentation I shared a few quotes with our staff. I wanted to share them with you.

“Problem solving is the process of applying prior knowledge, experience, skills and understanding to new and unfamiliar situations in order to complete tasks, make decisions or achieve goals.”

“In developing a mathematics program, it is important to concentrate on the big ideas and on the important knowledge and skills that relate to those big ideas. Programs that are organised around big ideas and focus on problem solving provide cohesive learning opportunities that allow students to explore mathematical concepts in depth. An emphasis on big ideas contribute to the main goal of mathematics instructions - to help students gain a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.”

Some of the changes "so far" this year have been:

  • more rewindable learning
  • more opportunities to practice and share new learning, with a wider focus
  • increased mathematical language development 
What I have also found while doing Distance Learning is that most learners understand the process and are willing to give things a go. I was caught in a maths discussion over on our class blog around the ways of solving a problem. Also I have been lucky enough to speak with some parents who have said that they have learnt from their children around how to solve a problem by taking the unnecessary language out. It was extremely powerful to hear.


Comments

  1. Hmmm, yes, the start of something new indeed. Great seeing the digital world really come to life. I'm excited for what lies ahead, and what a team!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Petra - Yes, the digital world is brilliant. Its exciting to think about what will happen next. Thanks for being part of our team!

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