New Gcse: Done!

Over the final yoke of years we've all been working incredibly difficult to deliver the novel GCSE. It feels quite surreal that later on all the uncertainty, nerves as well as excitement, the commencement sitting is straightaway over as well as done with.

Most teachers felt that the exams were every bit expected, pitched at a similar score to the mock exams as well as providing goodness coverage of the total attain of topics on the specification. We knew that the exams would endure harder than the legacy GCSE, as well as they most definitely were. We knew that the hardest questions would allow us to improve pose the real best mathematicians, as well as it for certain looks similar that volition happen. We knew that some students would honour the exams inaccessible. We yet stimulate got a long agency to go.

Now we're impatiently waiting for results day! And we're continuing to instruct our Year 10 classes, but amongst to a greater extent than resources, experience as well as certainty than nosotros had this fourth dimension final year.

Looking dorsum over the final few years, at that spot are some people I'd similar to give thank you lot for their outstanding contributions to the successful delivery of the novel GCSE across the country.

Mel Muldowney - JustMaths
Mel's individual contribution has been absolutely amazing. She has written blog posts providing detailed information as well as resources for novel topics, she has represented the views of maths teachers inwards discussions amongst Ofqual, she has collated questions past times topic (I used these almost every unmarried day!), as well as she's done as well as so much more. Mel has worked tirelessly to back upwards the maths pedagogy community. She deserves a massive give thank you lot you for everything she's done.

The Exam Boards
I know it's their undertaking to deliver the novel GCSE, but kudos to the awarding bodies for the fantabulous back upwards they've offered over the final 2 years. They've done a bright undertaking of keeping us informed - I've been peculiarly impressed past times their instant responses to queries on Twitter. They've also provided lineament resources both for pedagogy as well as assessment. Special refer to AQA for their Teaching Guidance, to Edexcel for their new content resources and to OCR for their Check-In Tests. Our competitive awarding bodies strive to deliver fantabulous client service as well as lineament materials, as well as us maths teachers stimulate got for certain benefited from this over recent years.

The Resource Makers
This fourth dimension 2 years agone I was worried that novel GCSE topics were woefully under-resourced. But thank you lot to the difficult travel of teachers who generously share their resources for free, at that spot hasn't been a unmarried lesson inwards the final 2 years where I haven't used high lineament resources. There are every bit good many individuals to listing here, but they know who they are! Social media has enabled maths teachers to collaborate nationally similar they never could before. Thank you lot to everyone who has made that happen.

The Teachers
I know we're yet waiting for results, but I actually intend that all maths teachers across the province deserve a pat on the dorsum for delivering the novel GCSE. We didn't enquire for a novel qualification, as well as nosotros weren't happy almost the rushed implementation. Admittedly, we've moaned a fair amount along the way. We've been anxious as well as uncertain at times, but we've gone into classrooms everyday as well as delivered maths lessons amongst expertise, professionalism as well as enthusiasm. Today nosotros should accept a 2nd to celebrate. Job done.

And now... let's produce it all over again!

Topics Inwards Depth

This yr I've been responsible for running dependent area cognition enhancement sessions for 5 trainee maths teachers. Over the course of written report of the year, I realised something: maths teachers pass a lot of fourth dimension talking nearly general approaches too strategies, only really niggling fourth dimension looking at specific topics inwards detail.

Examining a topic inwards depth prior to didactics it is incredibly powerful. Even if we've taught that topic many times before, nosotros all the same practice goodness from taking a pace dorsum too thinking nearly misconceptions, approaches, explanations too resources. If nosotros had to a greater extent than fourth dimension thus we'd hold upward able to practice this amongst colleagues on a regular basis. We could depict on roughly of the splendid topic specific resources available online, such every bit the National Strategy materials, the NCETM's Departmental Workshops and Colin Foster's Instant Maths Ideas. What a shame that nosotros are thus busy teaching, nosotros rarely larn fourth dimension to practice this.

It's really clear to me why Ed Southall's mass 'Yes, But Why?' is Sage's bestselling mass of the year. Rather than sharing full general ideas for how to instruct maths, it goes into special on private topics. This is what maths teachers need.

My Project
I'm excited to launch a novel project! My aim is to practice a serial of 45 infinitesimal sessions on the entire arrive at of topics inwards secondary mathematics (this volition likely cause got me years to complete!). The sessions volition encompass dependent area cognition (the facts, the 'why', the misconceptions) too didactics ideas (approaches, resources, adept questions for assessment, how to stretch too challenge etc).

I promise that my sessions volition hold upward useful for trainees, NQTs too non-specialists preparing to instruct a topic for the start time, too likewise for experienced teachers. These sessions could hold upward used inwards schools - for instance if all Year 8 teachers are nearly to instruct indices, thus they could larn together too run through my (yet to hold upward written) session on indices.

I've spent many hours pulling together the really best animations, questions, resources, examples too puzzles for my start ii sessions. My start session - which I'm presenting at #mathsconf10 - is on angles, focusing mainly on following angles on instantly lines too angles inwards triangles. My instant session - which I'll likely run inwards Sheffield - is on angles inwards parallel lines. I'm actually excited to acquaint what I've found. It's amazing how much in that place is to state on each of these topics if nosotros actually expect at them inwards depth. I believe it's worth taking the fourth dimension to practice so.

Update: Please meet this page for materials from my Topics inwards Depth project.

#Mathsconf10

Yesterday I attended #mathsconf10 inward sunny Essex. I'm really grateful to Mark McCourt together with La Salle Education for but about other fantastic solar daytime of maths CPD together with networking.

I started the solar daytime past times coming together upwards alongside here. We travelled from Central London to Essex past times educate together with had plenty of fourth dimension to banking concern gibe out the exhibition before the conference started. The format of the solar daytime was slightly dissimilar to previous conferences - because in that location were hence many workshops, in that location was an additional session added to the programme together with no keynote at the start. This worked good - it was expert to hold out able to select 5 workshops, though choices were every bit hard every bit ever.

In the outset session I presented my 'Angles inward Depth' workshop. This is the outset inward a novel serial of workshops where I expression at a theme inward depth (misconceptions, explanations, resources etc). I experience quite strongly that this is something that maths teachers need, though I mean value it volition accept me a spell to convince people of this! I blogged most it here.

Apart from the uncomfortably hot room together with the glare on the screen, I mean value my session went well. I focused specifically on 2 angle facts - following angles on direct lines together with angles inward a triangle. After my workshop, lots of members of the audience told me stories of their experience teaching angles - the misconceptions they'd seen together with the approaches they'd used - which was brilliant.

Lots of people at the conference requested that I portion my session online. It makes a lot to a greater extent than feel if y'all genuinely listen me verbalise through it, but hither y'all go:

• PowerPoint (includes links together with animations)
• PDF version 
• Workshop handout (angles problems for Year 7)

Links together with sources are inward the notes at the bottom of each slide.

Once I've made a few to a greater extent than of these I'll pose them on a split page hence they're all inward 1 place.

The thought is that these slide packs are shared alongside trainee teachers the outset fourth dimension they learn these topics. My following session, at Sheffield inward September, volition focus on angles inward parallel lines.

After my session Charlie Dawson showed me a bright manipulative which is genuinely elementary to make:

Simple manipulatives to assistance empathise angles: present me a crimson acuate angle, present me a yellowish angle of 295 degrees etc. pic.twitter.com/AzAwxJR48m

— Charlie Dawson (@dawsonmaths) 24 June 2017

In the 2d session I attended Mark McCourt's workshop on the history of maths education. I did a lot of query on this before inward the twelvemonth because I ran a session on it for my SCITT trainees, but I felt that I had but about gaps inward my noesis hence it was worth aid Mark's session to uncovering out more. As expected, this was a genuinely interesting session. It's fascinating that maths teaching keeps swinging from progressive to traditional together with dorsum again.

I together with then went to Andrew Taylor's session where he talked most his personal history of employment solving. He shared but about lovely Malcolm Swan problems, including Skeleton Tower from the blue box.

When he shared the mark guides for the sometime maths GCSE coursework it made me really happy that I became a instructor subsequently coursework was removed from GCSE. Tilly's tweet most this genuinely made me laugh:

Andrew spoke most the reasons that coursework was discontinued together with how exams straightaway endeavor to show employment solving skills, though of course of instruction nosotros know that conducting mathematical investigations nether fourth dimension atmospheric condition is non ideal.

During this workshop a lot of people attended the lovely here together with included but about links to learn out ticket resources (though, arguably, an learn out ticket should solely accept a few minutes to create hence teachers may hold out amend off making their ain tailored learn out tickets instead of using pre-made ones).

At tiffin I popped along to the tweet-up together with tried (unsuccessfully!) to brand a cobra weave stick bomb alongside Lucy Rycroft-Smith.

After tiffin I attended Rachel Horsman's session 'Geometrical Gems'. This was a lovely session total of practical activities. My favourite purpose was the Area Game, which I played alongside Martin Noon. The thought is to accept it inward turns to describe lines within a rectangle to cast triangles. When y'all cast a triangle y'all claim it past times colouring or labelling it. Each business y'all describe must start where the previous business finished together with has to encounter the other side of the rectangle. The mortal alongside the biggest total expanse at the terminate wins.

It's obvious now, but whatever y'all do you'll terminate upwards alongside a describe - because you'll both receive got the length of the rectangle every bit your total base, together with all the triangles receive got the same height. Clever!

In the terminal session Dani together with Rose headlined alongside a workshop on workload. I didn't become to this session because I experience that my workload is every bit nether command every bit it tin be. Most of the large drains on my workload (UCAS references, mock mark etc) are unavoidable. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 lot of the tweets mentioned quizzes, which I've been using for a twain of years straightaway together with absolutely love. Regular depression stakes quizzes are 1 of the best changes to my practise that I've made inward recent years together with I cannot recommend them plenty (I blogged most it here). Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 flat mark together with feedback for a giant cast of 28 is the primary affair that's caused me ongoing workload issues this twelvemonth - I'm non convinced that quizzes are a suitable option at Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level, but I suppose it's worth considering.

Instead I went to Peter Mattock's session 'Opportunities for Reasoning' inward which he shared lots of interesting activities together with resources, including this from the Standards Unit which requires students to explicate what's happening inward each step:

He likewise shared his lovely fractions activity which y'all tin download here.

I stayed for a twain of drinks subsequently the conference together with had a lovely chat alongside swain maths teachers. Overall it was a slap-up solar daytime together with I expression forrad to the Sheffield conference inward September.

In illustration you're interested, my previous maths conference weblog posts tin hold out institute here:

#mathsconf9 (March 2017)
#mathsconf8 (September 2016)
#mathsconf6 (March 2016)
#mathsconf5 (September 2015)
#mathsconf4 (June 2015)
#mathsconf2015 (March 2015)
Gems 8 (September 2014)

I'm going to the JustMaths Conference on Tuesday (two maths conferences inward 4 days!) - if you're going, catch y'all there.

Justmaths Conference 2017

I dear the summertime term for CPD - I've been to 2 conferences inwards 4 days!

I'm rattling grateful to the JustMaths squad for inviting me along to their outset annual conference. I don't usually attend events on schoolhouse days, but because all my try classes lead maintain left I didn't demand to laid upward whatsoever comprehend for this one. It was a keen stance to agree this conference after the destination of the try period.

I attend quite a lot of conferences as well as ever pay my ain go as well as accommodation - although it's financially challenging, I intend it's worth it for all the ideas, insights as well as networking.

I got the prepare to Stoke after schoolhouse on Mon as well as was rattling grateful to Emma (@El_Timbre) and Laura (@LauraCodd1) for collecting me from the station. Once I'd checked into the Alton Towers Hotel I went along to pre-conference drinks, where Jenny (@MsSteel_Maths) was busy paradigm nails amongst mathsy designs (the templates tin live bought here, as well as hopefully Jenny volition live doing nails for charity at #mathsconf13 inwards Sheffield).

The Alton Towers Hotel was total of quirky features. The children's amusement went on surprisingly late, amongst dancing toddlers everywhere at 10pm!

On the Tuesday morning, I enjoyed collecting bits as well as pieces from the conference exhibition including H5N1 grade SAMs from AQA, GCSE problems from Edexcel, as well as stationery freebies from ypo. Ypo had some practiced Brain Booster packs which each incorporate fifty cards giving teachers ideas on how to role manipulatives inwards the classroom.

I was surprised to consider a BBC stand upward equally I've non seen i at a maths conference earlier - they told me most their new maths videos for role inwards the classroom.

The conference venue was beautifully decorated. I was surprised yesteryear the size of the upshot - it was much bigger than I expected. There were closed to 300 delegates - many were at their outset ever maths conference. I usually consider lots of familiar faces at La Salle's conferences but this was a totally dissimilar crowd - it was actually prissy to consider thus many lovely novel people. Some teachers had travelled from overseas to attend. The bulk of teachers I spoke to had never heard of resourceaholic.com, thus I gauge I nevertheless lead maintain a lot of operate to do (but I brand no coin from my website, thus my marketing budget is non-existent... I rely on give-and-take of mouth, thus was rattling grateful to Mel for mentioning my spider web log during the conference).

There were lots of prissy surprises throughout twenty-four lx minutes menstruum - including a huge publish of prizes (I was delighted to win a bottle of champagne inwards the prize draw!), as well as a complimentary JustMaths marker handbag as well as fidget spinner for every delegate.

The twenty-four lx minutes menstruum was organised a flake differently to conferences I've been to earlier - instead of choosing smaller workshops, nosotros all stayed together for the whole twenty-four lx minutes menstruum as well as listened to vi sessions - i from each of the try boards, i from Ofqual as well as i Q&A at the end. It was a shame non to lead maintain a session from the fantabulous Mel as well as Seager of JustMaths (it would lead maintain been practiced to hear what they do at their schoolhouse that earned them TES Maths Team of the Year lastly year) but they did an awesome undertaking of hosting the upshot as well as were rattling entertaining.

In the try board sessions it was practiced to expression at try questions as well as to hear most some of the resources available to teachers (such equally OCR's check-in tests, Edexcel's Access to Foundation Tier resources, and Eduqas's takeaway menus).

The absolute highlight of the twenty-four lx minutes menstruum was Craig Barton's session for AQA. I've seen Craig utter at a few conferences earlier as well as it's been fascinating to consider his approaches develop over time. Craig has read tonnes of enquiry recently, as well as has rattling helpfully summarised it for maths teachers on his research page. In his session he discussed how teachers oft rush ahead to complex try questions earlier students lead maintain developed fluency inwards the each of the private skills involved, as well as he said (controversially...?) that students shouldn't live doing a total GCSE newspaper until the March earlier their terminal exams.

Craig's suggested approach was the catchy 'IDAP': 1. Isolate the skill, 2. Develop the skill, 3. Assess the skill, 4. Practise retrieval later. He showed us examples of resources that worked good for science evolution inwards novice learners.

The matter that stood out the most for me was what Craig said most 'non-problems'. At the moment, many of us learn Pythagoras as well as and thus give students a charge of Pythagoras questions inwards dissimilar contexts as well as guises. These problems lead maintain the same deep construction (Pythagoras) but dissimilar surface structures, similar these:

Students don't lead maintain to operate out that they should role Pythagoras inwards these questions, because it's obvious if the lesson is all most Pythagoras. An option approach would live to give a laid upward of questions amongst the same surface construction (eg an isosceles triangle) but dissimilar deep structures (eg non all involving Pythagoras). This makes a lot of sense.

I kept a tally of how many times Craig said the give-and-take flippin' - I got to 15, but I may lead maintain missed a few equally I was rattling busy taking notes! It was an utterly awesome session as well as I'm actually glad I was at that topographic point to consider it.

At the destination of the conference all delegates had complimentary access to the topic green - including a menstruum of exclusive access to the large rides. I was actually excited to endeavor out a few rides but, annoyingly, I had a prepare to catch. By the fourth dimension Craig as well as I got off the monorail as well as walked closed to the park, nosotros didn't lead maintain whatsoever fourth dimension left for rides because I had to rush off as well as acquire my taxi. But at to the lowest degree I had a practiced grab upward amongst Craig!

I bet that everyone who stayed for the rides had a fantastic time! What a fun agency to destination an event.

Well done as well as congratulations to Mel, Seager as well as Fize from JustMaths - I can't imagine how much operate is involved inwards pulling together such a large event. The adjacent i is on Th 28th June 2018 - salve the date!

5 Maths Gems #74

Welcome to my 74^th gems post. This is where I portion some of the latest news, ideas too resources for maths teachers.

1. Area Mazes
Two years agone I wrote nearly Area Mazes in Gems 36 . Last calendar week Nicke (@NEdge9) told me nearly the lovely website areamaze.com which I'd never seen before. This simple, user-friendly website presents a serial of increasingly hard expanse mazes for students to locomote through online. Helpfully, students are able to depict workings on the diagrams spell they argue their agency through the puzzles.

2. Animations
Tim Brzezinski (@dynamic_math) has been tweeting some vivid online geogebra materials lately. I similar to utilisation things similar this inwards lessons every bit role of my explanations. No Geogebra skills are required! For illustration Tim has made excellent collections of animations for exterior angles and interior angles of polygons and a tool exploring linear increase vs exponential growth. Follow Tim on Twitter for lots to a greater extent than similar this.

Another clever animation that I spotted on Twitter this calendar week was 1 by Kendra Lockman (@klockmath). Kendra has created a tool inwards Desmos: 'Adding Integers on a Number Line' which is worth a look.

3. Angles inwards Polygons
Ed Southall (@solvemymaths) has been finding out nearly maths instruction over inwards Nippon too volition no dubiety portion lots of weblog posts too articles nearly what he's discovered. He's already tweeted nearly multiple approaches for finding a formula for the interior angles of polygons.

Most teachers leave of absence amongst the offset approach here, but for a spell I've persuasion that the 2d approach (triangles that run across inwards the centre, leading to the formula 180n - 360) powerfulness hold upward to a greater extent than intuitive. It's worth discussing.

4. Odd One Out

MathsPad has published a novel laid of Odd One Out resources. Students need to uncovering matching pairs from nine items inwards a box, too hence circle the strange 1 out. These activities are designed to depict out possible misconceptions. There are currently nine topics available to MathsPad subscribers too ii topics available for free: Reciprocals too Simplifying Surds.

5. End of Term Quiz

My postal service 'End of term resources' lists maths activities that are helpful when y'all convey a one-half a shape or one-half a lesson. I believe it's really of import to continue teaching maths correct upward to the concluding twenty-four lx minutes catamenia of term - I never laissez passer inwards to students' requests for films or games! But sometimes lessons are disrupted past times schoolhouse events, important that teaching a novel topic becomes difficult. This presents a proficient chance for maths enrichment.

Thanks to Richard Tock (@TickTockMaths) for sharing his End of Year Maths Quiz. This quiz is really mathsy too is written specifically for summertime 2017.

This Maths Pub Quiz Pack by @SE_Education is also worth a look.

Update
I'm really pleased that evidence flavor is over! It's proficient to convey some gained time, though I'm actually busy writing UCAS references, sorting out displays ahead of opened upward evening, too finding resources for the novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 level. I volition hold upward blogging nearly novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking topics soon.

Last calendar week I was appointed to the role of Acting Joint Head of Maths at Glyn School (it's precisely motherhood cover, too I was the alone applicant, but hi - it's dainty to larn a temporary promotion). It's going to hold upward a challenge but I'm delighted to hold upward given the opportunity.

A tertiary of Glyn Maths Faculty enjoying prom concluding week

In instance y'all missed them, my recent posts were:

• JustMaths Conference 2017
• #mathsconf10
• Topics In Depth
• New GCSE: Done!

I'm presenting my Angles inwards Depth workshop at the ATM & MA London Branch conference this Sabbatum hence if you're based inwards London, produce come upward along.

In other maths news, MEI launched a novel app (Bundles of Graphs) too Simon Singh launched his Parallel Project for slap-up high attainers. Also, MEI convey launched some first-class novel Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marking resources on Integral, including helpful revision summary sheets.

Don't forget to majority tickets for my #summaths event!

I'll leave of absence y'all amongst this lovely activeness 'Ab-surd!' from Underground Maths - I dearest surds!