Thursday 22 November 2007

Great KS3 Starters

A booklet by the Brighton and Hove KS3 consultant, full of good ideas.

http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/downloads/education/mental+oral_starters.pdf
Little Ernie's Daily Maths Tasks: a Flash application which generates a sheet of problems with today's date on.

http://www.fieryideas.com/flash/EDMT.swf

Monday 19 November 2007

BLP and other ideas... putting it all together

An Australian paper about different innovations.

http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/edulibrary/public/teachlearn/innovation/Big_Ideas_in_School_and_Teacher_Improvement.doc

Building Learning Power

Some resources linked to "Building Learning Power", a set of learning skills devised by Guy Claxton based on resilience, resourcefulness, reflection and relationships.

Building Learning Power (the official website)
http://www.buildinglearningpower.co.uk/

Guy Claxton's website
http://www.guyclaxton.com/blp.htm

BLP in Solihull
http://www.solgrid.org.uk/solgrid/13.cfm

...and in Bristol
http://breazshare.net/blp/

An overview of the skills
www.thegrid.org.uk/leadership/programmes/conferences/documents/guy_claxton_presentation.pdf

Relating to mathematics: an NCETM wiki page
http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=22&module=enc&mode=100&enclbl=Building+Learning+Power+in+Mathematics

A primary school's explanation for pupils
http://www.luckwell.bristol.sch.uk/learning/learning_blp1.html

Wednesday 14 November 2007

Using and Applying Mathematics

Activities to help pupils develop their skills in this area:

http://www.tes.co.uk/section/staffroom/thread.aspx?story_id=2456517&path=/mathematics/&threadPage=1

Using Music In Lessons

An article about a school which uses music throughout the curriculum:

http://www.tes.co.uk/search/story/?story_id=2137237

Memorable Lessons

This thread from the TES staffroom is full of interesting, entertaining and fun ideas - although it's aimed at science teachers, there is much that could be adapted for other subjects.

http://www.tes.co.uk/section/staffroom/thread.aspx?story_id=1525252&path=/science/&threadPage=&messagePage=1

Tuesday 13 November 2007

IGCSE Maths: Extra Questions

Lots of questions for all topics, with answers. A great resource for practice or revision.

One possibility: a fortnightly "selections from..." to help students to remember, consolidate and revise the topics we've covered so far.

http://collinseducation.com/subjects/details.aspx?group=2&subjectid=1&seriesid=311&itemid=961

IGCSE Maths: Teachers' Guide

Just found on the Edexcel website - a useful guide showing what is expected for different grades in each topic area.

http://www.edexcel-international.org/VirtualContent/83089/IGCSE_Mathematics_4400_Teacher_s_Guide_UG013033.pdf

How Much Food Do You Waste?

Jump on the carbon-footprint bandwagon and sample some cross-curricular work - stats, percentages, ratio...

http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/story/0,,2209721,00.html

Should maths lessons be compulsory?

An article in today's Guardian argues possibly not:

"There still needs to be a syllabus that stretches the most able and provides them with a route on to A-level and university," [Andrew Hodges] says. "But I think we should consider abandoning it as a compulsory subject. What's the point in a system that brands all those who don't get a maths GCSE as failures? All it does is reinforce their sense that maths is boring and difficult, which is the last thing we should be doing."

http://education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,,2209769,00.html