MERGA

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MERGA 41

Keynote: Assoc Prof Marcy Wood - Making waves and opening spaces.  

This was linked to a coastline image. waves: erosion and desposition, shaking things up.  Require open space: new possibilities, invitations, participation, creativity.

inequity within maths learning spaces in NZ (as also in US).
Status - who's good? we're rank ourselves, we rank others. We base this on perceptions of competence, assumption - rather than actual mathematical competence.  There can be a stereo-typical image of who is smart in maths.  Teachers need to erode stereotype and make space for everyone to be smart in maths.
'Higher status' students have more opportunities to learn - get more floor space.
High status > over-particiation
Low status > under-particiaption

**identify our students who are over participating and under participating.  Consider what superpower might our over participators have that needs to be developed (e.g. listening) and what superpower might our under participators have that can be amplified and built on.

***Teachers are the top participators in our classrooms.  How can we limit this?

 It's not how smart you are, it's how you are smart.

Complex instruction - Elizabeth Cohen and Rachel Lotan (equity in cooperative learning classrooms)

Session 1: Victoria Dept of Ed - Di Siemon - Victoria Dept of Education

Di talked about scaffolding numeracy in the middle years and how important it is for targeted teaching of key big ideas. (much is in this article).

Session 2: Michelle Tregoning 

- NSW dept of EdDescribed project '
Early Action for Success' that works with most disadvantaged students - a part of this is Building Numeracy Leadership (BNL).
Explicit teaching re what mathematicians do and visible learning e.g. Youtube clips of mathematicians and mathematical mindsets.  ('what do you notice about this, what do they do, what don't they do, how do they work, how don't they work?)
Consider how Teachers and Students are talking to each other.  Who is doing the talking and how? Dialogic spaces.  

Suggestion to record a group of students working on a task and play back with them so kids can reflect on their practise. goals - how did you go with your goals?

Use spatial reasoning to build reasoning skills in other areas.

Not just the way we're talking, it's what we're talking about...
A range of tools. experiment with their ideas.  Use what they know to work out what they don't.
Mathematicians solve problems.  Provide experiences for students to be mathematicians. (insert scene of MacGyver picking a code/lock).  Rich tasks, Rich thinking. (Anthony and Walshaw 2009, Askew 2016)

Number Talk.

@TregoningMitch
Going Mental - Mental Computation Strategies

Session 3 - 

Marcy Wood - Superpowers.  Multiple superheroes working together to solve problems.
Social skills need teaching all levels.
children figure out what mathematical superpowers they actually have.
Important to credit an 'assist' - describe and give credit to others for their help.
Status issues - Start with one superpower each.
Task design - group and individual tasks, different strengths required, 'vague' clues.
Teacher is only a resource available to groups when strictly needed - only if it's a whole group question.
Tools - e.g.Task card is a tool, 'lasso of truth' where statements are put in the lasso and determined to be sometimes, always or never true .  power boosters and kryptonite

collaborative task - notice and describe what super powers you have and what others have.  (shared at end - you are going to share your feedback for group members and for yourself - listen to each other - no responding)



Strong themes in common with current science professional learning, with Developing in Digital World - argumentation, with Dramatic Inquiry/Mantle of the Expert and with Dylan Wiliam/formative assessment.

  • taking on a role, accepting a role, accepting a teacher in role etc. (children are scientists, mathematicians, superhero problem solvers)
  • patterns of talk within our classrooms (classes are IRE heavy, teacher is biggest participator, how are teachers noticing and uptaking students offerings)
  • status, equity, bias
  • participation/engagement
  • generalisation and scalability 
  • strong pedagogical and curriculum knowledge (progressions, big ideas, cross cutting concepts..)


Removing scaffolding important  -discussed with Jacinta also.
Lisa (below) is discussing task card (text) selection/design.
This is an excellent example of how removing scaffolding for how we want students to move through a task (often based on how we teachers would proceed) increases rigor and delegates the group process and sense-making to our students. 
Lisa Jilk (comment on CIMath)


Resources 


See MERGA annual conference proceedings here - readings - readings here from previous conferences.

visible thinking site

maths300

Australian Association of Mathematics Teaching

collaborative problems solving - maths

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