Routine features of good maths lessons

I have tried to make a usable summary of things to strive for everyday in lessons, routinely doing these will mean students are getting an excellent deal and people assessing lessons should be happy. There are then some further details about each of the items within the same document. It can be found by clicking here. I have kept it non-maths related so that anyone can use it. Thanks to people that I borrowed things off in this, definitely Nicola Renshaw and also some government document about good and satisfactory maths lessons.

ResultsPlusProgress mapped to Edexcel specification

If you use the Edexcel ResultsPlusProgress tests and the modular maths spec you may have wondered how the tests match up with the units or vice versa. I have made two spreadsheets which will show you how these match up - one for higher and one for foundation. They have auto filters set up so that you can click on a unit and see which ResultsPlusProgress tests link to that unit or you can click on a ResultsPlusProgress test and see which units it matches up with. They are to be found here.

Subject Leaders' Day November 2009 MPA skills and PLTS

Here is the PowerPoint presentation I delivered at the Subject Leaders' Day in Urchfont on November 23rd 2009. It relates to the connection between MPA skills and PLTS. Follow the link to the PowerPoint at http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php

Matching MPA skills to PLTS

I have spent a little time trying to match up commonalities between PLTS headings and MPA skills. I still find the MPA headings a little vague so have used the nRich site to help. They have a great mapping document which shows how all of their rich tasks tie in with MPA processes and with maths content. In their processes map they expand a little on the MPA phrases, see my other post for the link to the MPA map that I have now updated to include their expanded phrases. I have now made a document in Word which takes the six PLTS headings, breaks them down by using the information from the DfES site (how maths can help deliver the PLTS) and then allocates each of the expanded MPA skills to one of these areas. I hope that you will see that the PLTS and MPA skills are largely aiming at the same development in student ability and that by helping students improve in these areas that they will be better learners as well as better mathematicians. The Word document is in the usual place: http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php

MPA map with nRich clarification

I have adapted the MPA map from the standards site so that the phrases used are a little more understandable and so that we can find exemplification of each one. I have done this by using the nRich process mapping spreadsheet, taking their titles from each of the MPA categories and allocating these to the phrases used on the original MPA map. So, if you look at the adapted map I have made at http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php you will see that each "node" refers to the phrases used on the nRich process mapping spreadsheet (http://nrich.maths.org/curriculum) and this spreadsheet has hyperlinks to activities that they say cover that skill. Hope that makes sense.

New OfSted Framework summary

I attended a Wiltshire training day where the new OfSted Framework was discussed and have written up a summary of what I heard for you to peruse at your leisure. It is found at http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php . Main points - now even harder to get higher grades, most schools may find themselves awarded a grade lower than previously, limiting grades mean that weaknesses in key areas may mean overall grade is limited despite strengths in other areas.

Features of good maths teaching

Here is an adapted version of an extract from the "Understanding the score" booklet produced by the Govt. It lists features of good and satisfactory maths lessons (although a lot are generic teaching skills) and I have inserted an extra column in the middle. We have used this to try to identify what can happen differently in the classroom that will mean that more of the skills in the good column are addressed more commonly. It is to be found at http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php

Using maths to develop PLTS

This short document is used to collate information regarding accessing PLTS information specific to maths lessons.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/16966773/Maths

Admin Resources for New Framework

Here are some files that help with management of the new Framework.
You should find the APP booklet, (two levels to a page here http://www.scribd.com/doc/16917831/APP-Booklet,) a blank Year 7 Unit Plan (http://www.scribd.com/doc/16917830/Year-7-Unit-Plan-Pro-Forma) which you could download and edit (although the MPA map at the beginning cannot be edited without certain software, see other post called "Editing the MPA map" and a document showing all the ways in which maths can support the delivery of PLTS here (http://www.scribd.com/doc/16917832/Maths-PLTS-Contributions)

The Renewed Mathematics Framework

Here is a brief PowerPoint showing the key points of the new mathematics Framework effective September 2009. I made it in September but have only just learned how to show this on a blog.

The Renewed Frameworks for Mathematics

Year 7 Rich Task activities

In this section I am making available some teaching notes for year 7 classes. These have been written with schools I have been working with in my AST role. We tried to address the appropriate content and include rich tasks, i.e. ones which help students to understand and learn through deeper thinking and involvement.
The Overview explains the ideas and an index and is a good place to start.
Find it here: http://www.scribd.com/doc/16915954/Overview-of-Rich-Tasks-in-Units

This part of my blog is under construction so you will currently find that hyperlinks to SmartBoard notebook files do not work. However, most of these are also available from each unit plan in Word form.

Improving Learning In Mathematics

This link takes you to the Standards Units resources. They include lots of CD and DVD materials for teacher development and the folder of resources of rich tasks. From this page you can watch them on line or download them. The folder of resources is in the middle at the bottom. The link is: http://teachingandlearning.qia.org.uk/teachingandlearning/downloads/default.aspx#math_learning

Learning Objectives and Assessment Criteria.
Learning Objectives are the things that students should be learning. They form the basis of a scheme of work and are exemplified by the old framework folder or by the hyperlinks after each statement on the following link:
http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/secondary/framework/maths/fwsm/mlo and then ticking the ones that you want.
The Assessment criteria are the statements for APP which you should use to decide what level a student is at. You can find these by using the link above to select the Learning Objectives and then once these appear click on the APP link at the foot of that page to see the Assessment criteria that go with them. These are the phrases that are used in the APP booklet recently distributed at the Subject Leaders day (25th March) which shows two levels per page and is available to download from the link: http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/150769

At the risk of providing ever too much information, a useful resource is the progression maps provided by the Govt. For each attainment target (on this they call "Statistics" "Handling data and probability") there is a progression map which breaks each AT down into a series of skills, which by name don't quite match the learning objectives or the APP criteria in other documents. Each of these skills within an AT has up to 10 steps (not NC levels though) in progression of understanding and ability. In each step you can click "View Step" for further details of what the step means, a link to the supplement of examples from the old Framework folder, a section of probing questions and a section of what to do if the students say "I don't get it". All of this is found at:
http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/secondary/intervention/progressionmaps

I have been trying to match up the phrases in the new APP booklet with the phrases on the mathematics learning objectives document and don't think they do match. I also had in mind what used to be called "Key Objectives" - a phrase which I don't think really applies anymore. It seems that the phrases in the new APP booklet (the one with two levels per page that we're meant to use for levelling some students in each class) could be viewed as the key objectives as they are what is used to decide if a student is at a level or not. I found a nice document produced by eRidings on their site which I have made available at http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php which does list the old key objectives for each year group (and able students in y9) and matches these up to "probing questions" for each one - perhaps good to have in a scheme of work. They are called "Year 7 key objectives and probing questions eRidings" (Y7, 8, 9 and able y9 files exist.) The eRidings site that these came from also has some resources and is found at http://www.eriding.net/maths/tl_resources_sec.shtml

Fantastic link to loads of Rich tasks for you courtesy of NRich. For each Key Stage there is a Word document which covers the Framework for each objective and has links to Rich tasks appropriate for delivering that content. There is then also an Excel spreadsheet for each year which lists all of the MPA skills (process) and shows you which Rich task supports delivering that skill. Again, it is hyperlinked to the resources so it is easy to follow. These are at http://nrich.maths.org/public/viewer.php?obj_id=5665

There are some links from the Govt site to some Rich tasks at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/161236?uc=force_uj They reference the MPA skills addressed as well as the curriculum content being covered. A cross referencing table shows how these cover the relevant skills at http://nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/node/161811

Using the bubble diagrams from the eMaths website I have collated information about how each skill in each AT progresses across the levels from 2 to 8 (matched to GCSE grades G to A*.) It is less visually attractive than the colourful bubble diagrams but is perhaps useful to teachers to see how skills develop. I have made these available at the usual place: http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php
They are called:
Number tracking levels document.
Algebra tracking levels document.
Geometry and measures tracking levels document.
Statistics tracking levels document.
Can you see the theme I used?
Hope they are useful and thanks to whoever made the bubble diagrams in the first place. The information came from something produced by Collins I think, not an exam board.
I haven't checked out how all these match up with the APP Assessment Criteria. Perhaps one rainy day.......

The old Standards Units produced a great set of resources including lesson activities and a booklet supporting teachers in using these and other rich tasks. They seem now to be managed or have changed into the QIA and the resources were called "Improving Learning in Mathematics." They can be downloaded or viewed on line at:
http://teachingandlearning.qia.org.uk/teachingandlearning/downloads/default.aspx#math_learning
The general booklet supporting teachers in using these resources or in taking some more risks to develop mathematical understanding can be downloaded via this link to the NCETM website: http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=13&module=res&mode=100&resid=1442

Helping Year 11 revise

After the SL day in February Fred circulated the questions that could be used by year 11 to categorise the types of questions they could be asked and then to devise strategies for answering them. These are available from this link: http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php
A quick summary of the topics is as follows:
Percentage questions
A to D grade factorising questions
Percentage right and wrong
Ratio and proportion questions
Similar shapes, circle theorems and sectors (also answers available.)

You may want to direct students to the sites listed as "Revision sites" on the left of this page. Check them yourself first though, some of them, like Kangaroo maths, might need some explanation as to how to navigate to what you want them to look at. Some, (Kangaroo maths again) include the answers too so you might want to keep this secret if you are going to use the resources as tests/homework tasks.