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

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

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

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

Year 7 unit plans with Rich Tasks

I have recently worked with some North Wiltshire schools on trying to find "rich tasks" to link to current year 7 units to address some of the aims of the new curriculum. I am currently struggling to find the best way to make these available but there is a link here to the summary page I have made showing what is available http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-documents/index.php and a link here gives a blank unit plan: http://www.wiltshire-ast.co.uk/media/maths-media/index.php Note that hyperlinks to external sites should be ok but those to other files I made will not work yet. I have spoken to the people at County Hall who support web development and after April 1st I hope to be able to submit folder to them to upload so that people can access a folder for each unit worked on that will contain an overview of the lessons and active hyperlinks to the resources needed and to any externally referenced websites.