Supported Experiments in Maths

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Supported Experiments in Maths

• Mathsdept

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Background

• Increase range of teaching and learning
  strategies
• The department had been criticised by Ofsted for
  a narrow range of teaching and learning
  strategies so we were looking at new ways of
  developing learning across the department

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Background

• We based our work on two sources
• Teaching and learning in Mathematics An
  activity based approach by Susan Wall
• Activity based learning
• Group work
• Problem solving
• Develop communication skills
• LSDA video on GCSE maths teaching

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Original brief

• 7 activities developed
• 1 for each of AS topics to ½ term
• Activities divided into
• Matching card games
• IT based activities
• Whiteboard based activities

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Matching card games
Sets of cards that match in pairs or threes

• Used in games
• Find a pair
• Chains
• Dominoes

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Matching card games
Examples

• Algebra Jungle
• Matching Surds
• Quadratic Dominoes
• Differentiation Game

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IT Based Activities

• Coordinate Bingo
• Students prepare their cards by doing
  calculations
• Computer used to generate the numbers, keep
  track of numbers used and check winning cards
• Excel spreadsheet

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Whiteboards

• Individual whiteboard, pen and erasers in zip-up
  bag for each student
• Allow quick assessment
• Indices Uniqueness game

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Evaluation

• Increased motivation of students and staff
• Encourages discussion
• Highlights misconceptions
• Encourages participation
• Can be time consuming and can fall behind on
  teaching content
• Takes a long time to prepare the materials

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Where next?

• We are currently preparing our schemes of work
  for the new specification and incorporating the
  activities developed
• As time allows we are preparing more activities
  and slotting them in