Task Centre News August/September 2007

1878 tasks placed in schools during July/August. 294,467 placed since the project began in July 1992. We offer an email news service from each of the three key projects linked to this site. If you would like to receive updates from the Task Centre Project, Maths300 or Calculating Changes send an email to doug@blackdouglas.com.au: In the subject line write Subscribe Maths. In the body of message state which projects you want to subscribe to, or simply write Subscribe All. Add your name and preferred email address. Please feel free to distribute this information.

In this month's News you will find: Beyond The Call Six Days to Lasting Change Tasks in Two Schools Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening Mathematics Tasks of the Month Task 46, Duelling Dice Task 47, Red & Black Card Game Task 48, How Many Triangles? Task 49, Take A Chance Tasks in the Round Upgrade to Maths With Attitude   Show Your Stuff

• Beyond The Call
  Do the public really understand how much teachers give? Guess they will never understand the classroom without becoming a fly on the wall, but I think we can easily put pay to rumours that teachers are out the door at 3:30pm.

  The main reason for combining the August and September News is that we have been having so much fun in professional development sessions with teachers - some of which have been, or will be after hours.

  For example, over the last few months we have been working with a group of dedicated teachers from the Riverland in South Australia. Six days of professional learning in three sets of two days. Included in these days were two Saturdays and a Sunday. That's commitment.

  Coming up, I will be working with The Grange College, Hoppers Crossing, Victoria. The staff have chosen to split our one day MOTM session titled More Success More Often for Teachers & Students over two half days. Nothing unusual about that ... except ... the sessions begin at 3:00pm and finish at 6:00pm and the second of these is a Friday. Again, top marks for commitment.

  From the Link List below access the More Success workshop description.

• Six Days to Lasting Change
  After school professional development can be useful. Full day sessions can be stimulating, practical and exciting. But for some years now we have been aware that it takes five or six days of professional learning within a clear, consistent framework for teachers to make significant and stable changes to their teaching practice.

  Nicholas Dale, Winkie Primary School, was part of the 6 day Engineering 'aha' Moments K-8 program in the Riverland. After the fifth day teachers were asked to reflect on their practice guided by the questions:

  • How has my practice changed?
  • What evidence do I have of change?
  • Why have I changed?
  • How do I articulate learning values underpinning my change?
  Nic's reflection is representative of participant responses. It has been included in the Research & Stories section of the site and linked from the description of the Engineering... program in the Maths on the Move library. It clearly shows:
  • personal change
  • influence on others in the school
  • intent to transfer learning to his next teaching site
  • students who look forward to doing maths every day
  • improved learning outcomes for students
  ...and more. Please take the time to read Nic's report.

  Special Note
  We are designing a similar course entitled Engineering 'aha' Moments 5-10 which focuses on pattern and algebra with applications in chance, logic and measurement. To complete the development of this course, we are interested in finding a system or sector willing to support the first trial of six days. We can't guarantee changes in secondary practice, but we have every confidence that this course will make a significant and lasting difference to the teachers involved.
  Contact Doug. Williams: doug@blackdouglas.com.au to discuss arrangements.

  From the Link List below access Engineering... workshop description and Nic's Reflection on it.

• Tasks in Two Schools
  Nic attended the six day course with Cherie Cooper from nearby Barmera Primary School. Together they planned the use of tasks across their two schools. Cherie worked with Junior Primary and Nic with Upper Primary. The text below is extracted from a presentation they gave to their colleagues in the course. They worked as follows:
  • Used the problem solving task cards.
  • Began with two lessons per week separate from maths program.
  • After two weeks moved to three times a week.
  • Investigations were in the form of group tasks and whole class lessons.

  Junior Primary		Upper Primary
  Week 1 - Introduction Whole class exercise Use props (large scale) Problem was read out to them Given opportunity to work out the answer through problem solving Lots of teacher questioning and referring back to the problem. Crossing the River and Eric the Sheep		Week 1 - Introduction Group activities Three activities selected with 15 minutes at each activity Activities were rotated No teacher input - discover learning 2nd lesson involved discussion with students regarding tasks
  Week 2 - Two lessons Classes into groups – allocated different task to explore Walked around observing but had to clarify many questions throughout the lesson		Week 2 - Two lessons Row Points as a class Looked at solving problem with 13 counters - highest and lowest Investigated how many rows of 3, 4 & 5 Played game in pairs Discussion during/end of lesson
  Week 3 - Three lessons Classes into groups - allocated different tasks Concentrated on recording Peer tutoring		Week 3 - Three lessons Soft Drink Crates as a class Looked at solving problem with 10, 18 & 14 cans Investigated even numbers from 2 to 24 and recorded results Discussions during/end of lesson
  Week 4 - Three lessons As for last week plus class discussions about what they thought of the tasks Antony and Brookelyn stayed with this Soft Drink Crates for the whole duration of our problem solving lessons. This was their choice. Some of their comments were: It is hard. We couldn't work it out, we felt dumb. I think it is unsolvable. It is easier with ten and I suppose it is possible with eighteen. If it takes us ages and I cant work it out I would feel it is unsolvable. It is tricky.		Week 4 - Three lessons Dice Differences as a class Played the game in pairs Investigated 200 throws and outcome Tabled results Played game again based on results and discussed
  Quotes from students Makes me learn how to count. Makes me think a lot. I feel fantastic when I play them. I wanted to finish it. It makes me think like a mathematician. Partners help each other. It was easy when we did the lines on the carpet. It helped when we learnt how to tally.		Quotes from students I enjoy putting rows in order and learning about threading. I have learnt to solve problems without a calculator. I now use my brain instead. It is fun and challenging. We work with a partner, because if we are stuck the other one can help and you can't play the games by yourself. I think we do it because it helps us think like mathematicians.

  From the Link List below access information about Tasks for Infants.

• Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening Mathematics
  This workshop was recently used by the Association of Independent School South Australia as the second in a three day Maths on the Move sequence for the same group of teachers. As part of the session, which includes many photographs from classrooms, teacher groups made charts of what they learnt from classrooms. The sample photos below suggest they learnt a lot.

  From the Link List below access Reading, Writing... description.

• Tasks of the Month
  Four new cameos this month.
  • Duelling Dice reminds us of the old schoolyard game of scissors, rock and paper. Rock beats scissors,scissors beat paper, so you might expect rock beats paper - but not so, paper wins because it covers rock. A similar non-transitive relationship is the backbone of this task.
  • Red & Black Card Game involves addition and subtraction above and below zero. Negative and positive numbers yes, but that doesn't mean that the task is inaccessible to primary students. The challenge is in researching and designing a game based on what if questions.
  • How Many Triangles is a counting exercise with a twist because the possible triangles are different sizes and in different orientations and positions. The task has an emphasis on organising to count every possible case, recording, pattern (with possible extensions into generalised algebra) and an excursion into 3 dimensions by creating tetrahedrons from the 2 dimensional material.
  • Take A Chance supports students to explore their intuitive concept of chance by inviting them to risk counters on the fall of the next card. You win if the card is between two already chosen. If not, you lose. Intelligent risk-taking involves analysing all possibilities - the sample space - and can lead to deriving a winning strategy.
      
      

  From the Link List below access Task Cameos, or click on a photo to go straight to printable information about the task.
  Add the printed files to your Cameo Collection. There is a cover page for your collection in Task Cameos.

• Tasks in the Round
  Some teachers are currently exploring a developing structure for using tasks which is called Task in the Round. We would be delighted if you could join the experiment and let us know how it works for you. We would be even more delighted if your feedback included photos and children's work or comments. (Note: If any children in the photos are identifiable we would need written permission from parents to include their images on screen.)

  Task in the Round works like this:

  • You need one task, butcher's paper, markers and one copy of the Working Mathematically process per group of four.
  • Assign roles to group members such as Reader, Writer, Timekeeper, Working Mathematically Watcher. All group members can ask questions, make suggestions and issue challenges.
  • Groups get 20 - 30 minutes to explore their task and record on the large paper whatever they find out, including things that don't work. Note, this is journal/diary style recording, not perfect publishing.
  • Groups rotate and in the next 20 - 30 minutes get their mind around the new task and the previous group's notes and continue the investigation and recording.
  At the end of the session, display the posters, warts and all as they may be. This will encourage reflection and discussion between sessions. In the next lesson you can continue the process, perhaps for one more round, then each group returns to its original task to continue/complete the investigation as time permits.

  The next layer of challenge is for the groups to reflect on what has been discovered about a task and to publish a poster for someone else to understand using the guidelines:

  • The Problem
  • What We Did
  • What We Found Out
  • What Else We Could Investigate
  or any other you choose. Try to create an audience for the publishing such as posters to display:
  • ...at a parent information night
  • ...at the local community centre for education week.
  Instead of posters you might encourage an IT connection by suggesting a PowerPoint display as an alternative form of publishing.

  From the Link List below access the Working Mathematically process.

• Upgrade to Maths With Attitude
  Many schools have realised that they could use tasks they already have in a more extensive and structured way if they converted their collection to Maths With Attitude kits. Then, instead of being used occasionally as an add-on, the tasks would become an integrated component of a best practice curriculum built around students learning to work like a mathematician. In addition to tasks you would also need a Maths300 membership because Maths300 provides teachers with lesson plans to support them to model the work of a mathematician, and tasks are an invitation to students to apply the model for themselves.

  From the Link List below access the MWA Upgrade and Maths300.

• Show Your Stuff
  We know there is some great teaching out there built around a Working Mathematically curriculum. We just don't know who to call on when someone asks Could we see a class in action?. Perhaps they want to see a class using Tasks or Poly Plug, or perhaps they want to see a Maths300 investigation in action.

  Would you be prepared to list your school on our school visits list? You would always be approached before a visit to seek an invitation for the particular day and time. No surprises and no compulsion, but a lot of value for the visitors. If you would like to be involved, please contact Doug. Williams, 03 9726 8316, doug@blackdouglas.com.au

• Link List
  
  • More Success More Often for Teachers & Students: Description
  • Engineering 'aha' Moments K-8: Description
  • Nic Dale's Reflection
  • Tasks for Infants
  • Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening Mathematics: Description
  • Task Cameos
  • Working Mathematically
  • MWA Upgrade
  • Maths300

• Did you miss the July News?
  If so you missed information about:
  1. The 15th Birthday of the Task Centre Project
  2. Iceberg Information about two Tasks of the Month (Tasks 44 & 45).
  3. The value of on-going professional development
  4. ...and more.

Keep smiling,
Doug.

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