Learning & Teaching... Series

The MLATS Learning and Teaching… Series of workshops have been designed for teachers who are serious about developing learning environments where all students are supported in developing their mathematical knowledge.

These workshops aim to support participants in:

• learning more about the mathematical ideas that students need to develop about a particular topic
• planning for students to develop the desired outcomes

The workshop process involves participants in:

• determining what each student knows about a topic before beginning a unit of work
• identifying the knowledge that students should be developing about a topic
• learning how various materials and resources can be used to develop the desired knowledge
• using this knowledge about each learner to plan appropriate learning experiences
• developing a unit plan or a series of learning activities

Workshop topics include:

• Learning And Teaching Sorting And Classifying
• Learning And Teaching Pattern & Algebra
• Learning And Teaching Place Value
• Learning And Teaching The Four Processes
• Learning And Teaching Times Tables
• Learning And Teaching Fractions
• Learning And Teaching Decimals
• Learning And Teaching Measurement Of 2D Space
• Learning And Teaching Measurement Of 3D Space
• Learning And Teaching Location And Arrangement
• Learning And Teaching Data Handling
• Learning And Teaching Chance
• Learning And Teaching Transformation And Symmetry
• Learning And Teaching Time
• Learning And Teaching Money
• Learning And Teaching Problem Solving/ Real Life Problem Solving

• Learning And Teaching Measurement (including capacity, mass, area)

Workshops are 2 to 3 hours long and are suitable for Reception to Year 9 teachers.

Learning and Teaching Place Value

Place value is one of the most important concepts in mathematics for a learner to understand, yet it is one concept that many students have difficulty with. This workshop gives participants opportunity to define place value, consider the links a study of place value has with other mathematical concepts, participate in a range of activities to develop relational understanding of place value, and begin to plan a unit of work on place value.

Learning & Teaching Times Tables

“When will my child learn their tables?” How many times have we been asked this question by the parents of the children we teach? What is our response to this question? In this workshop participants will explore the place of learning number facts in today’s mathematics curriculum, consider why it is important for number facts to be learnt and use the three stages of learning number facts to ensure all children will be empowered to learn their number facts.

Learning and Teaching Fractions

Fractions are not easy concepts for students …even in the middle school. Often, our students come to us with a poor understanding about what a fraction actually is. They have yet to really understand that a fraction is always expressed in relation to its whole. Many also have a poor understanding about the relative size of fractions and have not yet developed a sense about where these fit within our number system. Helping students construct this relationship and connect it meaningfully to symbolism is another challenge that I am sure many of us are familiar with.

In this workshop participants will reflect on the concepts that need to be covered when teaching fractions, engage in a range of mathematical activities, explore how number sense can be developed in relation to the concept of fractions, and begin to plan a unit of work on fractions.

Learning and Teaching Decimals

Understanding decimal numeration is a complex task. Learners have to connect ideas about place value learned in the whole number settings with their understandings of fractions. In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to identify some of the complexities in learning about decimals, consider a number of common misconceptions that students hold, explore how these misconceptions can be identified, participate in a range of activities to challenge and overcome these misconceptions and begin to plan activities that they could use in their setting to enhance the learning of decimals.

Learning and Teaching Chance

An experimental approach to chance where learners are involved in conducting experiments and examining outcomes is very important for children to develop their ideas in this topic. An understanding of the language and the ideas associated with chance takes many years to develop. In this workshop teachers will consider why it is important to learn about chance, participate in a range of activities designed to develop ideas about chance and begin to plan a unit of work in chance.

Learning and Teaching Transformation & Symmetry

The study of transformation and symmetry is closely linked. In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to explore why they are linked, what types of transformations are possible, what types of symmetries there are, participate in a wide range of activities to develop ideas related to transformations and symmetry and begin to plan a unit of work in this topic.