Matariki Maths: Connecting Culture and Curriculum

Matariki is coming! This special time of year is not only about cultural celebrations but also offers an incredible opportunity to weave Maths into teaching and learning. From exploring symmetrical patterns in Māori art to analysing data related to Matariki traditions, we can engage our students in a fun and meaningful learning experience. So, let's embrace the spirit of Matariki and embark on an exciting journey of integrated maths learning!

Here is a LINK to some great Matariki lessons on nzmaths. These lessons cover Levels 1-4 of the current NZC and provide numerous ideas for cross-strand and integrated units. Last year, the teachers' feedback on implementing these resources was very positive, so I've decided to share more for this year's learning

I highly recommend exploring these resources, as they contain excellent lessons and ideas for teaching and learning various maths concepts and skills in a relevant and practical context.

As a teaser, feel free to explore the three ready-to-use lesson slide decks below (click on the image to access). For more ideas and variety, please follow the nzmaths link.

Manaiakalani Mathematics Practice Intensive (MPI)

The inaugural MPI Cohort 1 kicked off at the beginning of this term. We had two productive and intensive days full of learning, reflections and 'aha' moments.
Sign up for the MPI 2025,  as spots are filling up quickly. 

We have a diverse range of participants in the program, each finding their own areas to enhance their teaching of mathematics... Check out their blogs

"...This is exactly why I wanted to go on MPI. My strengths are in my content knowledge, as well as my own mathematics ability. However I needed to know how to strengthen my own understanding of current pedagogy, and in turn, hopefully, this will help with my planning of maths."

...how to use the PAT maths data to inform the next learning steps for the learners. This will be very useful for us as it is clear and easy to understand what the next steps are for the students. We will be able to use these and offer them in our workshops to extend and progress learning."

"One of my big take-aways is the fact that I am being delivered all of this research based material and I can pick and choose as to what will suit me and my class at this point.  Speaking of which, how fantastic do these slides look?  I am very keen to be working towards my planning for my students to be as enticing and interesting as the examples that we are having shared with us."

 

Thinking of my TAI 2024: Focusing on Mathematics!

I will continue to improve my teaching practice and support other teachers in enhancing their teaching of mathematics. While participating in the pilot MPI, my main inquiry focus will remain on developing teacher pedagogical and content knowledge to ensure the effectiveness of their maths programmes. Additionally, I aim to promote critical thinking in both students and educators to achieve the best outcomes.

Here is the Causal Chain that I developed last year and am continuing to implement this year. It helps keep me on track and has received positive feedback from my COL colleagues and leaders.

Insights from the initial MPI Pilot Sessions

I'm excited to share some snippets of the new Maths Practice Intensive (MPI) that we're piloting this term and that will be launched for the first cohort from term 2.

Day #1. We began by looking at the pillars of practice - the integral components of the effective maths programme. 

We also highlighted the importance of fostering a positive learning environment for maths, nurturing creativity and integrating cross-curricular opportunities for real-life application. Exploring the concept of teachers seeing themselves as mathematicians, we recognised that this perspective can lead to a transformative shift in our approach to designing our maths programmes and opening the door to a more dynamic and engaging teaching style. This shift can instil confidence in both teachers and students, promoting the belief that everyone has the potential to excel in maths.

Day #2. We explored a range of formal and informal assessments to fully understand the available tools and practical implementation of Assessment for Learning (AFL). We practised analysing PAT and e-asttle data and engaged in coaching conversations about how to use this data wisely. The emphasis on sharing assessment data with students and incorporating self-assessment tools in our teaching was also discussed. The program encourages us to reflect on how often we allow and prompt students to reflect on their learning and whether we are tapping into their self-driven learning potential (student empowerment).

Day #3 was all about practical aspects: long and short-term overviews, timetabling, flexible grouping, lesson planning, and organising for group discussions (group talk). It was great to give it a go and solve a 'low floor high ceiling' problem ourselves in breakout spaces, followed by sharing with the big group. This activity will be useful for teachers' learning as it encourages thinking about their own mathematical knowledge, ideas, gaps, next steps, and resources they might need for the lesson, etc. I loved that Fiona used Talk moves with us, letting us experience how our learners would feel and behave; "revoicing" definitely made me refocus on the group conversation. Another practical aspect of the programme is "gifting" well-designed and pre-planned task boards ready to be used in class. Finally, we shared some resources for independent activities that might enhance students' learning experiences and help develop fluency.

To conclude, I'd like to emphasise that every part of the programme is designed with robust evidence in mind and backed up by research. Throughout the programme, teachers will be referred to relevant readings to deepen their pedagogical knowledge and better understand why the offered approach is effective.

 

Calendar Booking Page

Kia Ora teachers!

I am excited to work with you this year. My COL days are Thursday and Friday. This Term, I am part of a new MPI (Maths Practice Intensive) pilot, working with a collaborative team every Thursday. I am available on Fridays this term. Please click and book any of the time slots available on my calendar booking page below:

Calendar Booking Page Link

I am happy to meet in person or online, or support your teaching in class. I would appreciate it if you let me know what support you are after following the booking, so I can come prepared and utilise our time effectively.

Please check this blog post for some ideas of how I can help you, but there are no limits. I look forward to getting connected with you and supporting our tamariki to thrive with their learning!

Across Schools COL Teacher 2024

 Kia Ora wonderful Manaiakalani educators

This year, I'm excited to continue collaborating with Kahui Ako teachers and sharing my knowledge and skills as an AS COL teacher. I'm particularly passionate about Maths and will be focusing on effective teaching practices in Mathematics across Y1–6. However, I am always happy to support teachers with all of their questions across the curriculum. I can offer:

• Working with you on developing and implementing a balanced classroom programme 
• Developing student agency/ student empowerment. I'm happy to explain the approach we developed at GTS and support implementing it with your class.
• Designing engaging LCS projects (integrated curriculum)
• Unpacking curriculum progressions across the curriculum 
• Planning lessons or units
• Understanding and using various assessments (formative and summative)
• Analysing assessment data and using it for planning
• Selecting the best resources to teach different concepts in Maths
• Co-teaching, observing, feedback and modelling
• Number Talk and the use of various manipulatives and digital tools in maths
• Creating multi-modal sites 
• Support with your movie for the Film Festival

I truly look forward to collaborating with you to create engaging learning opportunities for our tamariki and to help them achieve their full potential.

I'm available to work with teachers during their class and release time. This term, I am part of the MPI (Maths Programme Intensive) pilot program on Thursdays but available every Friday. 

End-of-Year Progress Data for My Year 3-4 Class: Maths, Reading and Writing

In this blog post, I'd like to share the end-of-year data for my Year 3-4 class. 

All results have been filtered to include only the 'same students,' ensuring a direct 'apples-to-apples' comparison of progress.

1. Mathematics Term 1- 4 PAT data

2. Reading comprehension Term 1- 4 PAT data

Year 4 (same students only) achieved a gain of 9 units, (=1.3 years of progress)

. 3. Writing Term 1- 4 OTJ (supported by e-asttle)