News

The first 'Task of the Month' was published in the Task Centre eNews of June 2005. In the October eNews of that year these teaching notes were first identified as Task Cameos and the Task Cameo Library began with notes for five tasks.

Today, with the publication of the 241st Task Cameo that library of teaching notes is complete.

• Teaching notes for 241 investigations.
• All investigations assume best practice teaching which includes hands-on visual, concrete learning with a partner and within an investigation oriented community.
• The 241 investigations span all content strands and all year levels from 2 to 10.
• Some also have considerable value in K to 2 and/or 11 to 12.
• Many have From The Classroom contributions.
• Some have additional Investigation Guides to extend the investigation.
• Many are the source of Maths300 lessons.

There is no longer any reason for mathematics to be taught 'the way it always has been' and every reason for it to be taught as if we are learning to work like a mathematician.

However, the 11 Year Project may be finished in that we have prepared Cameos for all the tasks in our collection, but there is no reason to assume that the content of any Cameo is finished.

• Each one is waiting for the next teacher or student or class to ask and investigate the next question.
• That's how mathematicians work.
• No problem is ever finished.

The What happens if...? question is always lurking. Oh, and we have undoubtedly made mistakes too which are waiting to be pointed out.

• Over to you. We're happy to have contributions at any time.

Explore cameos from a visual index in the Task Library, or from a text index in the Task Cameo Library, or from a content starting point using the Task Cameo Content Finder. See Link List below.

These teachers were three of several at the Cape Town conference of the Association of International Schools of Africa (AISA) who attended the day long Mathematics Centre institute titled Learning to Work Like a Mathematician for primary teachers. Their workshop included: Presenting a Poster Problem Clinic Introducing hands-on problem solving tasks Working together on a whole class investigation Threading: a pedagogy to construct concept and skill learning over time and heaps of identification and discussion of teaching craft that fascinates, captivates and absorbs learners of all ages. Towards the end of the day these teachers voluntarily made simple one-take videos to explain what they learned during the day. These have now been added to our Cube Tube library. Please set aside about 4 minutes to listen to them. See Link List below.

Task 157, Paving Views, involves heaps of rotation symmetry investigation. Given this mathematical property makes a significant contribution to the world in areas such as alloy wheel, corporation logo, jewellery and garden design and patterns in nature, it deserves a significant place in a relevant mathematics curriculum. However it seems that many schools leave an in depth study of transformations until the number or the algebra areas are 'done' so students only briefly meet this area which could be very useful to their future career, if indeed they meet it at all. The Paving Views cameo begins by exploring one task which is wrapped in a story shell of project brief for Sanja the architect but then it grows to:

• make links with other transformation based tasks
• suggest a place for computer software
• illustrate the possibilities for creating boards for at least two types of games, including one that practises number skills
• ask What happens if the starting unit is an equilateral triangle rather than a square?
• provide a photo-based Investigation Guide to stimulate discussion and analysis of alloy wheels and challenges which could be the basis of student's designing their own motor vehicle company logo or wheel.

We invite you to get to know this cameo at a mathematics teachers meeting. It could be a stimulus for strengthening this area of your curriculum. See Link List below.

The Olympic Games are almost on us and you still have time to prepare one of these remarkable units:

• Puzzle Olympics
• Potato Olympics

Preparation is best done as a team. It will take a bit of work, but, as shown in the links below, others have found the rewards to be amazing. See Link List below.

Tasks & Task Kits Individual tasks ... $11.99 each Kit of 20 tasks Strand specific Choose your strand(s) ... $239.80 each Starter kit of 50 tasks Choose your year level(s) ... $599.50 each Task Centre Kit of 100 tasks Range of strands and year levels ... $1,199 each Maths With Attitude Limited number of kits left Special price $299 $100 saving per kit

Other Materials 3D Geoshapes Class Starter Pack 102 Equ. Triangles, 120 Squares 30 Pentagons, 24 Hexagons 3 sets only ... $165 each Triquares Pack of 6 foam panels of 18 ... $88 each Rotagrams Pack of 20 ... $36 each Use this Latest Order Form Contact Ina Koetsier 03 9726 8316 inak@blackdouglas.com.au