From The Email
My admiration for (the Task Centre Project and Working Mathematically) grows as I am able to help teachers with it. Their response is the biggest thrill I've ever had teaching. Thanks for helping me see the light. I consider the learning I did in Australia to be the most important I've done as a teacher and I think I've done many really good learning programs.
Dr. Tim Touzel, Chair
Professional Program in Teacher Education
Coastal Carolina University
Conway, South Carolina, USA
The course is an elective for students who are concerned about their mathematical knowledge and confidence in preparation for Primary teaching. (It) begins with Working Mathematically - Problem Solving,
Investigations and Reasoning. So I decided, given the previous power of the Replacement Units (see Resources) with both secondary and primary students, this would be a great use for my sample packs to determine their impact on adult mathematicians. The responses have been magnificent.
Ian David Harrison
Lecturer, Mathematical Patterns and Relationships
UWS, School of Education and Early Childhood Studies
Penrith, New South Wales
Actually our paths almost crossed in Alice Springs... I got a six week contract at Anzac Hill and arrived on my first Monday to hear a buzz of enthusiasm about this 'great workshop...best PD I've ever attended ...' etc. from a number of the staff. It was great really.
John Bradbury
Tasmanian INISSS teacher (see Do Tasks Work?)
travelling Australia on long service leave.
...my recalcitrant student who (previously) hated maths classes, but (now) comes to two of three classes each week, showed up to the Tues class for the first time this year (furious that I wasn't there) with the solution to the Knights Tour ... after last week when we discussed strategy & patterning, he found the solution very quickly - boy, this kid is quick - actually an amazing computer programmer, but not crash hot with some spatial problems. He and another girl have devoured the Task Centre Materials - won't write, just argue solutions - the language is beautiful - took 40 minutes for them to start speaking the same language weeks ago - now it's a massive competition. They complement each other beautifully as they problem solve in very different ways.
Pamela McGifford
Relieving INISSS teacher Tasmania