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February 2011
In this month's News you will find:
 Maths300 ETuTE: a short review
Working Mathematically with Infants: new PD
Cube Tube: a new video
Addition to Eric The Sheep
Maths300: new lesson and software
Price Rise Notification
Tasks of the Month
Task 121, Farmyard Views
Task 124, Human Moves Monster
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866 tasks placed in schools during Dec./Jan.
329,289 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:
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- Maths300 ETuTE Review
Released in October last this collection of compact professional development starters is designed to help you explore the teaching craft and mathematics of Maths300. Ian Lowe, Professional Officer, Mathematical Association of Victoria has written about the book as follows:
In his regular newsletter, Doug Williams writes: 'There is no reason for mathematics to be taught the way it has always been.' Maths300 is the best example - worldwide - of an alternative to 'the way it has always been'.
Very many schools have realised this, and paid for a subscription ... but failed to take the next steps. These are for all teachers to become familiar with the rich resources now available to them, and to build them into their regular teaching plans so they are used to enrich learning.
Over many years Doug has realised that teachers may need help to learn about this new way to teach, and for students to learn, mathematics. And so he regularly wrote ETuTE (Doug loves palindromes!) for five years to help us all learn more about Maths300.
Now ETuTEs are available in print form, so that we can dip into them for personal reading or to enrich staff and faculty meetings, and grow more familiar with Maths300, and its associated materials, Tasks and Maths With Attitude, the best alternative to textbooks.
Thanks Ian. Perhaps this is a publication that has a place in every school and in the programs of those who prepare pre-service and inservice training courses. See Link List below.
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- New MOTM Course: Working Mathematically with Infants
Also released in 2010 was the Working Mathematically with Infants resource, which is based on more than a decade of work in the Calculating Changes network, combined with the wisdom and experience of the Mathematics Task Centre. One of the important features of the kit is that it prepares children for curriculum in Years 3 and beyond that is based around Maths With Attitude kits - and there are many of those schools. Using WMI followed by MWA as the core of mathematics education supports an integrated, investigative curriculum for all compulsory years of school.
To help teachers integrate the principles of learning to work like a mathematician in Years K - 2 and become familiar with activities and planning from the kit, a new workshop day has been added to the Maths on the Move library. Consider using this workshop day as an opportunity to bring together teachers of younger children from several schools. See Link List below for a course description and other related links.
- Cube Tube: a new video added
Another addition to Mathematics Centre in 2010 was the creation of Cube Tube. This is a section where you can catch the vision of learning to work like a mathematician using video with supporting documentation. In December, the first release was for teachers - a video and article describing the ocean of possibilities on offer for an alternative to text-based learning.
In total contrast, our video for this month is an 11 second recording of a Year 5/6 student's explanation of the challenge to change a triangle into a rectangle. The supporting documentation allows you to build a whole class investigation in Years 5 - 8 around the video.
Items will be added to Cube Tube from time to time. You are invited to discuss possible contributions. See Link List below.
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- New Maths300 Lesson: Maths of Lotto
Members of Maths300 should have already found this notification in their mail. But just in case, please be aware that a new lesson Maths of Lotto has been added to the library. That's 178 lessons all up across all levels from K - 12. Stacey Hattensen, who now manages Maths300, describes the lesson like this:
'Maths of Lotto' is an inquiry based lesson that explores concepts of chance and probability. The lesson begins with a whole class lotto game using a simple format: 6 numbers with two drawn to win. This simple hands-on activity becomes an investigation involving probability, combination theory, statistics and working mathematically. A software simulation of the game allows students to extend the investigation by changing the format of the game and the number of games played, and provides a basis for a critical analysis of the realities of lotto games. Underpinning this lesson are ethical questions about gambling as a significant social issue in the community.
Another wonderful development in the Maths300 software is in the lesson Temperature Graphs. It is now possible to explore the temperature ranges in many more cities across Africa, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Americas. As previously you can also add data of your own, even from the weather station in your home town. See Link List below.
- Price Rise Notification
As mentioned late last year task prices will have to rise in 2011 and that will mean consequent rises in task-dependent resources. Task prices have not risen since October 2004, although the prices of component parts certainly have. New prices will take effect from 1st July 2011. However, we are also planning some exciting changes to accompany the rise. We think the planned changes will make the tasks even more interesting to students.
- Tasks of the Month
Two new cameos this month.
- Farmyard Views is a spatial perception task that encourages imagining a 2D representation in 3D. It involves orientation concepts (left, right, in front, behind) in younger students and for older students it encourages exploring the concept of proof. An Investigation Guide is supplied to support the whole class investigation life of the task.
- Human Moves Monster involves students in applying the equivalent of a knight move from chess to capture 9 monsters on the board. There are two puzzles on the card and the cameo supplies at least one solution for each. The depth of the task is investigated through What happens if...? questions.
 
Click a photo to access its cameo, or access all current cameos through the Link List below.
Keep smiling,
Doug.
Link List
- Did you miss December/January?
If so you missed information about:
- Release of Cube Tube
- Maths around the kitchen table in UK
- From The Classroom updates to Task 111, Square Numbers
- Iceberg Information about two Tasks of the Month
(Tasks 113, 115)
- ...and more...
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Did You Know?
- You can find tasks coded by Year Level and Curriculum Strand in the Task Centre Catalogue (PDF file).
- The Activities link of Calculating Changes offers Content Finder & Year Level Finder tools.
- Our Site Map acts as a Table of Contents to help you find what you need in Mathematics Centre.
- You can search for lessons by Year Level, Curriculum Strand, Lesson Features & Keyword at Maths300.
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Previous News
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Continue exploring our history back to July 1992 through the Sense of History link.
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