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Professional development over an extended period - several months, perhaps longer - is more likely to lead to continuing teacher growth and curriculum shift. Perhaps the outstanding example of this is outcomes of the INISSS Research. Shorter professional development programs have their value, but our experience suggests that it takes five or six PD experiences with the same focus to reach teachers through the cloud, crowd and clamour of daily school life so that the desired curriculum shift actually becomes everyday practice.

Through 2012 we have been involved in two such programs and some of their work is shared here. (See Link List below for more information.)

Catholic Education Office Canberra Goulburn Initiated by Gina Galluzzo, Curriculum Development Office, the objective of this program is to support all schools across this very large diocese to build their curriculum around working like a mathematician. The program runs over six days in three sets of two days about a term apart and administrations in all schools have agreed to support the program. 2012 is the second year of the process and almost all participants are from primary schools. In 2011 the group was a mix of primary and secondary teachers. There are at least two participants from each school, although this isn't always possible in the smaller rural schools. Participants are representing the school and are expected to share their learning with colleagues. This year, participating schools were expected to belong to Calculating Changes and Maths300 and purchase 10 tasks and 10 Poly Plug. Perhaps the developing success is best summarised by the caption and photograph opposite which are from a slide presentation to colleagues by Andrea de Carvalho, St. Peter & Paul Primary School, Garran.

We're loving our journey so far with 'Working Like a Mathematician'!

One direction of the course has been learning to use the three lives of a task. One of those lives is to extend a task through the use of an Investigation Guide. Teachers have written several and they have been shared with you through the Task Cameos of these tasks:

• Find My Pattern, Task 10, Leanne Bateman & Margy Carracher, St. Patrick's, Bega
• Plate Triangles, Task 28, Belinda Rayment, St. Francis of Assisi, Calwell
• Dominoes, Task 33, Kerry Wode, St. Thomas the Apostle, Kambah
• Fay's Nines, Task 54, Nichola Brandon, St. Benedict's, Narrabundah
• 13 Away, Task 59, Leanne Bateman & Margy Carracher (Years 1 & 2) & Paul Cecere, St. Matthew's, Page (Years 5 & 6)
• Coloured Squares, Task 112, Claire Campbell, St. Matthew's, Page (Year 1 & 2) and Belinda Rayment, St. Francis Assisi, Calwell
• Monkeys & Bananas, Task 212, Kerry, Wode, St. Thomas the Apostle, Kambah
• Tables for 25, Task 235, Nichola Brandon, St. Benedict's, Narrabundah