Either Choose three small integers, positive or negative.
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Transcript of Either Choose three small integers, positive or negative.
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Either Choose three small integers, positive or negative.Place these integers in the boxes in the expression below in all possible orders and multiply the brackets in each case:(x + ) ( x + ) =Now add up all your answers and factorise the result if you can.
Or Let f(x) = sqrt(a cubic in x). Sketch y = |f(x)|
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
A year with ACME
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
A bit about ACME
An independent committee, established in January 2002
To enable an effective and constructive partnership between Government and the mathematics community
To inform and advise the DfE and BIS in order to assist in its drive to raise standards and promote mathematics at all levels within education
To provide advice to government agencies and other key stakeholders
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
The Chair
A “user of mathematics”
Professor Steve Sparks FRS Volcanologist and risks Joined ACME in January
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.orgThe Committee
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
The Outer Circle
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
One year ago this month
The Bew Review
ACME Response to the Education Select Committtee Inquiry into 16-19 participation in education and training
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Meanwhile - Mathematical Needs Reports
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
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Mathematical Needs Reports A and B Published June 2011
Presented at workshops and seminars at various conferences
Looking outside the mathematics community
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
MNB: What mathematical proficiency entails:• procedural recall, accuracy and fluency in familiar routines• to develop procedural, conceptual and utilitarian aspects of
mathematics together• the ability to interpret and use representations• a range of mathematical knowledge and experience• strategies for problem-solving and hypothesis-testing, including
working with current digital technology• mathematical reasoning• appreciation of the purpose and usefulness of mathematics, and
willingness to use it
Need to develop all these aspects
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
What learners need in lessons:
• to read, talk and interpret mathematical text• to get a sense of achievement• to use feedback from tasks and results• to have good-quality explanations (images, representations,
language, analogies, models, illustration)• to have explanations that incorporate past knowledge, including
familiar images, notations and mathematical ideas• teachers who understand the need to avoid unhelpful
conceptions from particular examples, images and language• to base new learning on earlier understandings• teachers who push the boundaries of conceptual understanding
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Cognitive needs:• to become aware of, familiar with, and fluent in
connections in mathematics• to accumulate mathematical ideas• to have multiple experiences of mathematical ideas• time to develop the mathematical confidence to tackle
unfamiliar tasks• to recognize the common ideas of mathematics• to know how to listen to mathematical explanations
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
And then things got really busy National Curriculum Review Early entry to GCSE Primary arithmetic Initial teacher education
strategy ...
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
GCSE early and multiple entry – an update Nick Gibb responded to ACME’s position
statement The Department said they would look at
reasons for early entry, and Whether early entry is undermining
progression DfE has published a statistical study on the
impact of early entry – detrimental to overall performance
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
National Curriculum review – a brief update
Responded to the Call for Evidence
Contributed to working groups
Individuals heavily involved through July/August, and again since January
Offered to facilitate pre-consultation discussion with the community
September – November/December a quiet time
Expert panel report – response
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
And after the summer, things got busier Non-Government reports
Mind the Gap Maths Task Force Report
BIS gets involved HE white paper
Select Committees Attracting, training and retaining the best teachers How should examinations for 15-19 year olds be run?
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
ACME response to Expert Panel Welcome split of Key Stage 2
Do not recommend year-by-year primary curriculum no evidence
Welcome more specialist teaching in primary but it’s up to schools to determine deployment, and more support/training is needed
Cautious about Key Stage 3 / 4 split would need eg linked pair GCSE and mechanisms to counter early entry
Agrees levels should be removed but, support is needed during transition
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
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But are we having any impact or influence?Early entry
Yes, but Government needs to take further steps
National Curriculum Process and content Primary Best Practice seminar
Key Stage 2 assessment Disappointing
Mathematical Needs Definitely
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
MNA: Bridging the maths gap
The number of people entering higher education each year who would benefit from recent experience of post-GCSE mathematics
330,000
The number of such people supplied by the school/college system
125,000
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Mathematical Needs of the Workplace
How has the jobs profile changed in recent years?
What general mathematical skills are needed by those in employment?
What are the particular mathematical needs for particular areas of employment?
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
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Jobs: changing profiles
Fewer jobs 1982
2012
Elementary 4.5m 2.8m
Skilled 4.4m 2.8m
Admin & clerical 3.9m 3.4m
Transport & machines
3.0m 2.2m
More jobs 1982
2012
Managers 2.7m 4.9m
Professionals 2.0 m 4.0m
Associate professionals
2.4m 4.9m
Sales 1.6m 2.7m
Personal services 0.9m 2.9m
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Key findings from the workplace To be effective employees need to have studied mathematics at a higher level than
they will actually use in the workplace
Many employees have difficulty in applying the mathematics they know
Employees have difficulty in communicating mathematical ideas
Many people lack basic skills in mathematics (and literacy)
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
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What mathematics does the workplace say is needed?
• Statistics• Mathematical modelling• Problem-solving• Use of software packages and coping with problems• Performance indicators and the use of ratios• Risk
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
What can students choose today? – post-GCSE qualifications
• A-level Mathematics• A-level Further Mathematics• A-level Use of Mathematics• Free standing mathematics qualifications (FSMQs)• Cambridge Pre-U• The International Baccalaureate Diploma• … a variety of mathematics is implicit in many vocational
courses, but content is often ill-defined and not rigorously assessed.
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Mathematical Needs of Higher Education
What are the course entry requirements in mathematics?
What mathematics does a course need if it is to achieve international standard?
What mathematics (including statistics) do students need if they are to be successful in their university course?
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Push and pull
ACME recommends:
Universities should make clear the level and extent of mathematics encountered within each of their degree programmes.
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Increasing participation
< GCSE Grade C A-level
Not to scale!
Who are these students?
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
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Increasing participation
Probably have Grade C or B at GCSE (and maybe grade A) Probably not studying A-levels in physics (or chemistry) They may (or may not) be studying A-levels and planning to go to HE. What do they need?
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AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Increasing participation
ACME is preparing an options paper for the summer Who is it for? What size and shape? What would it contain? Who would teach it?
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Moving forwards
• Making it happen• Mathematical Needs A + Post-16 pathways• Pre-16 qualifications/pathways
• The profession• Joining up initial teacher education and CPD: what, when and how?• Mathematical Needs B
AdvisoryCommittee onMathematicsEducation
www.acme-uk.org
Keeping up-to-dateACME Conference
10 July 2012
ACME Membership Advert out
ACME Outer Circle End of the summer
News and Events Website Newsletter