Developing Mathematical Resilience Day - July 2018
Here you can find resources that were used during the Developing Mathematical Resilience Day held on 3 July 2018 at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences.
Opening plenary
Try one of the two problems. As you work on the problem, consider the following:
1) What strategies do I use to get started on a problem I haven't seen before?
2) What strategies do I use when I get to a dead end or don't know what to do next?
3) What strategies do I use to help my students when I see that they are stuck?
We referred to Mathematical Habits of Mind. We also mentioned that skills learnt during collaborative problem solving stand learners in good stead when problem solving individually. Collaborative
Learning in Mathematics by Malcolm Swan (2006) has a useful table on the second page which highlights specific positive aspects of mathematics teaching and offers a range of references to support these statements. The Education Endowment Fund
also flags up colloborative learning as "moderate impact for very low cost based on extensive evidence".
KS3/4 workshops
The morning workshop focusses on developing a classroom culture to foster resilient mathematicians - modelling mathematical behaviour, providing opportunities to work collaboratively, and presenting multiple approaches and representations.
Triangle Transformation will be part of our upcoming feature, to be published on the site on July 19. As we worked on the task, we considered the following:
How are you managing your feelings?
How are you being resilient?
At NRICH, we find this model helpful, which addresses five essential elements for nurturing young mathematicians:
Adding it up (Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell, 2001, p.115)
The image above captures the interwoven and interdependent nature of these five essential aspects, with resilience being a part of having a productive disposition.
Reference:
Kilpatrick, J. Swafford, J. & Findell, B.(eds.)(2001). Adding it up: Helping children learn mathematics. Mathematics Learning Study Committee: National Research Council.