MAVlist 11:01

Folks,

As I looked back over the MAVlist archives (yes, even ephemera such as this gets stored somewhere!) I realised that the weather has featured in the lead-in to the first MAVlist each year for the past eight! This has usually been because of the statistically improbable phenomenon that manages to make the first week back at school just about the warmest and most humid of the year. I mean, the Department keeps moving the week around and somehow the weather manages to follow. Two years ago it was the tragedy associated with bushfire.

This year it is fire, flood and cyclone.

The MAV staff and Councillors extend their sincere sympathies to any school communities affected by these extreme weather events. The MAV will be happy to do all that it can to help ensure that mathematics classrooms are not disrupted in 2011 because of these events. The MAV will volunteer to endeavour to make good any MAV resources lost as a result of the recent events and to pass on generous offers of support such as the one from Texas Instruments, relayed later on in MAVlist. Please just write and let me know what the MAV can do to assist This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

But now, as students rush back to school all across Victoria, here is your first dose (and its a biggie!) of mathematics education news for the year.

 

1.    First edition of Common Denominator for 2011 mailed

The MAV office has been a veritable hive of activity this week as everyone toiled to get Common Denominator and all of the other wonderful bits and pieces that go into an MAV mail out into envelopes and on to the Australia Post van. Keep an eye out as it should arrive in your school early next week. Paid up members get, as promised, the fabulous 2011 edition of the MAV's Teach Maths for Understanding CD-ROM (see details below), whilst un-financial members are gently reminded (ah, that green label is a dead giveaway) that this will be their last ever Common Denominator unless they renew. Anxious about your membership status? Need your TEAM:P options explained? Call Michael Green 93802399 This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it now.

2.    Victorian Science and Mathematics Education Excellence Awards 2011

The MAV was proud to help judge the 2010 Excellence Awards which recognise innovative partnerships between government schools and industry that support science and mathematics education. Nominations are now open for 2011. Regional winners receive grants of $10,000 to continue their partnerships and work to enhance science and mathematics education in their school community. The overall State winner receives a further $10,000. Nominations close on Friday, 13 May 2011. See the flyer enclosed with your Common Denominator mailing next week and visit http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/events/vsmea/ for the guidelines and an application form or direct your enquiries to Helen Spargo at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

3.    Winner of Membership Draw

Congratulation to Marcellin College who signed on as 2011 members before the Annual Conference in December and so went into the draw for $200 worth of MAV bookshop goodies: They won! I wonder how they will spend their voucher? Now, of course if you are not a member, MAV support will start to dry up, so why not follow Marcellin's lead and sign on for 2011? http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/about-us/membership.html

4.    VCE Mathematics SACs evenings in Ballarat, Burwood, Moe, Northcote and Shepparton

Shirley Marshall has signed up some amazing presenters for these two and a half hour evening sessions which provide opportunities for teachers of VCE to be presented with and discuss possible starting points for their students. Participants will be provided with a selection of Analysis and Application Tasks and will be provided with a CD of the material relevant to the particular study. The process of developing appropriate tasks, including criteria mapping and the inclusion of technology is discussed with specific reference to the sample tasks provided at the session. Separate sessions will be held for Maths Methods CAS, Specialist Maths and Further Maths.

Register for Ballarat (Monday, 21 February and Shepparton (Thursday, 24 February) at http://registration.mav.vic.edu.au/events.php?event_id=368

Register for Northcote (Monday, 28 February), Burwood (Wednesday, 2 March) and Moe (differing dates for each subject - see the MAV web site) at http://registration.mav.vic.edu.au/events.php?event_id=375

5.    MTQ Rubric upgrade and how to win a $100 Angus & Robertson book voucher

The MTQ State Judging Rubric has been an outstanding source for assessing MTQ investigations. Jennifer Bowden and the Student Activities Committee will be upgrading the rubric to ensure it is relevant and current to 2011 teaching and learning needs, whilst keeping with the generic form and layout of the rubric. Your feedback is needed! Please email Jen Bowden This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it with any feedback relating to the MTQ Rubric and judging process. By the way, this feedback is so valuable to the Student Activities Committee that they have a $100 Angus & Robertson gift voucher to giveaway. Everyone who sends Jen their feedback by Friday 11 February 2011, will go into the draw.

6.    Primary school teachers - MAV Professional Learning Series

The MAV will be presenting a series of workshops in term one. Each program series will consist of 4 x 2 hour workshops from 3pm - 5pm on Thursdays. Each series will encourage teachers to participate in an online forum and complete current classroom reflections tasks to share with other participants. Presenters will support teachers throughout the series through eLearning.

Series 1: Effective Teaching of Numeracy for Early Years (P-2)
Commencing 17 Feb 2011

  • Assessment and early years interview
  • Place view and common misunderstandings
  • Number threading and working mathematically with infants
  • Investigation and working mathematically with infants

Register now at http://registration.mav.vic.edu.au/events.php?event_id=370

Series 2: Key Characteristics for Teaching Numeracy in the Primary Years (P-6)
Commencing 24 Feb 2011

  • Good maths teaching and the scaffolding practices
  • DEECD and on-line learning and teaching resources
  • Open-ended maths tasks and working mathematically
  • Formative assessment and planning tools

Register now at http://registration.mav.vic.edu.au/events.php?event_id=371

7.    Meet the VCE Mathematics Examiners in Burwood (5/4), Geelong (30/3), Horsham (21/3), Moe (4-7/4), Shepparton (30/3) and Williamstown (28/3)

These two hour evening programs will provide sessions for Further Mathematics and Maths Methods CAS. Presenters will discuss the processes for setting and marking the 2010 examinations and student responses and difficulties. They will comment on past examinations in general and about specific questions on past examinations. There will be time for questions and discussion.

Register at http://registration.mav.vic.edu.au/events.php?event_id=369

8.    SportzStats

Are you interested in taking place in a pilot program to engage your students in mathematics through sport? The MAV will be working with Peter Daicos (yes, THE Peter Daicos) to implement his SportzStats online program into your classroom curriculum to engage students and improve literacy and numeracy.
We will present a series of three free two hour twilight sessions to support pilot schools. Aimed at the middle years (years 5 - 9) this program is sure to have an impact on student enthusiasm towards statistics and data. Please contact Jen Bowden This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it if you are interested in being a pilot school.

9.    Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership substantially sponsored places in Master of Numeracy - 2011 EOI still OPEN!

An exceptional opportunity exists for DEECD teachers, learning coaches, assistant principals and principals, to develop their specialist numeracy knowledge in the Master of Numeracy course, through the provision of Bastow Institute substantially sponsored places. There are 30 places in the Master of Numeracy course. The course is offered over two years part-time delivered at Monash University commencing in Term 1 2011. For further information please contact Sally McCutcheon on 9637 3762 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or check out http://www.education.vic.gov.au/proflearning/bastowinstitute/leadership/manum.htm - applications close by this coming Tuesday, 8 February 2011.

10.    The Maths Masters Live On!

QEDCat has let it be known that Drs Burkard Polster and Marty Ross are to be released from their more serious work as academic mathematicians to continue what looks like becoming the longest series of articles about mathematics in a newspaper ever. Whilst you wait for the Dawn of a New Era in the Education Age next week (my guess is that this link http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=75 will work on Monday), you can visit the archive of mathematics conversation starters at http://www.qedcat.com/archive/index.html. If Darth Vader voices and perfect universes are more your cup of tea then visit http://www.qedcat.com/perfect/ and then revel in a panoply of amazing maths movie clips at http://www.qedcat.com/movieclips.html, the two most recent being about Turing and Fibonacci and what QEDCat describes as "an inspiring teaching performance".

11.    Maths by E-mail is back for 2011

At first glance, the latest mathsbyemail offering from the CSIRO is a tad light on the mathematics - but stick with it and you will find there are some really useful starting points, so head on over to http://www.csiro.au/helix/mathsbyemail/newsletter/newsletter.html and then, while you are at it, point your students to http://www.csiro.au/resources/Maths-by-Email--ci_pageNo-2.html and get them all to subscribe.

12.    Attention all schools affected by the extreme weather

Portia Neydorff writes that "the TI team is deeply saddened by what’s been happening to these families and would like to offer the affected families & Schools access to free TI product." Courtesy of their own experience with Hurricane Katrina, the Texas Instruments head office in the US has authorised an unprecedented release of TI product to replace resources lost in Victoria's and Queensland's fires, floods and cyclone. To claim this support, schools will have to go through a simple verification and request process. If you feel your school may qualify for this support, please write to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it for further information.

13.    Worked solutions to 2010 VCE Mathematics Examination papers on sale now

Shirley Marshall press ganged some of the best Year 12 mathematics teachers going around, cancelled all leave and instead made them produce worked solutions to last year's exam papers. Then she got a bunch of other experts to proof and check these solutions all so that you can order them now at the MAV Bookshop http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/cgi-bin/csv/search/new-member-csvsearch.pl?search=VCAA+Exam+Solutions+2010&method=exact

14.    Help me, the year has started and I need more resources!

Well you are in luck. Each year MAV sends the Teach Maths for Understanding CD to all members. This is an amazing resource and best of all, it is free to members. The CD contains:

  • Information for teachers: from Foundation right through to Year 10
  • Start up ideas: to move toward more engaging approaches to teaching maths
  • Teach for understanding: ideas for all dimensions and levels
  • Differentiated unit plans: how to cope with three VELS levels in one room
  • Working mathematically in VELS: an emphasis on investigation
  • Assessment for VELS: templates for recording observations.

If you are not a member and would like to buy the CD, head over to the MAV online shop. The CD is $160 plus $8 postage and handling. But remember that the CD is free to members, so why not become an individual member – it is cheaper than buying the CD! The CD will be arriving in members' mailboxes next week. Enjoy!

15.    VCE teachers: do your students need revision material?

The MAV has published the Written Examination Revision for Mathematics study guide. It is an excellent revision book for students in Year 12. There are three editions available:

  • Further Mathematics
  • Mathematical Methods
  • Specialist Mathematics

Each edition includes:

  • multiple choice questions
  • short answer questions
  • application questions
  • answers and worked solutions

FREE access to the entire revision text online at http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/mav-resources/featured-publications/werms.html, and a CD containing the MAV trial exams papers for 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

These books are available to teachers and students for only $19 each. Visit the MAV online shop to buy your copy.

16.    Interested in forging links with schools in Malaysia?

St Thomas Secondary School http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/component/content/article/370.html and Abu Bakar Secondary School http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/component/content/article/371.html are both keen to establish links with schools in Australia. They write "One of our objectives is to forge an educational link between Australian schools and the schools represented by our team. In our effort to globalise our students, we want them to learn not only about other countries but also to learn with students of other countries."

17.    Invitation to Register with ACER

Sam Hambur writes "The Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) is looking for writers to develop non-verbal reasoning, IQ-style questions (Next in Sequence and Complete the Pattern) covering ages 7 – 20 and is in the process of creating a register of people who could help with the project. ACER should know by early February whether the project will proceed and would pay $50 for each original question produced in Word-compatible format that is accepted. Most of the work will be done in Feb-June 2011. Further information, including examples, will be supplied to registered people as the project proceeds. If you wish to register, please supply the following information to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it - [name, contact details including email and phone, current employer, very brief CV indicating suitability for this work, age ranges you could work on,  ABN (if you have one)]." And don't forget, you can always SEEK further mathematics education employment at the MAV's very own job search algorithm at http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/employment.html

18.    Involve the MAV in your professional development program

Are you looking for quality whole school Professional Learning in 2011? Ian Lowe (P-12), Sharyn Livy (Primary) and Jennifer Bowden (Primary) can provide Professional Learning in Mathematics sessions that can cater for the individual needs of your school. Options available include:

  • Whole school days
  • After school workshops
  • TEAM:P workshops in conjunction with VATE
  • Modelled teaching
  • Mentoring and numeracy coaching
  • Working with year level or professional learning teams
  • Suggested focus topics:
  • Differentiating curriculum
  • Implementing department resources
  • Working mathematically
  • Open-ended lessons (such as Maths 300)

Contact Jen Bowden This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Ian Lowe This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss your school's requirements.

Well, thats it for the LARGEST EVER MAVlist. Please keep in touch. Send me your news This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and anything else you think needs to be shared. And keep watching for MAVlist, Edition 11:02 will be out soon. Until then,

Cheers,

Simon

Simon Pryor

Simon Pryor FSAE
Chief Executive Officer
The Mathematical Association of Victoria
Cliveden, 61 Blyth Street
BRUNSWICK  VIC  3056
Tel: 03-9380 2399  Fax: 03-9389 0399
http://www.mav.vic.edu.au
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Annual Conference & Exhibition, Thursday, 1 & Friday, 2 December 2011

 

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