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New England schools lead the way in maths project

May 30, 2005

MathMeet.Thmb.jpgA cluster of seven schools in New England forms the regional component of a national project aimed at keeping mathematics teachers up-to-date with new insights into the teaching of this vital subject.

Mathematics teachers from the schools began their involvement by taking part in a full-day seminar at The University of New England last week. The project will use nationally-developed professional teaching standards as a basis for improving mathematics instruction in schools.

The Executive Officer of the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers (AAMT), Mr Will Morony, supported by Professor Alan Bishop from Monash University, led the seminar. Mr Morony, who travelled to Armidale from his Adelaide office, said a cluster of schools in Brisbane would provide the project’s metropolitan perspective.

Dr Rosemary Callingham, Leonie McGregor and Professor John Pegg, all from the National Centre of Science, ICT and Mathematics Education in Rural and Regional Australia (SiMERR), based at UNE, are leading the regional component of the project. Mr Morony said it was no coincidence that the location of the regional cluster was in close proximity to the SiMERR National Centre at UNE. “We’re very pleased to be able to have a cluster of country schools,” he explained, “because, inevitably, their needs are different from those of their metropolitan counterparts. The Centre has provided us with a way of having a country-based cluster of schools that will be well supported locally. Staff of the Centre will work with the schools as facilitators of the project and, while supporting the learning of the teachers, they will be learning too.”

The New England schools involved in the project are: Armidale City Public School, Ben Venue Public School (Armidale), Black Mountain Public School, Calrossy (Tamworth), Uralla Central School, O’Connor Catholic High School (Armidale), and The Armidale School.

“Teachers themselves are the people who know what they need to get better at,” Mr Morony said. “We’re just helping them to achieve that.” Teachers will base their own assessment of their professional-development needs on the “Standards for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics in Australian Schools” published by AAMT in 2002. These standards emphasise the importance of “knowledge of students” and “knowledge of students’ learning of mathematics”, as well as knowledge of the subject itself.

“Mathematics is changing all the time,” Mr Morony pointed out. “We’re continually finding out more about how students learn maths, and teachers can only benefit from having access to more information.”

The project, which is funded by the National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership, will continue for the rest of the year. Mr Moroney will return to UNE and its SiMERR National Centre several times during this period.

Media contact: Dr Rosemary Callingham on (02) 6773 5094 or Professor John Pegg on (02) 6773 5070 in the SiMERR National Centre, UNE.

The photograph displayed here, taken during the seminar, shows Mr Will Morony (standing) and Dr Rosemary Callingham (right) with Mr Mark Doran (Calrossy school) and Ms Felicity Thomas (Armidale City Public School).


Posted by Jim Scanlan at May 30, 2005 11:00 AM