Links to Organisations
Featured Website:
Personal Finance Education Group
Do you have a favourite numeracy or maths site to recommend to colleagues?
Rachael Read
Engaging Algebra
Rachael’s infectious enthusiasm for mathematics was conveyed throughout the session. She shared with us a number of resources that learners find stimulating in that they are
- varied,
- competitive,
- collaborative,
- contain problem solving or puzzles, and are
- not bookwork!
Teachers want activities that
- are varied
- are easy to use
- fit into the curriculum
- satisfy observers e.g. differentiation etc.
Some of the activities are of the collaborative card matching type that Malcolm Swann and others have proven to be successful. My A level students have enjoyed ordering the proof of the formula for solving quadratic equations. Working in a boys’ grammar school, she finds competitive activities provide motivation and maybe those of us working in FE with learners who see themselves as GCSE “failures” should consider sensitively organised competition as a way of building confidence with our students. She provides differentiation by making activities open ended and allowing students to choose the level of difficulty. She generously allowed us to take copies of materials away on our memory sticks and I am sure provided us with ideas for creating even more activities for ourselves.