The Hills Hub Stage 3 and 4 Mathematics Threshold Concept Project 2010 Model Farms HS Jasper Road PS Winston Heights PS Winston Hills PS Mark Grady 9 November 2010

A quick bit about me My role My Background And a personal interest

An outline of this afternoon What are Threshold Concepts? What do we know? Why are we here today? How will we go about it?

Why are we here today?  This Hills Hub has had great success in transition programs – DG award winning  LMC has run a Science Stage 4 Threshold Project in Biology across 9 schools including Model Farms.  Combining the partnership within this hub, and the knowledge of how Thresholds can support students, it just made sense to pull these 2 aspects together.

What are Threshold Concepts?  Jan Meyer Jan Meyer  Threshold concepts have been described as a portal or gateway because once acquired, they lead to a new way of thinking and understanding in the discipline.  Because understanding of conceptually difficult ideas are enhanced by explicit teaching of threshold concepts, student learning outcomes are improved.

They are understood to possess the following characteristics:  Transformative - once acquired it shifts perception of the subject  Irreversible - once learners have come to see the world in terms of the threshold concept they cannot return to their former, more primitive, view  Integrative - acquisition of the threshold concept illuminates the underlying inter- relatedness of aspects of the subject  Troublesome - a threshold concept may be counterintuitive and initially very difficult for learners to accept. In grasping a threshold concept the learner moves to a new perception of the world that may be in conflict with previously held perceptions.

 Considering the previous 2 slides, what area/areas of number that you teach do you feel could be described as a Threshold Concept?

Is there current Threshold research on Middle Years Mathematics? But this is not a bad thing

We could leave it and do nothing But by working smarter, not harder, this could have a major positive impact on student learning and buy us “teaching time” in the classroom

What do we currently know?  Evidence (NAPLAN and teacher feedback) suggests students struggle with fractions, and this impacts on a range of skills in stages 3,4, 5 and 6.  WHPS, WHPS and JRPS are feeder schools to Model Farms. Best practice at the 3 feeder schools not only benefits the Stage 3 students, but has a positive flow on effect to Model Farms.  Peter Gould (Manager Mathematics Curriculum K-12 Directorate DET) (5:24 – 9:20) Peter Gould Directorate DET)

A Sample From NAPLAN 2009  Why 2009?  This is only 1 question, however, it is = 2 nd compared to Hills Group showing greatest difference in successful response.1 question  Hills Comparison – be careful  What fraction is halfway between 5/7 and 6/7?  However, another questionanother question  And the question referred to by Peter Gouldquestion Although these concepts are taught within the Primary and Secondary context, a significant component of students struggle with retaining and reproducing these concepts. MFHS and the 3 feeder are not alone here!

What aspect of fractions do you feel your students have difficulty with? What challenges does this create in the next stage of learning?  Discuss this in groups of 4 as per the colour card you have.  Each group should roughly have a member of JRPS, WHPS, WHPS and MFHS  Group feedback

So what can we do?  Use research (Threshold concepts) and proven successful practices within the framework of a “Rich Task” to develop a teaching unit that:  Is engaging, fun and hands on  Has “aha” moments  Supports student understanding  Is part of a Stage 3 & 4 continuum  Brings together our expertise

How do we go about it? A process and timeline How and when we will develop and implement Human resources Carmel Coady, Damian Wanstall and Michael Cavanagh YOU Me A sample of other resources Rich Tasks used at MFHS Curriculum Directorate Resources (e.g. Pikelets and Lamingtons) Count Me In Too ICT interactives Communication PD Workshops Wiki? A sample 1Wiki Our Hills hub Maths wikiHills hub Maths wiki Yammer?

Questions and discussion

Process  Collaboratively determine the aspect of fractions to address  Collaboratively develop fun and engaging teaching units relevant to YOUR students  Pre test the students  Implement the unit  Post test the students  Evaluate/data crunch  Celebrate our success!

9 November 2010 – Project Briefing 18 November 2010 – Leadership team meet to plan 2011 dates 23 November 2010 – Relevant AP’s, HT Maths, MG meet to determine aspect of fractions to address 16 December 2010 (11:30am – 3pm) AP’S HT Maths and teaching staff and MG develop the teaching units 2011 – Teaching units implementedimplemented