20250730 MAV25 synopsis - Flipbook - Page 48
SESSION A: Thursday, 11am-12pm (cont.)
develop contextual tasks from these. We will work together
to examine ways in which you could make connections with
the home and community background of your students
and develop culturally responsive tasks which draw on the
backgrounds of the students that you teach.
2. Practical framework: We will offer a structured framework
for making the EIA actionable, measurable, and impactful.
Key takeaways:
A05 FROM PASSIVE TO POWERFUL:
INTERACTIVE EXPLICIT TEACHING IN
PRACTICE
1. It is important for students to see themselves as coming
from a mathematically rich cultural background.
2. Photography and storytelling can be used to help
children and families identify mathematics in their home and
community settings.
3. Culturally responsive tasks connect to the background of
students that you teach in authentic ways.
A04 EXPLICIT IMPROVEMENT AGENDAS IN
MATHEMATICS: ACTIONABLE, MEASURABLE,
AND IMPACTFUL STRATEGIES
Subtheme: Contemporary challenges and successes
Carly Millichap and Alana Bandholz, Brisbane Catholic
Education Office
(F to Year 6)
Subtheme: Pedagogy and curriculum
Stephanie Nitschke, Victorian Mathematics Ambassador,
Nazareth School Grovedale
(F to Year 6)
Explicit teaching is often misunderstood as a passive, teacher
directed approach. In reality, it is a highly structured and
purposeful method that actively engages students in the
learning process. When delivered effectively, it builds clarity,
confidence and independence in mathematics. But how do
we ensure it is interactive rather than rigid or one dimensional?
This workshop explores what meaningful explicit teaching
looks like in action, beyond the traditional ‘chalk and talk’.
We will examine practical strategies that promote student
thinking, discussion and participation throughout each phase
of the explicit teaching model.
This presentation delves into the intricacies of developing
an explicit improvement agenda (EIA) in mathematics that
effectively enhances student outcomes and moves schools
toward their identified goals. By leveraging the work of
Guskey and drawing on the idea of improvement sprints
(Breakspear), the session will offer a structured framework to
make school EIA’s in mathematics actionable, measurable,
and impactful. Practical examples from the Brisbane
Catholic Education experience will be shared to illustrate the
application of these strategies, including our observations of
highly effective practices.
From effective questioning to worked examples and checking
for understanding, participants will explore how small shifts
can lead to big improvements in engagement and outcomes.
Key to this approach is teacher intellectual preparation, which
means knowing not just what to teach, but how to anticipate,
adapt and respond to student needs in real time.
The presentation is directly aligned with the conference
theme Thriving in Mathematics. It emphasises the privileging
of evidence-based practices within strong processes to work
towards successful outcomes. The focus on incremental
measures reassures school leadership teams that the work
they are undertaking in their EIA is moving them toward a
desired goal.
3. Checking for understanding.
Key takeaways:
1. Understanding EIA: We will share the complexities of
developing an explicit improvement agenda in mathematics.
THE MATHEMATICAL
ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA
48
3. Real-world examples: Practical examples and guidance
from our work with BCE schools
Key takeaways:
1. Explicit teaching is not passive!
2. Effective questioning.
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