20250730 MAV25 synopsis - Flipbook - Page 94
SESSION E: Friday, 11am-12pm (cont.)
3. How these tasks. can be used to extend high achieving
students.
Remember:
Participants are encouraged to consider units of work that
they would like to incorporate modelling tasks into so these
can be discussed during the session.
In this session, we will look at how infinity relates to the topics
above and how it links to counting. We will count rational,
real and irrational numbers. We will spend time in the ‘Infinity
Hotel’ to do some arithmetic with infinity (it is surprisingly
easy!), then visit the flip side where the infinitesimals live.
Key takeaways:
1. Infinity is a very intriguing mathematical idea.
E21 SPACED PRACTICE: BOOSTING
RETENTION THROUGH STRATEGIC
QUESTIONING
This is a commercial presentation
2. Aspects of infinity sit behind many curriculum topics.
3. Ideas of infinity can be accessible to students.
Remember:
Any calculator; pen and paper for mathematical investigation.
Subtheme: Pedagogy and curriculum
Craig Blake and Alex Bunt, Mathspace
(Year 5 to Year 10)
This practical session explores how strategic questioning and
spaced retrieval can help students retain key concepts and
build fluency over time. We’ll unpack a three-tiered approach
to practice — from scaffolded first exposure to gamified
review — and look at how it can support differentiation in
mixed-ability classrooms. You’ll leave with classroom-ready
strategies and tools to help students move knowledge
from short-term to long-term memory, without sacrificing
engagement.
Key takeaways:
1. Classroom-ready strategies and tools to help students
move knowledge from short-term to long-term memory
2. Supporting differentiation in a mixed ability class
3. Increasing engagement of students in their learning
E22 THE MATHEMATICS OF INFINITY
Subtheme: Innovation and inspiration
Kaye Stacey, The University of Melbourne
(Year 7 to Year 12)
Even young children talk about infinity as the ‘biggest
number’. It is an intriguing idea, involved in many famous
paradoxes. In school mathematics, infinity lurks behind
repeating decimals and limits, geometric and numerical
recursive processes, at undefined points of graphs and far at
the end of number lines. But what is infinity and what is the
mathematics of infinity?
THE MATHEMATICAL
ASSOCIATION OF VICTORIA
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E23 CREATING THINKING CLASSROOMS
WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL INVESTIGATIONS
Subtheme: Contemporary challenges and successes
Angel Wong and Peter Beissmann, St Andrews Christian
College
(Year 7 to Year 10)
This presentation explores practical strategies for creating
a Thinking Classroom in the middle years of schooling,
with a focus on reasoning and student-led investigation.
Drawing on real classroom examples, I will showcase
engaging investigation-based activities that promote deep
mathematical thinking, collaboration, and curiosity. These
tasks are designed to challenge students’ reasoning skills and
encourage them to explore multiple pathways to problemsolving. Participants will gain insight into how the Thinking
Classroom framework can be applied effectively in middle
school settings to foster a culture of inquiry, resilience, and
meaningful mathematical discourse. Whether you’re new
to the Thinking Classroom model or looking to enrich your
existing practice, this session offers ready-to-use ideas and
reflections from everyday teaching experiences.
Key takeaways:
1. Discover how to promote reasoning through rich
investigations.
2. Explore ways to foster engagement, collaboration, and
deep thinking in a fear-free classroom where struggle is
normalised.
3. Encourage active listening and clear justification, creating
a space where it’s okay to be unsure and learning through
challenge is expected.
