Conference synopsis_FINAL_20260815 - Flipbook - Page 79
C14 WHY CHOOSE THOSE PROBLEMS?
Sub-category: Mathematical content and concepts
Mike Clapper, Australian Mathematics Trust
Y3 - Y12
This session will look at several types of problem regularly
included in the Australian Maths Competition and the
rationale behind focusing on these problem categories.
We will explore the pedagogical approaches to solving
these problems through worked examples and interactive
discussion. A key focus will be categories of problem which
we regard as important in developing mathematical skills
but which appear to have limited exposure in the regular
school curriculum. Topics will include visuo-spatial problems,
enumeration and the algebra of whole numbers. Examples
will be drawn from all divisions of the AMC, from Year 3 to 12.
We will also discuss how best to prepare students for AMC
and how to use AMC materials as a resource for teaching
problem solving.
Key takeaways:
1. Understanding the rationale behind AMC problem
selection
2. The development of strategies for improving the problemsolving abilities of students
3. An exploration of some interesting maths problems and
the joy of some surprising solutions
Remember:
A preparedness to wrestle with some intriguing problems.
how its curriculum, pedagogy and culture inspired key aspects
of the Victorian Maths Camps.
Key takeaways:
1. What actually happens at both the Victorian Maths Camps
and the National Mathematics Summer School
2. Key distinctions between ‘school mathematics’ and
research mathematics or mathematics in industry, and how we
attempt to emulate these experiences
C16 THE LEARNING CURVE AND ITS INVERSE
Sub-category: Mathematical content and concepts
Peter Fox
Y7 - Y12
This workshop provides hands-on experiences explaining why
students forget. Participants will see how quickly attention
breaks down when mathematical thinking competes with
neurological ‘commercial breaks,’ challenging the multitasking
myth. We examine cognitive overload and reconsider what
direct and explicit instruction means in practice, through the
lens of working memory and engagement. Expect a sharper
view of why understanding in the moment so often fails to
last.
Key takeaways:
1. Explicit instruction can be embedded within rich tasks
2. Activity to pedagogy, the science of learning
3. Engagement is a tool, not the goal
C15 MATHS CAMPS: EMULATING THE
EXPERIENCES OF A MATHEMATICIAN
C17 IS IT MATHS, LANGUAGE OR ACCESS?
Sub-category: Engaging and including every learner
Sub-category: Engaging and including every learner
Em Thompson, Mathematical Association of Victoria
Y7 - Y12
Milton Bai, Kensington Community High School, Joseph
Xu, Western English Language School
Y5 - Y10
With the mid-year launch of the Victorian Maths Camps,
high-ability Year 9 and 10 students in Victorian government
schools now have access to fully subsidised, week-long
residential camps at various locations across Victoria. This
session offers an inside look at the design and delivery of
the camp curriculum, which aims to bridge the gap between
‘school mathematics’ and authentic implementation of
mathematics in different professions. You will also learn about
the prestigious National Mathematics Summer School, and
This session explores how mathematics teachers can identify
student learning needs and support access to mathematical
learning across diverse classroom contexts. Drawing on
examples from an alternative school setting and an English
language school setting, the session presents two practical
approaches to supporting students who may experience
barriers to mathematical learning. The session will consider
how student grouping, language clustering, engagement
79
