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October 2015
Free online course provides content knowledge for NCEA statistics
A re-run of “Data to Insight: An Introduction to Data Analysis” begins on 19 October, 2015. This free, 8-week, online course is led by Chris Wild and was very well received by NZ teachers last year. It provides most of the content knowledge required for teaching NCEA statistics and teaches you how to use iNZight. It starts from the basics and goes beyond Year 13 content. It will also provide you with lots of ways of giving your students statistical insights. As you know from your own teaching, engagement with working through activities enhances learning, than what you simply see or read. The order in which statistical ideas are built up over the progression of the course is also important to enhance the learning .
1:Introduction
2:Data on a single variable and comparing groups
3 & 4:Relationships between variables (bivariate and beyond)
5:Bias, lurking variables and random error
6:Confidence Intervals and bootstrapping
:Experiments and the randomisation test
8: Time Series
Visit: https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/data-to-insight to enrol.
QuizUp (Geometric Reasoning NCEA)
As part of my professional development this year I have been investigating ways of improving student achievement in Maths, particularly among those who don't always find it easy.
I have been reading about research on learning and retaining information. It seems that testing yourself (with instant feedback) is better than reading notes, rewriting notes, creating mind maps, etc. With that in mind I have created a self-testing revision tool for the Level 1 Geometric Reasoning standard, using the QuizUp platform.
QuizUp is a multi-choice quiz game where you play against other people and against the clock. You can see where you are ranked for the month or all-time against your friends, NZ players or global players. You can look back at the questions you were given, and spend time working out exactly how to get the correct answer. To play QuizUp you need to log in, either by creating an account, or using Google or Facebook credentials. You can play it on a computer, but it works better on the free app for Android or iOS.
I chose this particular standard because I think it lends itself particularly well to this style of testing. If enough students find it useful, I might do another standard or two. Players can give me feedback from within the game. It would be great if some maths teachers could play it and then let me know what they think, especially if they find any errors or unsuitable questions, or want to suggest better wording or additional questions.
Thank you.
November 2015
AMA - Calculus teachers day
Thursday November 19th
AMA - Statistics teachers day
Friday November 20th
WMA - HOD day
Friday November 13th
Baptist Church hall, Whitby
More information at: http://wma.org.nz/events/hod-day/
BOP - Teachers day
Friday November 20th
BOP Polytechnic, Windermere, Tauranga
Call for Seminar Presenters:
One of the purposes of this day is for practicing teachers to share their classroom experience. If you are willing to take a one hour seminar (or know someone who can), please email details to Lewis Hockings lhockings@tgc.school.nz before 11th September.
More information at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_YT1TQDp9ATcHFETkNKVWN2SXc/view
CMA - Teachers day
CMA Statistics Teachers’ Day
CMA’s Statistics Teachers’ Day will be held on Monday November 23rd at the UC Dovedale campus with the theme Making connections.
Details:
Cost: $25 (including morning tea and lunch)
Time: 8.30am - 5pm
Register here
Watch for our joint Ignite! session with the NZSA education stream.
We are looking for teachers willing to share successful statistics teaching activities. We would like workshops where participants are involved in hands-on activities and where teaching is modelled. Some workshop ideas are here.
You can co-present with another from your school (or another school … now there’s a connection!). There is also scope for the presentation to be 30 minutes rather than 1 hour.
We need your help to make our day successful. Please email Michelle (drd@cashmere.school.nz) by Friday 16 October with a brief outline of your workshop and targeted audience if you are interested. As a thank you - presenters attend the day for free.
Please also note that because we want to ensure a range of topics and levels we may not be able to accept all volunteers.
Kristian Giles (on behalf of Phil Truesdale)
Secretary for the CMA