Manaiakalani Maths Intensive Day 9 - Create and Share

Today marked the final day of the Manaiakalani Maths Intensive, with a focus on two key ideas: Creating and Sharing. 

Creating in Maths

I’ve always found creating in maths more challenging to implement than in literacy. This is due to a number of reason however the main one is getting too focussed on the learning aspect of maths. There is a myriad of new concepts to learn which often takes priority, leaving little room for create tasks.

However, today reminded me how valuable create tasks can be in deepening students' understanding and engagement with maths. The act of creating allows students to connect their learning in meaningful ways, whether through visual models, digital presentations, or collaborative projects. It’s not just an “extra” but a powerful way to consolidate their learning.

The key, I’ve realised, lies in planning ahead. It’s about being intentional in setting aside time for these creative tasks, ensuring they are not rushed or overshadowed by the pressure to move on to the next topic.

Tools for Creativity

Over the nine sessions, Dorothy Burt has introduced an incredible range of tools that open up possibilities for creativity in maths. From dynamic apps to interactive platforms, these tools encourage students to not only engage with concepts but to share their understanding in innovative ways.

Looking Ahead

One of my goals during the upcoming break is to dive deeper into these tools, exploring their potential and planning how to incorporate them into my teaching in 2025. I want to build a toolkit that balances foundational skills with opportunities for students to think creatively and express their ideas.

Manaiakalani Maths Intensive Day 8 - Statistics and Probability

Today's MPI session was all about Statistics and Probability. Below are my thoughts/takeaways.

Data Talks

One takeaway was the idea of data talks. Data talks are all about presenting students with a graph, chart, or dataset, then letting them take the lead in analysing what they see. The aim is to prompt students to make their own observations, ask questions, and spark a discussion based on their interpretations of the data.

I love that this approach turns math into a more interactive and student-driven experience. Instead of me explaining what’s going on, I get to see students actively involved, pointing out trends, forming hypotheses, and discussing ideas with their peers. Data talks can be adapted to so many different topics too. I can picture using them in lessons covering everything from sports statistics to environmental data, or even something fun like snack preferences in the class.

Investigative Questions

I was also interested in hearing about the different types of investigative questions and how they align with the various NZC maths phases:

Summary Questions – These focus on a single dataset to highlight the main features. Example: “What’s the average number of books read by our class this year?” They help students grasp the general behaviour of a group.

Comparison Questions – These involve comparing multiple datasets. For instance, “Do boys and girls in our class spend the same time on homework?” They encourage students to think critically about similarities and differences.

Time-Series Questions – These track changes over time, such as “How have temperatures changed monthly this year?” They help students identify trends and make predictions.

Relationship Questions – These explore links between variables. Example: “Is there a relationship between study time and test scores?” They prompt students to consider cause, effect, and correlation.

I had never had this shown to me before. Knowing this will help me guide my future lessons and discussion around data with my students. 

This has given me some great things to think about and I look forward to sharing them with my team.