Focus Using Statistics to Interpret the World
her PhD in Statistics education. The current project has involved her in pulling together a team of 12, including mathematics and statistics teachers from a range of different decile, co-ed and single sex schools, as well as advisers and university lecturers. The overriding objective is to develop the rationale and key concepts around these essential, but for some incomprehensible, subject areas.
“I’m a strong advocate of creating learning experiences for children that are relevant to their world and the world in general. In that regard, the teaching orientation of a whole range of subjects is to employ parts of their world to help them understand and identify important concepts.”
Pip says that her philosophy and style of being a ‘contextualist’ rather than ‘chalk and talk’ type of teacher is guiding her endeavours. “I’m a strong advocate of creating learning experiences for children that are relevant to their world and the world in general. In that regard the teaching orientation of a whole range of subjects is to employ parts of their world to help them understand and identify important concepts. Mathematics and statistics are no different, but
some of the methodologies that have evolved make engagement and connection somewhat of a challenge for some. “If the outcome of the project makes these two subject areas relevant to the real world, and in the process has helped to create solutions and situations that are motivating people to learn, then that would be a significant achievement.” Work to date has focussed on the achievement objectives for level 6-8 (Year 11-13) of the curriculum. “Our task was to explain each achievement objective, give some examples of what this might look like in the classroom and link to the qualification framework for NCEA. In addition to this, we sourced a number of key resources that teachers might use in their classrooms.” Part two has involved developing sections on effective pedagogy, assessment, links to the principles, values and key competencies in the new curriculum and to develop suggestions for possible learning programmes (i.e. year courses). Part three – yet to be finalised – will relate to connections to other subject and learning pathways. A main driver behind the project is to encapsulate the direction of the new curriculum and to provide teachers with ideas to support them in the implementation of this into the senior school, with activities and material that are useful and connected to student needs. Despite having the goal of making the subject more accessible, Pip is insistent that the integrity and purity of the subject matter should not be watered down.
Where different worlds intersect Other ‘real life’ situations that can help bring mathematics and statistics to life include: – Purchasing cell phones – links here to linear algebra by modelling the different pricing plans that companies offer; –
Comparing different models – links to measurement and geometry by creating boxes for packaging, designing a phone, using photos to make measures;
| Cognition Education Magazine | 2010
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Taking maths out of the classroom and onto the sporting field. 100m sprint times – modelling this using linear algebra;
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Creating responsible citizens and managing water woes – links to measurement, geometry and statistics, but this type of activity also explores the issue of water supply and conservation/ sustainability of water, links also to other subject areas, such as geography, education for sustainability, science.