Times tables key to good maths, inspectors say: Research

Julie Henry, Education Correspondent

13 Nov 2011

A study published by Ofsted, the schools watchdog, says pupils without instant recall of multiplication tables struggle in maths.

It also condemned a modern teaching method which replaces traditional learning with "chunking" numbers as "cumbersome and confusing".

And it said that in schools which teach maths well, pupils tended to use traditional methods to add, subtract, multiply and divide.

Jean Humphrys, Ofsted's education director, said a range of methods could be used to teach times tables but that the teaching must be "rigorous".

"It is really important that children have the tools of arithmetic at their finger tips," she said. "Without that it is like sending a plumber out to do a job without knowing how to use a spanner."

EVERY CHILD MATHEMATICALLY PROFICIENT: TIPS FOR TEACHERS

1. High Expectations for All. Advocate for the establishment of clear standards for what all students should know at each grade level. These can be your guide for holding all students to high expectations. Search out strategies that will help mathematically challenged students meet higher expectations, including mastery of core concepts of Algebra and Geometry.
2.  Algebra and Geometry by Grade Nine. Encourage your school to incorporate core concepts of Algebra and Geometry into the curriculum beginning in the early grades. Virtually every child should master these core concepts by grade nine.
3. Continue Your Professional Development. Become proficient in the mathematics course content at all grade levels taught in your school. Students need teachers who are well prepared in content and math teaching techniques. Middle school teachers also need a solid understanding of primary and secondary level mathematics.
4. Keep Parents Informed. Communicate to parents the specific standards that students are to meet at each grade level. Regularly update parents on their child’s progress.
5. Involve the Business Community. Think of ways the local business community can be helpful to your school. Encourage local business people to visit classes and demonstrate how they use math in their work. Work through your school to encourage employers to participate in school-to-work programs and student career days, and to support teacher professional development.
6. Push for Professional Development. Advocate for high quality training that is consistent with research findings, is ongoing, and relates to the curriculum you teach and on which students will be held accountable. Professional groups can also offer valuable support.
7. Pair Math "Buddies." Start a peer tutoring program. Encourage students who "get it" to help struggling students with group work and homework. Peers can often give explanations that other students understand more easily. At the same time, search for different ways of presenting concepts that students find difficult.
8. Be a "Math Ambassador." Through your interactions with students, parents, and outside of school, you can demystify math and highlight the importance of being mathematically literate. You can help others understand that math includes computation and much more.
9. Use What Works in Your Classroom. Identify what the research shows is already known to work in teaching your subject and use these findings to guide your own instruction.

Tips are reproduced from the Learning First Alliance’s Every Child Mathematically Proficient: An Action plan. Available from: http://www.learningfirst.org/publications/math/teachers/

:އެސްކިޑު 2012ގެ ފާހަގަކޮށްލެވޭ ކާމިޔާބީތައް

 :އެސްކިޑު 2012ގެ ފާހަގަކޮށްލެވޭ ކާމިޔާބީތައް 

1.      ޗައިލްޑް ފުރެންޑުލީ ބަރާބަރު ސުކޫލު މިންގަނޑުތައް ބޭނުންކޮށްގެން ފުރަތަމަ ފަހަރަށް ސުކޫލުތައް ވަޒަންކުރުން

       - 11 ޓީމުގައި ޖުމްލަ 77، ފަންނީ މީހުން ބައިވެރިވި

       - 676 ޓީޗަރުންގެ ލެސަންޕުލޭނާއި ފިލާވަޅުތައް ބަލައި، ބިނާކުރުވަނިވި، އުފެއްދުންތެރި ފަންނީ ލަފަޔާއި އިރުޝާދުދިން

       - 1232 ގަޑިއިރު (އޮންސައިޓު، ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި) ހޭދަކުރި

       - 11 ސުކޫލުގެ ”ސުކޫލު އިމްޕުރޫވްމަންޓު ޕުލޭނު“ ތައްޔާރު ކުރި

2.      ޗައިލްޑް ފުރެންޑުލީ ބަރާބަރު ސުކޫލު މިންގަނޑުތައް ބޭނުންކޮށްގެން ސުކޫލުގެ ސެލްފް އިވެލުއޭޝަން ހިންގާނެ ގޮތުގެ ތަމްރީނު ދިނުން

◦          މާލެ އާއި އަތޮޅުތެރޭގެ 22 ސުކޫލުގައި ތަމްރީނު ހިންގި

◦          607 ފަރާތް ތަމްރީނު ކުރި (މުވައްޒިފުން، ބެލެނިވެރިން އަދި ދަރިވަރުން ހިމެނޭގޮތަށް)

◦          330 ގަޑީގެ ތަމްރީނު ހިންގި

◦          2 ސުކޫލެއްގައި ސެލްފް އިވެލުއޭޝަން ފެށި

3.      މަދަނީ އުފާ ޕޮރޮގުރާމު، ލައިފްސްކިލްސް ބޭސްޑް ޑުރަގު އެޑިޔުކޭޝަން ޕޮރޮގުރާމު ހިންގުން

       - 40 ސުކޫލުގެ ޕުރިންސިޕަލުންނާއި ޓީޗަރުން ތަމްރީނުކުރި

       - މުޅި ޖުމުލަ 133 މީހުން ތަމްރީނު ކުރި

       - 425 ގަޑީގެ ތަމްރީނު ހިންގި

މީގެ އިތުރުންވެސް ފާހަގަ ކޮށްލެވޭ ކާމިޔާބީ ތަކުގެ ތެރޭގައި......

     ނިއުޓްރިޝަން ވާރކްޝޮޕް

     އެސް.އޯ.ޕީ ތައް ތައްޔާރު ކޮށް ނިންމުން

      ސީ.އެފް.ބީ.އެސް ސްޓޭންޑަޑްސް ރިވައިސްކުރުން

     ޓީޗިންގ އެކްސެލަންސް އެވޯޑްސް

     ސްވިމިންގ ޕްރޮގްރާމް

What Metaphor Would You Use to Describe Your Teaching Practice?

Elona Harties, MED (Candidate, Ontario Certified Teacher describes her metaphor of teaching as below. What Metaphor Would You Use to Describe Your Teaching Practice?

"Teaching is gardening. When I’m gardening, I’m doing all I can to help the various plants in my garden flourish. If an fern or a rose bush isn’t flourishing, I don’t blame the fern or the rose bush. There’s no point. What I do is try to determine why the plants aren't flourishing. What is it that I can change so these plants will flourish- less sunshine, more water, etc. Not all plants like the same conditions. In order for my plants to flourish, I need to differentiate the care I give them; in order for my students to flourish, I need to differentiate the care I give them, too. Plants or students, it’s all the same to me. Blaming doesn't help them flourish. Differentiating the care I give them does." 

 Source: http://www.teachersatrisk.com/2010/10/13/what-metaphor-would-you-use-to-describe-your-teaching-practice/

School Culture

School culture is an important part of education. it is directly related to the satisfaction of all stakeholders of school. 

The diagram below represents the components of school culture. 

Patterson, Purkey, and Parker (1986) summarize the general knowledge base regarding school culture:

• School culture does affect the behavior and achievement of elementary and secondary school students (though the effect of classroom and student variables remains greater).
• School culture does not fall from the sky; it is created and thus can be manipulated by people within the school.
• School cultures are unique; whatever their commonalities, no two schools will be exactly alike -- nor should they be.
• To the extent that it provides a focus and clear purpose for the school, culture becomes the cohesion that bonds the school together as it goes about its mission.
• Though we concentrate on its beneficial nature, culture can be counterproductive and an obstacle to educational success; culture can also be oppressive and discriminatory for various subgroups within the school.
• Lasting fundamental change (e.g. changes in teaching practices or the decision making structure) requires understanding and, often, altering the school's culture; cultural change is a slow process.
  (p. 98)
  
  
  Reference: Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 2013, School Context: Bridge or Barrier to Change [Online] Available from : http://www.sedl.org/change/school/culture.html

Positive School Climate

"Effective school climates reflect routines and practices that strengthen students’ goals for learning and provide multiple opportunities for students to make decisions about their schooling"

A key component of school climate concerns the relationships that exist among students and adults, as well as the relationships among schools, families, and their communities.

Between teachers and students

The relationships between teachers and students are the most important to achievement. They should be warm and caring and meet students’ personal and developmental needs. Teachers’ actions must show their high expectations for their students and their confidence that their students will be successful. Classroom climates can be irrevocably harmed if teachers behave in derogatory or punitive ways.

Among students

 Three aspects of peer relationships are present in schools with positive climates:

1.  Each student has at least three friends who provide safe harbors in difficult times
2. Students are able to resolve everyday conflicts in productive and prosocial ways that do not interrupt friendships or disrupt classmates’ interactions
3. Students feel safe and protected from peer aggression, intimidation, and bullying.

These characteristics may be difficult to observe directly because high quality peer interactions can include jostling and rough talk. Adults may be unfamiliar with the tenor, conventions, and boundaries that mark students’ interactions with one another, and they may not be able to distinguish between student conflict and student friendships. But most students are adept judges of the social culture, and collectively, they can reliably assess the school’s peer climate.

Among adults at school

In most respects, teachers need the same things from their colleagues that students require from their classmates: a few good friends at work, trust that minor conflicts over resources or practices will be resolved productively and respectfully, and safety from social aggression and victimization. Strong collegial relationships multiply the supports teachers have to strengthen their instructional strategies: colleagues bounce ideas off of one another, share their successes, step in to help solve challenging problems, and foster conditions for successful teaching.

Among schools and families

In schools with strong school climates, teachers’ relationships with their students’ families are usually familiar and comfortable. Families and schools hold common expectations and values for students’ learning and development, which prevents misunderstanding between school and family life. Students should not be required to negotiate disagreements between their parents and teachers. When families visit the school on a daily basis, the community’s culture becomes familiar and welcoming.

Source: Dr. Kanika D. White, 2010, Principal Leadership, [Online] Available from: http://www.nasponline.org/resources/principals/School_ClimatePLDec10_ftsp.pdf Retrieved on 27th November 2012 

What is a school improvement plan?

A school improvement plan is a road map that sets out the changes a school needs to make to improve the level of student achievement, and shows how and when these changes will be made.

School improvement plans are selective: they help principals, teachers, and other stakeholders answer the questions “What will we focus on now?” and “What will we leave until later?” They encourage staff and parents to monitor student achievement levels and other factors, such as the school environment, that are known to influence student success. With up-to-date and reliable information about how well students are performing, schools are better able to respond to the needs of students, teachers, and parents.

A school improvement plan is also a mechanism through which the public can hold schools accountable for student success and through which it can measure improvement. One of the first steps—a crucial one—in developing an improvement plan involves teachers, parents, and other community members working together to gather and analyse information about the school and its students, so that they can determine what needs to be improved in their school. As the plan is implemented, schools continue to gather this kind of data. By comparing the new data to the initial information on which the plan was based, they— and the public—can measure the success of their improvement strategies.

Real change takes time. It is important that all partners understand this as they enter into the school improvement planning process. Incremental improvements are significant, and they should be celebrated, but they do not constitute lasting change. School improvement plans are therefore best designed as three-year plans:

• year 1 is taken up with the planning process
• year 2 is the first year of implementation
• year 3 is the year in which implementation continues.

During initial deliberations, or as time goes on, schools may wish to extend their plan for additional years to ensure that they maintain their focus and reach their goals. In any case, school improvement plans should be considered working documents that schools use to monitor their progress over time and to make revisions when necessary to ensure that the plans stay on course. 

In developing their school’s improvement plan, the principal, staff, parents, and other community members work through a variety of activities focused areas like curriculum delivery, school environment, and parental involvement. For each of these focused areas, schools establish the following:

• a goal statement
• performance targets
• areas of focus
• implementation strategies
• indicators of success
• time lines
• responsibility for implementing
• strategies
• checkpoints for status updates
• opportunities for revisions.

Taken from: Education Improvement Commission, 2000, School Improvement Planning: A handbook for principals, Teachers, and School Councils [Online] Available from: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/sihande.pdf