Folks,
Term two is almost over. I can tell because of the many frazzled calls we are getting from exhausted report-writing teachers keen to finalise their mathematics education program for term three before heading off on a well earned break. So I reckon you all need grist for the mill; some good solid mathematics education news to keep you burning bright into the depths of a Melbournian winter. So here goes:
- The 2012 Free Public Lecture Series at Melbourne Museum kicks off on Sunday, 29 July
- Maths Talent Quest
- Attend FREE. The MAV Annual Conference needs YOU
- Special notice for all VCE Maths teachers: The best student revision lectures are coming to a place near you
- Primary Mathematics Specialists training modules
- Greater Dandenong. Mad for Maths
- NATIONAL MATHEMATICS SUMMER SCHOOL (NMSS), Canberra, 6-19 January 2013
- Simulation as a universal tool for statistics
- MAVSnow: Better than a snowman
- Australian Curriculum Senior Mathematics Curriculum released .... have your say now!
- One Day a Week Maths Tutor (Paid) at a Northern Suburbs Secondary College
- Volunteer to run teacher professional development in Cambodia
- The mathematics of climate change
- On zeros, seeds, Media Watch, statistics and windmills (tilting at) ..
- Night time reading
- Consumer Stuff Film Fest - lets inject some mathematics creativity into the whole show
- A word from our competitors
- Business Working with Education Foundation Maths and Science Partnerships Strategy
- Maths makes money: ASX Schools Sharemarket Game sees mathematics students triumph
- PhD scholarship for mid career teachers
- Calculating …
- National Science Week (11 - 19 August 2012) Website Registrations Now Open
- To tweet or not to …
1. The 2012 Free Public Lecture Series at Melbourne Museum kicks off on Sunday, 29 July
Presented by the MAV in association with Melbourne Museum, Melbourne's very own Maths Masters, Drs Burkard Polster and Marty Ross are baaaack. Pencil these sessions in right now as bookings http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/activities/public-lectures.html will be essential:
Melbourne Maths, presented by Dr Burkard Polster on Sunday 29 July 2012
The Mathematical Gardens of Babylon, presented by Dr Marty Ross on Sunday, 12 August 2012
The Joy of Sports Gambling, presented by Dr Marty Ross on Sunday, 16 September 2012
Hollywood Maths, presented by Dr Burkard Polster on Sunday, 14 October
The first of these lectures, Melbourne Maths will see Burkard Polster showing how Melbourne possibly features more mathematically inspired architecture than any other city in the World. In this presentation Burkard will take a careful look at Melbourne mathematics, including the maths behind the iconic facades of Federation Square and RMIT's Storey Hall. You will finally find out what all those triangles and rhombuses are about, whether or not the architects really knew their mathematics, and how someone who definitely did know the maths went on to win a Nobel prize.
DATE: Sunday 29 July 2012
VENUE: Museum Theatre, Melbourne Museum, Nicholson Street, Carlton
TIME: 10:30am to 11:30am
COST: Lecture Free! Note: Subscribers to MVTeachers can enter the museum free of charge. Students, concessions and children free.
2. Maths Talent Quest
I love MTQ. Open to students at all year levels, the MTQ encourages individuals, groups and whole classes to start thinking and working like the mathematicians we all know they can be. It should be a must-participate for every mathematics classroom in the State, I reckon. At this stage of the game, students will be working hard on developing their mathematical investigations. We are looking forward to seeing the products of their hard work in August. Please ensure you have registered your school online and regularly checked our website for updates. Registrations for MTQ close Wednesday, 18 July 2012, register online at http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/activities/student-activities/maths-talent-quest.html.
3. Attend FREE. The MAV Annual Conference needs YOU
Thursday, 6 and Friday, 7 December 2012 at LaTrobe University will be THE place for mathematics educators from all around the Globe to gather and yell from the rooftops "It's My Maths: Personalised Mathematics Learning". The best way to participate is by presenting a session or two at the Conference and then spend the rest of your time at LaTrobe soaking up all that mathematical education, well, it will really be the vibe of the place, I guess. So, sign up as a presenter now, safe in the knowledge that your berth at just about the largest education conference around these parts has been secured. Call for options close on Thursday, 5 July! So sign up now at www.mav.vic.edu.au/activities/professional-learning-opportunities/mav-annual-conference.html.
4. Special notice for all VCE Maths teachers: The best student revision lectures are coming to a place near you
The MAV has asked some of the best and brightest examiners/teachers to again run special VCE Revision lectures for your students in September and October 2012. Students can now not only register but also obtain their own copy of the MAV developed and approved revision study guides, WERMS (umm, Written Examination Resources for MathematicS). So, be you near Mildura, Horsham, Sale, Ballarat, Wang or even Melbourne, please encourage your students to sign up now for this wondeful program of support at http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/activities/student-activities/vce-revision-lectures.html.
5. Primary Mathematics Specialists training modules
The Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Student Learning Outcomes Division is offering professional learning opportunities to schools that had previously expressed interest in the PMS initiative (an outcome of http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/mathsciencestrategy.htm) and yet had missed out by inviting them to participate in an "Effective Mathematics Teaching in the Primary Classroom 2012" program. This will be based on 11 modules developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research in partnership with your very own MAV. YES! These modules were put together by the ACER and your MAV. So, here is what the good folk at ACER and the MAV's Professional Officers were thinking: Whilst the learning modules themselves are available in the Ultranet Design space ‘Effective Mathematics Teaching in the Primary Classroom 2012’ (#132242702), what could be better than being helped to work through them by the folk that wrote them? So, if your school is one of the lucky group offered DEECD support for building a local professional development program around a selection of the PMS modules, let Andrea Markham <
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
> at the MAV know and she will work with the team at ACER to develop a special tailored program designed to build teachers’ mathematics discipline and pedagogical content knowledge. Sweet.
6. Greater Dandenong. Mad for Maths
Ian Archbold
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at Keysborough Primary School has written to invite all Greater Dandenong primary schools to participate in a Maths Games Day for years 4 to 6 students on Tuesday, 28 August 2012. This is grand news and an absolute credit to Keysborough PS for taking such a wonderful initiative. So what are you waiting for? E-mail Ian Archbold
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for the registration form and details today! Thanks, Ian.
7. NATIONAL MATHEMATICS SUMMER SCHOOL (NMSS), Canberra, 6-19 January 2013
The NMSS is a two-week program held at the Australian National University in Canberra in January 2013. Selection is based on the strength of a student’s written application together with a teacher reference and achievement on a selection of the MAV Test for the NMSS. The cost is $1,600, which includes airfares and accommodation. However some students apply for and receive assistance from their schools or local service clubs. The closing date for applications is 27 July, 2012 and the 90-minute MAV test for NMSS will be held on 10 August, 2012 at the applicant’s school. Extra Information for schools and students is available on the MAV website: http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/activities/student-activities/national-mathematics-summer-school.html
8. Simulation as a universal tool for statistics
The Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute is presenting a free public lecture by Professor Christian P. Robert of Université Paris-Dauphine on Thursday, 26 July 2012 at 6.15pm in the Charles Pearson Theatre at the University of Melbourne. In this talk, Professor Robert will introduce the basics of computer-based simulation like uniform simulation and accept-reject algorithms, then present some more advanced methods like simulated annealing, Markov chain Monte Carlo methods, and likelihood-free methods, with illustrations ranging from Sudokus to cosmological background noise (CMB) to ancestral trees of Pygmy tribes. Ideal inspiration for all MAV members, especially the teaching fraternity, this is also a public lecture and so suitable for those without any technical background - so why not bring along some of your students as well?. Now, you will need to register, so visit www.amsi.org.au/robert.php for all the details.
9. MAVSnow: Better than a snowman
Many thanks to Andrew Grichting, Head of Mathematics & Science, Croydon Maroondah College (Croydon Campus) who has contributed http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2012/06/16/thats-snow-small-undertaking/ - the MAV logo foot-stamped out in the snow by http://www.facebook.com/snowart8848/info. Delicious.
10. Australian Curriculum Senior Mathematics Curriculum released .... have your say now!
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority is conducting consultation on the draft senior secondary Australian Curriculum for English, Mathematics, Science and History until 20 July 2012. The MAV will be making a formal response on behalf of members. To this end, the ACARA consultation questions have been posted to the MAV website in the form of a survey seeking responses from all members. The MAV is collecting responses up to the last day of term - Friday 29 June 2012. Start a response from you and your colleagues now by visiting http://www.mav.vic.edu.au/senior-secondary-draft-australian-curriculum.html
While you are at it, please also make a contribution to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority's consultation process to be found at http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/correspondence/notices/2012/65.html
11. One Day a Week Maths Tutor (Paid) at a Northern Suburbs Secondary College
Just in from the good folk at the Smith Family: "A one day a week paid Maths tutoring position for Terms 3 and 4 is available under the Wannik program at a Northern Suburbs Secondary College. Maths Teaching/tutoring experience required and VIT registration preferred. Please contact Nicola Kolb on 8401 0138 or
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."
12. Volunteer to run teacher professional development in Cambodia
Teachers Across Borders Australia Inc. in conjunction with the Cambodian Ministry of Youth, Sport and Education, delivers professional development maths workshops to Cambodian teachers during the Easter, July and January holidays. Maths teachers interested in volunteering can access more information at www.teachersacrossborders.org.au. Many thanks to Kathryn Feil, Head of House-Regis at Xavier College who helps coordinate this program for letting MAV members know of this opportunity.
13. The mathematics of climate change
You will find the next AMSI supported, CSIRO prepared maths (and stats) by e-mail newsletter at http://www.csiro.au/helix/mathsbyemail/newsletter/newsletter.html. Parts per million, eh ..
14. On zeros, seeds, Media Watch, statistics, geometric sums and windmills (tilting at) ..
So. The Maths Masters have been very busy putting together excellent mathematics resources for you to use in your classroom:
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=123
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=124
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=125
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=126
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=127
http://education.theage.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=147&intversion=128
And do NOT forget to encourage your students for some insightful mathematical video joy at http://www.qedcat.com/movieclips/index.html
15. Night time reading
Alan Rogerson has written to say that the online proceedings from the 11th International Conference of The Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project "Turning Dreams into Reality: Transformations and Paradigm Shifts in Mathematics Education" held in South Africa last year are now to be found at http://directorymathsed.net/download/. And not incidentally, Alan tells us that the next Mathematics Education into the 21st Century Project Conference will be in September 2013 in Croatia. Write to Alan Rogerson <
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> for further details.
16. Consumer Stuff Film Fest - lets inject some mathematics creativity into the whole show
Entries are now open for Consumer Affairs Victoria’s 2012 Consumer Stuff Film Fest – their new annual competition for Victorian secondary school students. They want to know what your students think about the consumer issues that affect them. Working individually or in a team, students create a film with a strong consumer message around either shopping rights or scams. See! There could be some MATHS in this. More information about the competition – and their range of curriculum-based consumer education resources – is available from their website: http://www.consumer.vic.gov.au/resources-and-education/teacher-resources/consumer-stuff-film-fest. Entries close on 12 October 2012. The teaser can be found at http://youtu.be/q6u6HrhT7ic
17. A word from our competitors
I do believe that the MAV runs a great set of professional development offerings each year. But so do a lot of other folk. And in this day and age of rampant capitalism it means our friends at places like the universities and text book publishers are also our competitors. But hey! That shouldn't mean you don't get told about stuff, right? So, in the spirit of cooperation, please do consider the Oxford Maths Forum in July 2012. The prgram can be found at http://www.oup.com.au/secondary/professional_support/2012Oxford_Maths_Forum
18. Business Working with Education Foundation Maths and Science Partnerships Strategy
Part of the Victorian Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Energising Science and Mathematics Education strategy http://www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/mathsciencestrategy.htm, implementation of the BWE Foundation’s Maths and Science Partnerships Strategy commenced in January this year and significant progress has been made on all four of the strategy’s initiatives. Read all about it at http://us5.campaign-archive1.com/?u=eccc26efd0d3ab081dde2a924&id=73ec9d9df8&e=6b2b50cc04
19. Maths makes money: ASX Schools Sharemarket Game sees mathematics students triumph
Cecile Guilloux, Investor Education Marketing Executive with the ASX has written to say that "Victorian maths students did well in the Game, with the 1st and 3rd state winners having played the Game as part of a maths subject". So congratulations to Aiden in year 11 at Bendigo Technical Education College, Gizem & Kathryn in Year 10 at Strathmore Secondary College (Commerce), and Jacob in Year 9 at Marist-Sion Warragul (Enrichment Maths). Registrations for the next Sharemarket Game open on 19 July, with the Game starting on 16 August and finishing on 24 October. You can get all the gen at https://www9.asx.com.au/Smg/SchoolInfo
20. PhD scholarship for mid career teachers
The Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) and the Monash Faculty of Education are offering a four year, $40,000 per year tax free PhD scholarship. This is an opportunity for a mid career teacher or educator who is keen to undertake research in an area of particular interest. The successful candidate will complete their PhD under the supervision of education academics at Monash Uni. Open to anyone who has completed Honours or Masters with a thesis at any university, the topic for the PhD should relate to teaching and teacher education in schools. You can start exploring this career changing prospect at http://education.monash.edu.au/students/scholarships/asg/
21. Calculating …
Visit the Black Douglas site at http://www.blackdouglas.com.au/calchange/ for news about the Calculating Changes network of Mathematics Centre. It seems that they are:
- developing the pedagogy of Threaded Activities to...
- engineer 'aha' moments in number K - 8 thereby...
- enhancing children's number sense, concepts & skills so that...
- they have a more powerful tool kit for working like a mathematician and...
- they rely on contributions from classrooms. Doug Williams says that he is looking forward to your contribution.
22. National Science Week (11 - 19 August 2012) Website Registrations Now Open
Event registrations are now open! Register your own National Science Week 2012 event/s and encourage others in your community and state to register their events for Australia’s largest celebration of mathematics and science. This helps the Science Week Committee media consultant source coverage for your event before the event takes place. To register your event head to http://www.scienceweek.net.au/event-holder-registration/ or visit www.scienceweek.net.au and click on the ‘Event Holders’ tab. National Science Week graphics and logos may also be downloaded from the ‘Event Holders’ tab. To all National Science Week event holders and planners in Victoria, for any information about this year’s collateral for your events, getting advertising for your event or help from a media consultant to promote your event, contact Carly at
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or (03) 9252 6472.
23. To tweet or not to …
How I wish more folk would ask that question! Anyways, Associate Professor Stuart Palmer at Deakin University is entering the twittersphere by planning to "regularly tweet info that might be useful to 2ndary students interested in maths, science, technology & engineering". Unlike so many, this tweet could be worth a follow! Thanks, Professor Palmer.
I think you will agree, this MAVlist was just packed with news. You might like to know that this edition is number 102 for MAVlist. Who knows? maybe we will get to 111 before the December break! The best way to help me achieve that goal is to keep on sending me newsworthy items so that I just have to keep on publishing …
Cheers,
Simon
Simon Pryor FSAE
Chief Executive Officer
The Mathematical Association of Victoria
Cliveden, 61 Blyth Street
BRUNSWICK VIC 3056
Tel: 03-9380 2399 Fax: 03-9389 0399
http://www.mav.vic.edu.au
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Annual Conference & Exhibition, Thursday, 6 & Friday, 7 December 2012