ATM eNews - 20 May 2007 Maths Inspiration are coming to Durham... Maths Inspiration are coming to the Gala Theatre, Durham on November 13th (so please consider putting it into your diary). Their aim is to inspire the next generation of mathematicians, engineers and other mathematical and numerate professionals. Their target audience is Year 12s and more able Year 11s (with Year 13s also able to enjoy the show). Full details will be produced and sent to schools in July. Most of the info below is on the website at http://www.mathsinspiration.com}, but here is the up to date info on Durham: Likely that the speakers and topics will be: 'When maths meets psychology' or 'How to cheat at Mind Reading' - Rob Eastaway; 'The maths of sports stadia' - Paul Shepherd; 'The maths of juggling' - Colin Wright. Nadia Baker of the Enigma Project probably chairing - might be bringing bring an Enigma machine with her. We will be formally accepting provisional bookings from July 1st. However, schools who want to be ahead of the game are welcome to email info@mathsinspiration.com to express interest. We recommend not bringing Year 10s unless they are particularly able/mature. Building Motivation and Attainment in Mathematics Free maths teacher meetings - Summer and Autumn 2007 A series of free maths teacher meetings taking place across England and Wales, supported by Legal and General and the Clothworkers' Foundation, offering you all an exciting opportunity to try out new maths activities and evaluate resources to improve attainment and achievement in mathematics. You'll receive new ideas for lessons covering all ages and abilities  activities are aimed at KS3 pupils but can be adapted up and down the age range  you'll hear about tried and tested ways of raising motivation and enthusiasm in maths and evaluate ways to boost pupils' mathematical confidence. More details: http://www.atm.org.uk/news/noticeboardfiles/Clothworkers-Teacher-Meetings.pdf Welsh speaker with a first degree in mathematics? John O'Hare-Price is organising lectures for Wales Maths Week, which takes place 8-12 October. He is seeking a Welsh speaker, who has a first degree in mathematics, to give a Welsh medium presentation to upper GCSE and A-Level students. The presentation will need to be one hour in duration and will take place at Bangor University. The speaker does not necessarily need to be working within a pure mathematics job: they can show how maths is used day-to-day within their role to inspire the students and inform them that maths is a versatile subject which can be applied to many different industries and occupations. If you are a Welsh speaking mathematician or if you know of anyone who might be interested, email johnohp@techniquest.org. Subject leader CPD opportunity Opportunity for management and delivery of significant professional development for new subject leaders (mathematics). A grant has been awarded by National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics in response to a proposal from the five mathematics subject associations to fund two face to face 10 day courses and develop a blended learning course for teachers who are new to the role of mathematics subject leader in secondary schools. Applications are invited from members of these five associations (AMET, ATM, MA, NAMA and NANAMIC) to manage and deliver this professional development package. Details of the proposal are included as an attachment to this document. Applicants should send a current CV (no more than 2 pages A4 please) and a supporting statement (no more than 2 pages A4 please) by email to cpdtda@atm.org.uk before noon on Tuesday 29 May. Interviews will be held at Warwick University on Friday 15 June. Applicants are invited to use the structure of the proposal as a template for their supporting statement. You will notice from the proposal that face to face tuition of both courses will involve two tutors and that the blended learning course will involve development of on-line resources. It is desirable but not essential that applications will indicate how each element of the proposal will be covered and that any additional personnel are identified. However, we would be interested to hear from members who would be willing to contribute to any single element, such as, development of on-line learning resources. The agreed total budget for preparation, tuition and delivery of the two 10 day courses is ?21000 and there is additional funding allocated for preparation and delivery costs for the distance learning/blended learning component. It is envisaged that the two face to face courses will run in November 2007 and January 2008 in the first instance. If you would like an informal discussion about the project please email cpdtda@atm.org.uk in the first instance. Mathscareers - Part-time Website Editor Required for two days a week on a self-employed basis. Candidates must have a strong mathematics background and have a keen interest in helping to promote the study of mathematics and statistics amongst young people. http://www.mathscareers.org.uk is produced by the Council for the Mathematical Sciences and is a major part of the initiative to encourage more youngsters to appreciate why they study mathematics and the opportunities that are available to them. The website will be expanded during the next three years to provide additional resources for students, teachers and careers advisors. The ultimate aim is to make this the primary site for careers information on the mathematical sciences. Candidates must have excellent communications skills and be prepared to attend regular meetings in London, although there may be occasions when meetings may be held elsewhere. Experience of developing/editing websites (in particular those aimed at the mathscareers target audience  11 to 21 years old) is essential. The salary will be in the region of ?120 per day. This vacancy has recently arisen due to the present editor moving to a full-time position at the end of June. It is planned that the new editor will be in place soon, and potential applicants are requested to respond quickly. Closing Date: Applications must be submitted by 15th June. However, it is hoped to make an appointment as soon as possible so early submissions are recommended. Email susan.bolton@ima.org.uk with your application letter and CV. Work with teachers for 10 days in South Africa Would you be interested in joining a team to teach a professional development course in Stellenbosch in the Western Cape, South Africa, for teachers from historically disadvantaged rural and township schools? I am currently looking for a primary specialist to join the team 3 to 14 July 2007 on an expenses only basis with travel costs, accommodation and food provided. There will be further opportunities for both primary and secondary specialists in the future. The AIMSSEC course is a 10 day intensive residential course for 50 teachers and advisory teachers from all over South African in their school holidays, taught by six unpaid visiting lecturers in residence with the teachers, and followed by 3 months distance learning when the teachers write a reflective report on how they are putting into practice what they have learnt on the course. Please let me know if you are interested. If you would like to apply to join the team for this course, or future AIMSSEC courses, then please send a curriculum vitae and give the names and contact details of two referees. More information here http://www.aims.ac.za/aimssec Mathematics: Enriching your AS/A2 level Teaching through ICT Villiers Park Educational Trust, in partnership with Headstart, offers a CPD residential course from Tuesday 5 June to Thursday 7 June at The Cambridge Centre, Mathematics: Enriching your AS/A2 level Teaching through the use of ICT. Reflect on teaching strategies for presenting AS and A2 topics, with a particular focus on ICT. Work with a variety of software packages, including Autograph and Cabri Geometry. Delegates will be able to take copies of any non-commercial materials for use in school or college. For full details of this course, and how to book, please visit the Villiers Park website at http://www.villierspark.org.uk} for more information. Course fee of ?325 includes accommodation, meals, refreshments and course materials. 248-dimension maths puzzle solved An international team of mathematicians has detailed a vast complex numerical "structure" which was invented more than a century ago. Mapping the 248-dimensional structure, called E8, took four years of work and produced more data than the Human Genome Project. E8 is a "Lie group", a means of describing symmetrical objects. The team said their findings may assist fields of physics which use more than four dimensions, such as string theory. Lie groups were invented by the 19th Century Norwegian mathematician Sophus Lie... More at BBC Science News: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6466129.stm Impact of Assessment on Learning and Teaching Mathematics Some Evidence from MA, ATM and NANAMIC MA, ATM and NANAMIC have gathered some evidence of the views of members on the impact of assessment on learning and teaching. A simple questionnaire was used to gather views from some members and their colleagues in schools and colleges. There were 25 responses from teachers to the survey: 14 from 11 to 19 schools, 6 from 11 to 16 schools and 5 from 16 to 19 colleges. No responses were obtained from teachers of Key Stages 1 and 2. The underlying nature of the concerns expressed did not vary greatly between the various sectors represented and we would expect that they would be shared by many teachers of younger students. The questionnaire and a representative selection of responses to each of the questions 3 to 7 are given in the appendices. This was a very small scale survey, but the depth of concern and the frequent mention of particular factors that contribute to it is a very striking feature of all the responses. It is likely that a significant proportion of those who responded are drawn from the more active and thoughtful members of the profession, because they are the ones who are most likely to be active members of subject associations. The strength and nature of the feelings does not come as a surprise to the three subject associations because it largely reflects comments that we have been making over at least the last ten years, as we have watched with increasing concern the growing dominance and ill effects of the assessment and accountability systems on the teaching and learning of mathematics. The key issue that emerges from our small survey is a deep concern about the pressures that make it very difficult to resist teaching to the test, which focuses on short term goals and learning that is preoccupied with a narrow range of skills. This is to the detriment of longer term aims such as developing understanding, providing opportunities for skills and knowledge to be applied in a wide variety of ways, encouraging enjoyment and positive attitudes and providing a broader education which embraces but goes beyond the immediate requirements of the specified curriculum. Teachers find it increasingly difficult to be innovative and teach in ways which generate interest and enthusiasm amongst their students, and students are neither well prepared for the needs of employment and everyday life nor for further study of mathematics. Please read this document in full: http://wwww.atm.org.uk/professional-services/policy/ATM-070304-Impact-of-Assessment-Report.rtf and complete the consultation questions and email back to sustrange@atm.org.uk. Amazing minds, amazing maths - promoting powerful learning in primary mathematics The BEAM conference is a great opportunity to focus on how we can best foster childrens learning through the primary years in the context of mathematics. The conferences will be held as follows: 8th June 2007 - London 12th June 2007 - Bristol 14th June 2007 - Leeds Our main speaker is Guy Claxton, Professor of Learning Sciences at Bristol University and originator of the programme Building Learning Power: helping young people become better real-life learner. In his presentation Building Learning Power  a panorama Guy will look at how you can transform both the culture and climate of the school by creating independent and effective learners. He will also examine how teachers and children can be engaged creatively as researchers in learning, by shifting the responsibility for learning to learn from the teacher to the learner. Jennie Pennant will follow on with a talk on Learning to learn  a mathematical perspective. Her experience in writing, teaching and advising on mathematics will ensure this will give an invaluable insight into learning to learn in a mathematical setting. Our third keynote speaker is Janine Blinko, a deputy headteacher and experienced writer, advisor and lecturer. In Moving forward  one schools journey Janine will share her schools experiences of developing childrens learning skills to support their mathematics. In addition, you can choose from a selection of five afternoon workshops on offer, all based on maths case studies and action research undertaken in school. A - Focusing on children who have specific learning challenges B - Using ICT to support childrens speaking and listening C  Taking Building Learning Power into the mathematics classroom D - Unlocking learner potential through coaching E - Inspiring and involving young learners in mathematics More info: http://www.beam.co.uk Have you still got e-Learning Credits (ELCs) to use? ATM offers a range of excellent software including 'Geometry Interactive', 'Interactive Mathematics', 'Working with Sums and Products','Developing Number' and 'Active Geometry'. New software from ATM will be added when available and includes 'Grid Algebra', 'Surrounded' and 'L - a Mathemagical Adventure' Details of ELCs are available from your LEA. All maintained schools and non-maintained special schools in England qualify for eLearning Credits. Spending your eLearning Credits with ATM? To use your e-Learning Credits for ATM software go to http://www.atm.org.uk/buyonline/ or we accept official orders. Sample files of ATM software are available to download from this website. ATM also offers CPD and workshops. Festival Of Science, York in 2007 The BA Festival Of Science will take place in York in 2007, from 10-14th September, hosted by the University of York. The BA is now inviting event proposals from institutions, organisations and individuals throughout the UK and further afield. The BA Festival of Science is the UK's leading science communication event, attracting over 400 of the best national and international talent from all branches of the natural and social sciences to talk about, debate and present their research. Thousands of adults and students attend the Festival, reaching record levels of nearly 35,000 in 2005, taking part in a variety of events that feature the latest advances in science, engineering and technology and the chance to debate the social implications of the pace of technological change. In 2007, these events will take place during the day and evenings at various venues on the University of York campus, around the city of York and the surrounding areas. The Festival offers plenty of opportunity for institutions, companies and organisations to interact with the public. You can showcase new research and debate and gauge its potential impact with the interested public, and through the media you can raise the profile of your organisation. The Festival is attended throughout by media personnel including representatives from all broadsheet newspapers, radio and television broadcasters, including the BBC and many world news organisations and, increasingly, online services. There is no overall theme for the BA Festival of Science in 2007. Instead the President for 2007, Lord Browne of Madingley, Group Chief Executive of BP, has set a Presidential Theme of 'Energy and Human Progress'. 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