Monday, 18th September 2017
Duration

The course consists of 5 modules. The expected workload is about 3-4 hours a week. The course lasts 6,5 weeks from 18th September to 1st November.

• A number of videos or other types of content that are meant to provide you with an idea, introduce you to a resource, or encourage you to reflect on your own practice.
• Reflection or discussion activities where you share your input on an idea or question raised in the content with your peers. In most cases we use Padlets for this. Think of it as being in a face-to-face workshop and being asked to provide some ideas on a post-it note that you then stick somewhere in the room for others to see.
• Optional and obligatory self- and peer-review activities at the end of each module. Please note that the final activity where you need to submit a lesson plan and review the lesson plans of other participants is obligatory, so if you want to get the certificate you need to complete all steps of this.

• Tasks such as treasure hunts can combine Google Maps, Geometry and information about the environment. Here is an article about how to use Google Maps in Maths classrooms and some great inspiration can also be found on Real World Math, a site that offers ideas and resources for using Google Earth in the Maths curriculum.
  
  
• Yummy Maths is another site that aims “to provide teachers with an easy way to bring real life into their math classrooms” according to the idea that “when math is explored in contexts that are familiar and of interest to students, they will be more engaged to do math, reason, think critically, question and communicate.”
  
  
• Maths can also be connected with sports, news, fashion, music or even space travel (see next point).
  
  
• NASA offers a wide array of Maths-related activities on its site (http://www.nasa.gov/) and here you'll find some NASA videos about real-world use of Maths.
  
  
• You can also take a look at the Algebra in the Real World Movies for more ideas!
  
  
• In this blog post the author describes a useful tool for helping students to model and work through the problems for addition, multiplication, fractions, and ratios and see how algebraic reasoning works, by using interactive templates made of coloured blocks. Students are also given feedback about using the correct sequence for solving the problems. The tool is suitable for use on interactive whiteboards, as well. 
  
  
• Living Maths books offers a list of books that present real-life concepts in a relevant context, and reinforces Maths skills. 
  
  
• Last but not least, help your students experience Mathematics, make hypotheses and trials, validate and demonstrate in a virtual exhibition you can find here.
  
  

1. The starting point of the lesson/project stimulates curiosity and is directly connected to students’ life; for example, it addresses issues in their community or meets a real need beyond the classroom.                        
2. The mathematical content is relevant to the students’ needs and interests and based on their previous experiences and knowledge.                        
3. Math learning is embedded in real-world contexts, and the activities allow students to understand how the procedures they learn are applied in real-life situations. 
4. Some of the learning activities are carried out outside the classroom, for example measurements, observations, etc.                         
5. The teacher offers access to mathematical knowledge through different channels (intuitive, modeling, diagrams, abstract, applicative) and on different levels of math proficiency.           

1. The lesson has a cross-curricular aspect, for example using a connection between math and an apparently opposite domain or referring to the use of math in other sciences. 
   
   
2. The students are involved in new type of activity that allows them to value skills usually not put to use in Maths classes.
   
   
3. Students create their own learning materials, for example posters, videos, webquests, proofs, etc. The focus shifts from taking notes and solving to experimenting and creating.
   
   
4. The teacher uses Maths to help students understand cultural aspects such as Maths history, the natural or political environment, sociological aspects, etc.   
   
   
5. The lesson fosters curiosity by introducing intriguing or peculiar mathematical concepts such as magic squares, encryption, the Golden Ratio, the Fibonacci sequence, or Moebius’ band (just a few examples, any other topic is appropriate).
   
   
6. The teacher facilitates students’ development by allowing them to explore and develop their own mathematical hypotheses and conjectures.               
   
   

1. The instruction time is balanced between full groups and small groups, including a good mixture of individual and team work.
   
   
2. The lesson plan clearly mentions collaborative work strategies such as small group discussions, creating a joint outcome, giving each other feedback, collaborative problem-solving, working in pairs, debates, etc.
   
   
3. Students are divided into teams that share substantial responsibility for a common learning outcome: research, experiment, conjecture, learning material, etc.
   
   
4. In the groups, students’ work is interdependent, i.e. they cannot work in parallel, and students need their peers’ results to complete their own.
   
   
5. The lesson/project includes the participation of professionals outside the school, people from the community, organisations, etc.
   
   
6. Students are offered regular, structured opportunities to assess themselves and reflect on their progress, as well as assess their peers.     

1. Finalise the Learning Design you have been working on in the previous modules and
2. Submitting your Learning Design and reviewing the designs of 3 colleagues (next section).