The Minister for Skills, Research and Innovation, Damien English TD, opened the “Maths Counts 2015” conference, which is taking place this Friday and Saturday in University College Dublin.
This is the second conference on the teaching of maths in Ireland organised by the Project Maths Development Team (PMDT).
The conference is for all post-primary maths teachers and is a celebration of peer review and best practice in the teaching of maths across the country.
For the conference, 40 post-primary schools and 150 teachers committed several evenings to plan and design research lessons, teach these lessons with peer observation, and reflect on the lessons with fellow teachers.
The conference will feature a keynote address from the internationally renowned expert on Problem Solving, Nottingham University’s Associate Professor in Mathematics Education, Geoffrey Wake. Other guest speakers include representatives from the Department of Education and Skills, the State Examinations Commission and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.
Opening the conference, Minister English said: “The fact that over 250 teachers of maths have registered for this conference, taking place over a weekend, is testament to their enthusiasm and professionalism. We are fortunate to have teachers like this. The conference promises to offer a variety of experiences, especially in the form of the many presentations from practising teachers. I know that teachers find this form of peer to peer sharing particularly beneficial.
“I would like to especially thank the 150 teachers who worked on lessons for this event. They are making a significant contribution to changing the way maths is taught and learnt, in order to improve outcomes for students.
“I want to acknowledge the work of the PMDT for their commitment to improving how students experience maths, and their learning outcomes. This commitment is helping to achieve an important high level national goal, that learning outcomes in maths are improved, in line with the National Strategy for Literacy and Numeracy.
“I would also like to congratulate Dr. Anne Brosnan and her team for organising this event, which I’m sure will be a great success.”
Filmed excerpts from the conference and Lesson Plans designed by teachers will be available online following the event. For these, and more information on the services provided by the PMDT, see www.projectmaths.ie
ENDS
Note to Editors:
The Project Maths Development Team is a professional development support service established by the Department of Education and Skills. It is a team of experienced maths teachers, who provide a range of professional development supports to approximately 6,000 post-primary maths teachers. Supports include workshops, resources for teachers and students, modular courses in ICT and content, and the creation and maintenance of web-based support.