This article is about some lessons that haven’t happened yet, inspired by a serendipitous realisation during a lesson that has. In a previous post, “No Teachers Are Really Young”, I described some other lessons on graphs of quadratic equations with the same class. That post provides some context for this one and I would recommend … Continue reading You’re Always Realising New Things: Graphs of Quadratic Functions (Part 2)
Author: gerard mcnally
Explorer, learner and teacher (predominantly of mathematics) with an interest in the possibilities for growth in all three endeavours. A lifetime resident of North Lanarkshire; currently teaching in Glasgow, Scotland.
Cuboids: a context for learning
I recently began teaching my S1 class (12-year-olds) about volume. This is a topic most of them had met at primary school - they were keen to tell me they knew that Volume = length x breadth x height. In addition, since joining my class, they have learned to find the areas of rectangles and … Continue reading Cuboids: a context for learning
My Back Pages – part 3: two triangles make a triangle
This is the third instalment of a record of some of my thoughts and actions in response to the #beingmathematical event on November 22 2018, part of series of fortnightly tasks and discussions for maths educators hosted on Twitter by ATM. I will continue to explore the relationships between how both novice and experienced learners … Continue reading My Back Pages – part 3: two triangles make a triangle
My Back Pages – Part 2: two triangles make a square (but not necessarily one with four sides!)
In Part 1 of this article I described my thoughts and actions before and during a recent #beingmathematical session provided by @ATMMathematics on Twitter. In this, Part 2, I shall share some thoughts I had afterwards in response to contributions from other participants in the event. I continue to explore the links between how children … Continue reading My Back Pages – Part 2: two triangles make a square (but not necessarily one with four sides!)
My Back Pages – Part 1: on #beingmathematical and being young (again!).
Once again I find myself writing about the Association of Teachers of Mathematics and their fortnightly Twitter sessions (@ATMMathematics, #beingmathematical. See my earlier blog entitled "Working with place-value: an increasing constraints activity"). A recent one came on the back of the second meeting of the Glasgow Branch of ATM, organised and hosted by Chris … Continue reading My Back Pages – Part 1: on #beingmathematical and being young (again!).
No Teachers Are Really Young: Graphs of Quadratic Functions (Part 1)
I recently began to teach my S4 class about graphs of quadratic functions. Based on my previous experiences, this is a topic many pupils struggle to cope with. In this post I will offer some possible reasons for this and some suggestions on beginning to address them. A further post will seek to develop this … Continue reading No Teachers Are Really Young: Graphs of Quadratic Functions (Part 1)
Working with Place-Value: an increasing constraints activity
The Association of Teachers of Mathematics currently runs Twitter events every second Thursday between 8.00 and 9.00pm. (@ATMMathematics, # beingmathematical). I find these are a great source of CPD with a difference and would recommend you get involved! The discussion prompt for the first one of this academic year was the following set of questions. … Continue reading Working with Place-Value: an increasing constraints activity
