Category Archives: Maths Technology

HP STEM Activity Competition

Maths Technology, , , , , ,

To any teachers out there who come across my blog, we have a competition:

WIN 30 HP40GS calculators and a data streaming kit (worth £2000)

We are setting up an exemplar STEM teaching room for teachers. We need top quality activities to do in the room, which will be premiered at the Olympia BETT show. We need a detailed exposition of the activity together with any supporting materials (e.g. worksheets etc.) In entering, you give us permission to use the activity (suitably credited) in the STEM room and in a booklet which we will produce with all of the entries and which will be available free to teachers. We would like activities using HP39/40GS or 50G graphing calculators, but any other software which runs under windows (and therefore on the new HP windows 7 slate) would do fine. The activity must be an application which merges mathematics with science or engineering. Send one zipped folder of files with your full contact details to: chris.olley@kcl.ac.uk. Closing date is Friday 9th of December.

Applied Maths

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So, why do we teach students maths in school? How tempting it is, to say “because it’s useful”. Well, I defy anyone to respond to this post by finding a single example taking from a school maths text book, in which something happens that (a) could be described as useful and (b) happens in the manner that it might do if someone were actually doing it. Continue reading Applied Maths →

Why bother with technology in maths classrooms?

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Working with a group of aspiring entrants to the teaching profession is always an interesting opportunity. They still have the open mindedness about this noble profession that allows for certainties to be challenged and opportunities explored. The reality is that  dialogic teaching supported  by dynamic technology (meaning both parties: student and teacher, have control over how the narrative plays out) is a very rare event in schools. The mass of technology is either already booked out so kids can be trained to use MS office 2003 or is pre-programmed for zombie teachers to press the next button on their MyMaths lesson. Continue reading Why bother with technology in maths classrooms? →

Impressive Maths Thinkers

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It is easy to be a bit jaundiced about A level maths, when you see the drill and practice text books with the exam board’s logo on the front and student’s in permanent practice, practice mode because of the modular exams. Well, I had an excellent day in a non-selective, state sixth form college, working with two groups of charming A level maths and further maths students. Continue reading Impressive Maths Thinkers →

HP Graphing Calculators at A-Level

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I am working with a group of A level students who have received an HP39GS graphing calculator. They got the calculators a couple of weeks ago, so hopefully they will at least have opened the package and turned the thing on. I will have about 3 or 4 hours with each of two groups tomorrow to give them ideas of things they can do with the machine. Clearly we live in a gadgety time. A lot of people will get a new phone every year or so, which is basically a computer, running a range of software packages, notably communication systems, but also, pretty much anything you care to mention. Continue reading HP Graphing Calculators at A-Level →