Ann Downton

Problem Posing: A Possible Pathway to Mathematical Modelling

Problem posing is an important component of learning mathematics as is problem solving, and it is an essential part of mathematical modelling. This chapter reports two small studies conducted in a Year 1–2 class and a Year 3–4 class, respectively. The purpose of each study was to examine the extent to which the use of real world artefacts provide a stimulus for young students to pose problems that can be investigated using mathematical modelling. The students in both studies had no prior experience in problem posing. However, they generated a range of problems linked to the real world albeit some in a superficial sense, whereas others gave genuine rise to mathematical modelling.

Bringing the Profession into University Classrooms: Narratives of Learning from Co-teaching Primary Mathematics

While some teacher educators work alongside teachers with their pre-service teachers in school settings, it is less common for teachers to work alongside teacher educators in university settings. The following chapter provides insights on how a mathematics lecturer and a Year 1 teacher taught primary pre-service teachers in a university classroom. Narratives from the co-teachers and two colleagues who observed lessons and interviewed the pre-service teachers tell the story of a co-teaching experience which developed relationships, a sense of community, and diverse skills and expertise of the co-teachers, along with the impact that the experience had on the participants.

Using a Digital Flip Camera: A Useful Assessment Tool in Mathematics Lessons

This paper describes how two early career teachers in Australia used digital Flip cameras as an assessment tool as part of their regular mathematics lessons to improve their assessment practices. Both teachers taught Grade 1/2 and identified formative assessment in mathematics as a challenge as they had trouble collecting data that captured students’ thinking and reasoning during a mathematics lesson. The purpose of this study was to identify the ways in which early career teachers utilized technology as a tool to enhance their formative assessment practices within a mathematics lesson. The findings suggest that the use of Flip cameras enabled the teachers to capture authentic assessment data and improve their documentation and analysis of the students’ learning, and better cater to the students’ learning needs when planning.