Summer Term Event

  • 10:00-16:00 - Thursday 25 June
    Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough LE11 3TU
  • 10:00-16:00 - Thursday 2 July
    Loughborough University London, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3BS

Designing practice tasks to develop the mathematician as well as the mathematics

Most teachers appreciate the value of practising, but what do we know about effective practising in mathematics? In this active session, we will consider some of the theories relating to effective practice and how research related to practising might inform the tasks that we ask learners to work on. This session will draw on variation theory and cognitive psychology to offer practical advice to use in classrooms. Drawing on current work from within the Mathematics Education Centre, we will explore the principles of ‘practice through progress’ in two ways: progress through the curriculum, deepening mathematical ideas, and progress as a mathematician. We will also look at some secondary mathematics tasks, and work together on designing tasks that might play a useful role in developing the mathematician as well as the mathematics.

Everyone who attends this event will receive a free copy of Tom’s book (co-authored with Dave Hewitt, also from the Mathematics Education Centre here) entitled ‘Practising Mathematics’, published by the Association of Teachers of Mathematics.

Tom taught mathematics in schools and worked for many years as a Head of Mathematics and Head of Faculty, winning the TES Award for ‘Maths Team of the Year 2015’. He contributed lesson materials for the EEF-funded project on Best Practice in Mixed-Attainment Teaching. This work was awarded the 2016 BCF-BERA Routledge Curriculum Journal Prize. Tom was previously a lecturer in secondary mathematics education at the University of Birmingham. He now teaches on Loughborough’s outstanding mathematics PGCE, and his wider role in the Centre is to work to integrate basic research, academic scholarship and practical experience. Tom is interested in all aspects of educational research, but in particular equitable approaches to teaching mathematics and the development of expertise. Tom is currently conducting PhD research into the nature of practising in mathematics. He has recently talked about his work on the Mr Barton Maths podcast.  

Schedule

Information coming soon.

Travel info

Loughborough University, Epinal Way, Loughborough LE11 3TU

Loughborough University is just off J23 of the M1. Our student ambassadors will be wearing purple ‘Team Loughborough’ t-shirts and direct you to the nearest car park before showing you to the venue on foot.

There are also regular Kinch ‘Sprint’ (yellow and blue) busses running to Loughborough University from Loughborough train station and the town centre that run approximately every 10-15 minutes.

Loughborough University London, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E20 3BS

Loughborough University London is located inside Here East, an innovation hub on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. There will be parking available.

If you are travelling by train, the closest stations to the campus are Stratford Station and Stratford International. From here you can get a free shuttle bus that operates from Stratford International bus stop E.

Upon your arrival you will be directed to the conference location by our student ambassadors who will be wearing purple ‘Team Loughborough’ t-shirts.

** Free or discounted travel may be available for teachers from schools in areas where progression to Higher Education is lower than might be expected. If you would like to discuss this further, then please contact us at lumen@lboro.ac.uk