London Mathematics Challenge

Network Day

11th July 2008

Starter

In groups of 3s or 4s

Write a short story using the cards provided.You can be as creative as you like.You can add any words of your own BUT you must use ALL the cards provided.

Think about….what you are learning..what your students might learn from a similar activity..what cards you might produce to make the activity directly

relevant to your students

Functional Mathematics

Francis Bove

What are Functional Skills?

What is ‘Functional’?

Functional – in the broadest sense of providing learners with the skills and abilities they need to take an active and responsible role in their communities, in their everyday life, workplace and educational settings.

It is essential to think of learners becoming functional in their mathematics rather than thinking there is a vital body of mathematical material known as functional mathematics

Task

Note down three mathematical skills that you taught last month.

Time allowed: 1 minute

Process Skills

Helping students to become more functional

Helping your students to:Recognise situations in which mathematics can be

usedMake sense of these situationsDescribe these situations using mathematicsAnalyse the mathematics, obtaining results and

solutionsInterpret the mathematical outcomes in terms of the

situationCommunicate results and conclusions

Level differentiation

Complexity of the situation or problem

Familiarity to the learner of the situation or problem

Technical demand of the mathematics required

Independence of the learner in tackling the situation or problem

Pair Activity

Level Differentiation

Use the Functional Skills Standards for each level on pages 22 – 26 of the Standards and pick out words or phrases from the Performance Criteria that you think best illustrate each grid box

Time for this activity: 7 minutes

Teaching and learning strategies

Develop strategies and activities that:–allow students to increase their

independence as they progress–allow for a range of levels of attainment–are based on real and purposeful

contexts–develop the process skills that are at the

heart of Functional Mathematics

Challenges

Functional mathematics must be purposeful and realistic

Encourage an active approach to learning

Develop critical thinking and reflective learning

Enabling learners to see links between mathematics and other subjects, work and life in general

Links

DCFS 14-19 Website: www.dfes.gov.uk/14-19 go to ‘Qualifications’ and then ‘Functional skills’ for background info. See FAQs in particular

QCA Website: www.qca.org.uk/qca_6062.aspx for the standards and info on the pilots

FS Support Programme: http://www.lsneducation.org.uk/functionalskills/

QIA Excellence Gateway:http://excellence.qia.org.uk/functionalskills