Sandra McLeod, at teacher in the Make It Count Gladstone Cluster discusses how she went about improving maths outcomes for Indigenous students using maths300 and Yumi Deadly Maths.

1. Make it Count & Yumi Deadly
Maths End of Year Summary
Sandra McLeod (Year 7 Teacher)
Gladstone Cluster

2. Project Purpose
The aim of this project was:
 firstly to improve mathematics
teaching skills of the teacher in the
classroom
 To encourage reflective teaching and
learning in the classroom
 To improve the understanding of the
learning ofIndigenousstudents

3. Beginning of the Year Survey






a)
how do you rate maths a) easy(27%) b) middle of
the road 73%c) hard 0%
do you enjoy maths in your class a)yes 41% b)
middle of the road 55% c) no 5%
do you understand why you have to learn the things
you do
a) yes 73% b) kind of 27% c) not really 0%
4) how often do you do hands on maths a)often 0%
b) sometimes 73% c) hardly ever 27%
5) do you learn better with hands on maths
definitely 36% b) sometime helps 50% c)no 14%

4. My Class Survey on feelings on
Maths
 From the survey I could see that
maths was considered an “ok” subject
that they needed for their future but
few students really liked it.
 The students felt that hands on maths
was more fun and an easier way to
learn

5. YuMi Deadly Maths 3 day
Workshop
 As part of the Make it Count Project I
was sent to a 3 day YuMi Deadly
Maths workshop. The main ideas of
the workshop were the RAMR Cycle:
Reality  Abstraction Maths
Reflection

6. YuMi Maths Workshop
 Using the RAMR cycle taught at the workshop I
was able to reflect on my lesson further.
 The link to real life was the surveys that the
children took part in and the continual reference
to reduction in price of items in the maths
practice sessions.
 The abstract was the conversion of the surveys’
results to a pie and then a conversion from the
counting of the 100 beads to make an estimated
%. The maths in the first lesson was the
calculated %. Followed by further reference to
the survey results eg. 3/26 converted to % is
100 div 26 x 3. Further Lessons were practice
maths. Reflection was constantly re-visited.

7. First term we started with a Maths
300 lesson concept
 These lessons were suggested by the
Make it Count Project organisers.
 From the concept I used ideas taught
at the Yumi Maths workshop
 My school allowed me time to observe
another teacher who was also
involved in the Make it Count Maths
Project. She also observed my
lessons

8. Lesson (hands on
percentage)10/3/11
I found the lesson very long. I wasn’t sure if the 1 & 1/2
hrs spent on the cutting and drawing of a pie chart
was time well spent.
But at the end of the lesson it seemed that most of the
children had the concept of the lesson understood eg.
1/26 as a % using the
Calculator after using the beads and pie chart to count
the percentage. My teacher aide commented that
most of the kids had made the transfer over to the
calculator and if they retain the info then it was time
well spent. The kids were focused during the lesson
but I did notice some groups had one (more maths
Competent) person doing the harder maths.
Tomorrow I will continue with the lesson using more
application problems on paper.

9. Improvement with understanding
shown (pre & post test)
Student
Emme
+ 18%
Jess
+ 4%
Mikaela
+7%
Maureen
+4%
Rochelle
+31%
Danielle
+51%
Brandon
+11%

10. Things to Change for Further
teaching
 Continually refer to what the kids know eg
their real life
 Use the same test for the pre and post test.
 Ensure that the kids use kinaesthetic learning
where possible to provide a link to an
experience in real life if they have not used the
concept before eg. Only some kids have seen
% but after doing the surveys that had a real
life link they could relate to further questions
on the topic.

11. 2nd YuMi Maths Workshop
9/6/11
During measurement discussion
 Example misconceptions shown by students
was helpful
 Use of Kinaesthetic learning to build up
knowledge before formula was a key point for
me
 Even though I am teaching yr 7, I should still
be using scales, non standard units for
measuring and doing hands on volume and
measuring activities (students are generally
really struggling with this strand of maths)
 I have many very great ideas to use eg. Make
own ruler, making own scale

12. YuMi Maths Workshop
10/6/11
I found the ideas for graphs particularly useful.
The larger versions were a lot more fun and
more visual than an “at the desk” graph. I
also liked the use of data from real life
particularly interesting. I think that overall I
am only getting a small amount of learning
out of lessons, where I could be going a lot
more deeper and using the same information
in many different ways.

13. 2nd Term Cycle
 I decided to look into a measurement
concept as I have found that many of
the children struggle to find reality in
the measurement concepts that I am
trying to teach. They do not have the
real life connections and my aim is to
try to find some links.

14. Estimation Walks (term 2)

Lesson 13
Overview
Years: 4 - 9
Time: 1 - 3 lessons
Strands:
Measurement, Number
Lesson Plan
Summary
This lesson improves students' concepts of length and
their understanding of decimals in a measurement
context. In essence students are challenged to walk a
given distance from a starting point and compare their
estimate with the actual measured distance. Class results
are recorded and analysed. The estimations are repeated
with a view to improving both the class result, and each
students' estimation skills.

15. Estimation Walk
 The pre-test showed many gaps in
the children’s understanding of not
only measurement conversion but
finding the difference of two numbers
and comprehension of the written
questions.

16.  One of myIndigenousstudents said
that she finally “gets it”. She was
referring to measurement.

17. Estimation Walk Lesson
 I found the lesson to be huge in
content. The children were very
engrossed in the activity but needed
and accepted assistance with working
out things. I think that all of the kids
got lots out of it even though it would
have varied with the maths
knowledge of the kids.

18. Results of learning
Student
Emme
Mikaela
Jess
Maureen
Rochelle
Danielle
20% increase
4% increase
19% increase
28% increase
17% increase
10 % decrease

19. Reflection on Results
 Generally all of the class improved.
 Most of the class improved significantly
especially in the subtraction of decimals
 Most of theIndigenousstudents improved
but the students who really normally
struggle with maths still had trouble with
the calculations such as regrouping.
 I conclude that some of the lower students
still need further work on basic skills.

20. InterviewingIndigenousStudents
After the Test



The questions that I chose for the students to answer were
focussed on their learning about estimation and average
and their thoughts on how they thought they had gone
All students were able to explain the activity in detail using
language such as estimate the distance and working out the
mean and the class average
All students were happy that they had learnt something
they did not know after the lessons, even though one
student had decreased her grade result in the post
test. This student was able to explain verbally how to
work out the difference between her estimation and
the actual distance and was able to verbalise her
understanding of centimetres and metres. She was
also able to verbalise what estimation was and was
quite excited about this new knowledge she had
gained. “I never used to estimate. I estimate how
big my brother’s room is, then I measure it.”

21. District Maths Workshop
Involvement
 On the pupil free day in term 3 Ian Tate & I
presented some Yumi Maths ideas and
lessons.
 I felt that what we were presenting was
obvious but the feedback was very positive
 The main comment was that it was good
because our presentation was practical,
hands on and gave good examples

22. Maths 300 (term 3)
 The lesson I chose is lesson 113:
“Monkeys & Bananas”

23. Monkeys & Bananas
 Years: 4 - 11
Time: 1 - 3 lessons
Algebra, Number, Pattern
Strands:
 Summary
 This lesson is built around a tall tale about 3 monkeys
gathering - but not quite sharing - a pile of bananas. At
one level the problem can be approached with materials
and a trial, record and improve strategy. However the
problem also encourages algebraic thinking and the use
of spreadsheets. There is plenty of opportunity in the
presentation of the lesson for mathematical
conversation and cooperative group work.

24. Lining up Lesson- a similar Maths 300 lesson
performed after approximately 5 lessons on how
to pull apart a written problem using see, plan,
do, check
How many people are in this line?

25. Improvement with understanding
shown
Student
Improvement
Emme
+50%
Jess
+ 77%
Mikaela
0%
Maureen
+63%
Rochelle
+21%

26. Post Test Results
 I was very pleased with the results
achieved. Not only were most results
improved but the understanding on the
focus of the lessons were understood by
the children. This was shown when the
children had to write the different
strategies that they could use for the
different problems. All children had
increased the number of strategies that
they now new.

27. Reflection of the Area of a Triangle
maths300 lesson (term 3)
 After teaching another concept during maths I found that
the children were really not understanding the concept
well enough.
 I looked for an appropriate lesson with a more hands
on approach.
 The children worked for over 1hr on this task cutting
and moving shapes. Again I felt uncomfortable letting
go of the control of the class. I continually felt it was my
job to show them how to do it. Because it was very
difficult to interrupt their cutting, they did not really
listen to my instruction anyway.
 After the lesson I have concluded that the play they
were engaged in was worth while.
 I think that this lesson will not be forgotten and this
concept will be better cemented in their memory
rather than if I had of put B x 1/2PH = Area of a triangle
into the lesson and had them practice this rule.

28. Bob's Buttons
(term 4)
Summary
 The lesson begins by physically involving students in a
game of making groups which is based on the total
number in the class that day. On a signal from the
teacher the children form into groups of a stated size:
the number of groups and the remaining number of
children (who are too few in number to form a group)
is recorded. Then the teacher poses the problem
which involves working backwards from
groups/remainder data to find the original number in
the class. Once the initial problem is solved, there is
an extensive set of investigations which can be
developed.

29. Lesson Reflection








I videoed myself during this lesson which was a first for me. I could
probably reflect on how difficult it was to follow the discussion and
this took a long time. This is why I need to really work on how I
present and how I arrange my board work to minimise time at the
front.
I found that the lesson was difficult because I needed to rely on the
children working at their own pace and I needed to let go once again.
I roved around and tried to focus the children who did not
understand the topic.
One student was able to get the pattern in the sequence straight
away while others did not understand and needed lots of one on one.
Some students preferred to play with the manipulative.
I tried to keep an open mind.
In the second and third lesson the students all new what they were
doing and were able to progress and really focus on the patterns.
The topic became very open with students working through the
problems at different speed independently.

30. Improvement with understanding
shown (all students were close to
all correct after the learning)
Student
Improvement
Emme
30%
Jess
10% but scored 100%
Mikaela
40%
Maureen
3%
Rochelle
66%

31. Naplan Results (progress up to mid
term 2)
Improvement
Student
Yr5
Yr7
Distance from
state avg. in
points
Distance from state
avg. in points
Emme
-44
+39
+83
Jess
-10
+33
+43
Mikaela
-51
-57
-6
Maureen
-62
-11
+51
Danielle
-123
-72
+51
Rochelle
-123
-36
+87

32. Conclusion
I have learnt:
 Lessons where the children discover the
understanding are better than lessons where
the teacher gives the information
 Allow time for students to discover this
understanding (let go Sandra!!!!)
 To follow through with the mathematics of
the understanding to cement the concept
 Use these hands on lessons to help create a
link to the students real life experiences
 Students who are low level need to work on
maths computation

33. MyIndigenousstudents have:
 extended their mathematical knowledge,
have a more positive out look to maths and
are more prepared for high school after this
year.
 progressed with their concept awareness.
My 2 lower levelIndigenousstudents did not
progress in the tests but were able to
verbalise well.

34. From my students and my point of
view,was the aim of the project
achieved????
•firstly to improve mathematics
teaching skills of the teacher in
the classroom Yes
•To encourage reflective teaching
and learning in the classroom Yes
•To improve the understanding of
the learning
ofIndigenousstudents Yes

35.  Thank you for listening!!!!!