presentation to teachers by the Noarlunga Cluster

1. Make It Count
Noarlunga Cluster
Using Scaffolding pedagogy to provide
mathematics success for Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander students R-7

3. Noarlunga Cluster
! 2010 – 2 schools
" Pedagogy
" Maths content knowledge
" Writing sequenced lessons
! Trusting the Count
! Place Value and
! Multiplicative Thinking
" Backwards Planning
" Determining an evidence tool
! 2011and 2012 – 4 schools
" Collecting data
" Trialling the sequenced lessons
" Continuing writing lesson plans
" Backwards Planning

4. Finding 4:
A highly scaffolded teaching approach increases
mathematical knowledge, skills and confidence for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
particularly:
! If students have missed a lesson(s)
! If students have experienced trauma and related
memory challenges. These are overcome by the
revisiting of learning, predictable routines and
explicit teaching
! As each lesson builds on prior learning.

5. Pedagogy
! What pedagogy was successful for
Aboriginal learners?
" Scaffolding
! What research is behind the pedagogy?
" Vygotsky
" Wertsch
" Bruner and Wood
" Bernstein
" Willingham
" Gray

6. Finding 1:
Strong pedagogical practices need to be supported by
deep content knowledge.

7. Deep Content Knowledge
! Big Ideas in Number – Di Siemon
! Learning sequence
! Planned using the Australian Curriculum
Concepts
need
to
be
experienced,
strategies
need
to
be
scaffolded
and
EVERYTHING
needs
to
be
discussed.

8. Finding 2:
Students understanding and use of
mathematical language increases when it is
an explicitly taught part of every lesson

9. Language in Mathematics
! Moving from everyday to technical
" Starting with ‘and’ and moving to addition, plus,
the sum of…
! Providing students with a rich vocabulary
from an early age

10. Language in Mathematics
count how many backwards forwards
sequence subitise collection
addition add
plus counting on share match sort
copy continue
make pattern same
different difference take away
subtract
subtraction before after between
enough
compare more
less most
least
few
fewer fewest many
enough altogether total order
first
second third
last
match pair
group double one half
halve

11. Finding 5:
Questioning occurs on two levels in a lesson, at the end of a
lesson in the ‘meaning making’ session and throughout the
lesson. Planned, purposeful questioning provides teachers
with real-time assessment information about each child’s
understanding of the lesson content. This information is used
to determine:
! if the learning goal was achieved,
! which students require further support or extension,
! whether the lesson needs to be retaught the following day or
! if a vital concept has been missed or misunderstood.

12. Language in Mathematics
! Questioning
Scenario – Picture cards are flashed to represent different amounts (e.g. 5 bees)
Adult:
Child:
Adult:
Child:
Adult:
Child:
Adult:
Child:
Adult:
Child:
Adult:
Child:
Adult:
What did you see?
Bees
That’s right, they are bees. How many did we see?
5
Yes, how did you know it was 5?
3 up the top and 2 down the bottom
Yes. 3 and 2 do make 5.
Did anyone see anything different?
I saw 4 and 1.
Great.
Anything else?
I just saw 5
How did you know?
It looks like a dice or I counted them or I just knew
O.K. So we have seen lots of different ways to make the number 5 – 3 and 2, 4
and 1, 5 by itself. Who else saw 3 and 2? Let’s count them together.

13. Finding 3
A planned and defined learning goal
ensures that:
! all students are aware of the desired
lesson outcome and
! the teacher is accountable for delivering a
lesson that will achieve the goal
! the teacher/students can check at the end
of the lesson if the goal has been achieved

14. Lesson Sequence
! Low Order: Intro Activity
! Goal: Purpose of Lesson
! High Order: Scaffolding through Modelling
! Application: Using materials & recording
! Joint Conceptualising / Meaning Making:
questioning for strategies used, checking
for understanding / handover
! Backward Planning: Review teaching for
the next step in the learning

15. Learning Goal and Low Order

16. Planning
Numeracy Planner
Big Idea:
Language/vocab:
Lesson Sequence
Recap last lesson
Low Order / Intro
Activity (5-10mins)
Goal / Purpose of
lesson
Make explicit to the
students the purpose of
the lesson, what they will
know by the end and why.
High Order /
Modelling
(10-15mins)
Application (20 mins)
Children set to task as
teacher observes,
assesses & scaffolds as
needed.
Joint
conceptualising /
meaning making (10
mins)
Equipment/
Resources needed in
lesson
New Language
introduced
Stage 1
Week/Date:
Focus/Goal of unit:
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5

17. Finding 6:
The practice of scheduled, structured observations
of teaching by both peers and leadership assists to
strengthen and embed pedagogy which in turn
deepens the learning for students. This is of vital
importance in challenging schools with high staff
turnover to ensure that programs are embedded
and sustainable. The explicitness of the
observation proforma strengthens teachers’
planning, enables backwards planning and
promotes professional discussion.

18. Teacher Observation
! Peer and Leadership
! Rigorous
! Regular
! Observation Tool

19. Teacher Observation
Teacher:
Date:
Year Level:
Observer:
Application
Big Idea:
Equipment:
• Teacher mobile / roaming
Maths Language:
Lesson Sequence
Learning Goal:
• Clear goal articulated for whole lesson
Behaviour Goal:
• Clear goal articulated for whole lesson
Low Order / Intro Activity
• Students welcomed into mathematical discourse
Comments
• Provides scaffolds where required to further student understanding
• Observation / anecdotal notes recorded
Joint Conceptualising / Meaning Making
• Students gathered and attention gained
• Goal reiterated
• Discussion of mathematical strategies
• Students engaged in warm-up activity
• Questioning techniques used to gauge understanding of task and
concept
• Positive student/teacher interactions
• Handover occurs
• Activity pitched at age appropriate level
Backwards Planning for the next lesson:
• Activity provides cognitive challenge
• Relevant vocabulary and language used and reinforced
consistently throughout
High Order / Modelling
• Draws on common knowledge from other lessons
• Questioning techniques used to gauge understanding of task
and concept
• Modelling continued until there was shared understanding of
task
• Relevant vocabulary and language used and reinforced
consistently throughout
• Was there handover?
• Which concepts did the students demonstrate an understanding of?
• Which concepts require more focus / explicit teaching?
• Were the goals of the lesson achieved?

20. Evidence
Assessment Tool
Relevant Students
PATMaths Plus Online Testing
All students
Big Ideas in Number Diagnostic
Tools
All Indigenous students
2 x high ability students
2 x average ability students
2 x low ability students
Mathematics and You –
Student Perception Survey
All students
Anecdotal Evidence
All students
Journal
All participating staff

21. Outcomes (so far)