Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Classic Resources

The Standards Unit was 1 of the starting fourth dimension resources I was introduced to during my PGCE (I fifty-fifty cause got my ain Standards Unit box at abode - taking upward far also much space!). It surprised me late to listen that some maths teachers aren't aware of it. I yell back of it every bit a classic.

Perhaps the shift away from traditional university-based preparation towards to a greater extent than schools-based ITT agency that there's less consistency inwards what teachers are told nearly during their training. I'm at 1 time a Lead Subject Mentor inwards a SCITT in addition to volition ensure that my trainees are made aware of all the best sources of maths resources - but of course of report that volition move alone based on my own opinion of what is the 'best'. There is no universal listing of things that trainee maths teachers should move told about.

In this post service I listing v 'classic' maths resources. I assume that all maths teachers already know nearly these websites, but if you lot don't in addition to hence you're nearly to uncovering some treasures!

1. CIMT  
The brilliant Mathematics Enhancement Programme from the Centre for Innovation inwards Mathematics Teaching offers an extensive collection of exercises for all cardinal stages. I used this website hence much inwards my NQT twelvemonth that I ended upward buying the laid of textbooks to flick through (order shape here).

Since then, Craig Barton has real helpfully provided links to CIMT's cloth on his website - organised past times theme instead of past times book, making it easier to locate what you're looking for (the answers are at that topographic point too). For instance if you're pedagogy vectors in addition to hence you lot tin reach notice access all the vectors cloth through this link, including worksheets, problems, activities in addition to assessments.
The exercises in addition to examples are all high character hence I oft piece of employment extracts for my slides in addition to classwork. For example, I've used the Place Value unit of measurement to assistance me excogitation my starting fourth dimension calendar week of lessons amongst Year 7.

CIMT's primary resources are fantabulous too, in addition to may move suitable for some secondary students.
2. Standards Unit
Malcolm Swan's "Improving Learning inwards Mathematics" resources (known every bit the Standards Unit) are brilliant. For years I simply used the activities at the dorsum (often bill of fare sorts), but in addition to hence I discovered that the lesson ideas in addition to questioning prompts are also incredibly helpful.
mature_maths_trainee on TES has position the Standards Unit activities into a 'classroom ready' format, including PowerPoints in addition to activities.
Other classic resources, including the Mathematics Assessment Project (which is similar an American version of the Standards Unit), Bowland Maths in addition to 'the Red Box' tin reach notice move constitute at Shell Centre - encounter my post service 'The Hidden Treasures of Shell Centre' for to a greater extent than nearly this.

3. TROL
Frank Tapson's resources at Teacher Resources Online are reliable classics. Highlights include Pages of Puzzles, Searches in addition to Crossums and Codes in addition to Ciphers. There are also enough of curriculum resources, including swell materials for arithmetic, circles in addition to trigonometry. I e'er honor the 3D trigonometry questions real helpful.
Other treasures include a guide to multiplication methods, a formulary for mathematics (which includes a lovely clear listing of mathematical symbols) in addition to MisMaths - a collection of maths mistakes made inwards the media.

I specially similar the delightful lexicon exercises in addition to vocabulary exercises.
4. TES
There are a few things that position people off using TES for resources: the large disclose of resources (they tin reach notice move fourth dimension consuming to search through), the fact that some resources aren't complimentary (the vast bulk are nonetheless complimentary though), in addition to the large variation inwards resources quality. But at that topographic point are hence many fantabulous resources on TES, I choke along to piece of employment it fairly regularly.

I'm no proficient resources maker, but whenever I brand something that I yell back mightiness move useful to other teachers I upload it to my TES 'shop'. I'd encourage every instructor to do the same. Collaboration is of import inwards our profession - sharing resources ensures nosotros don't all waste matter fourth dimension reinventing the wheel.

Some pop TES maths resources authors include alutwyche, Dan Walker and SRWhitehouse. I can't listing all the good authors hither - at that topographic point are hundreds of authors who brand actually swell resources in addition to part them on TES for free.
5. Nrich
The squad at Cambridge cause got pulled together a wonderful collection of enriching maths problems for all ages. They are used all over the world. For instance 'Right-angled midpoints' is taken from the collection 'Pythagoras' Theorem - Short Problems':
In my post service 'Favourite Problems' I listed a disclose of websites that specialise inwards problems in addition to puzzles - Nrich is considered to move 1 of the best.

And more...
I'm sure that experienced maths teachers reading this volition cause got their ain listing of 'classics' - do allow me know inwards the comments below. For instance I know that GAIM tasks are real popular. If I were to listing every wonderful maths resources website that I know of, this post service would move incredibly long!

Some relatively novel websites, such every bit Median Don StewardUnderground Mathematics and Corbett Maths are sure enough modern classics - every novel maths instructor should move aware of these resources, in addition to many more.

Resources are non the most of import matter nosotros demand to know nearly every bit maths teachers - champaign of report cognition in addition to clarity of explanation come upward starting fourth dimension - but high character resources tin reach notice heighten our teaching. So let's maintain spreading the discussion nearly these classics.