MPI 9

 Yippee! Kua tutuki, kua ea!

Happy and excited to have completed MPI 2024. It was not easy at all, and sometimes added extra pressure where it was definitely not needed (I recall the end of term 2 being particularly yuck). But nothing worthwhile ever comes easy. I also need to acknowledge my amazing colleagues here at kura, who have often taken on my class as well as their own; and my wonderful principal, who despite being overloaded with normal principal stuff, sometimes took them for English on MPI days. Ka nui te mihi aroha ki a koutou - mwah.

Biggest takeaways from the MPI:

- let the students use materials, even though they are "big kids". One of my most capable students had an important epiphany about fractions after being able to use foam fraction pieces. 

- rich tasks one day a week are an awesome way to get them working in different groups, taking on different roles, and challenging themselves beyond the normal daily maths grind. After five or so weeks of doing them, one student (same student as above, with the fraction pieces) asked if we were going to keep on doing them (and not in an "Ugh" kind of way, but an "Ooh!" kind of way). Implementing them with a new class next year, with Group Rules for Talk from day one, is something I am looking forward to. I also find the planning template really useful, as it helps me to get ahead of what the students might do, or misconceptions they might have, and what they need to be able to do to solve it.

- tip charts for vocabulary. Love them! I have used them a few times during the MPI, and it also helps me to remember important vocab myself. 

- ambitious outcomes. I think too often I keep children back in their maths progress because of gaps that need filling. But I think MPI has made me see that memorising facts (while important) is not EVERYTHING, and that they can continue to learn more complex strategies and build their knowledge at the same time. 

Thank you to all our amazing facilitators! You've all done a wonderful job. Ngā mihi!

 

MPI Day 8

 Te Tauanga me te Tūponotanga - Statistics and Probability: usually taught in term 3 at our kura, as it aligns with other kaupapa such as cross country (great opportunities for measuring heart rates before and after running, and plotting on dot plots, or individual line graphs to show changes over the term) and worldwide events such as the Olympics. From a personal perspective, probability is my least favourite maths strand, and the one that I find the most difficult. As a year 8 teacher (which I have been for the last five years - only a short time really, in my 14 years of teaching!) I have to reteach myself every single third term so that I can teach the students. I can understand the basic principles of the topic, but probability trees in particular are my kryptonite. I was hoping that this session of the MPI would offer more insight or give me that aha! moment I need - maybe upon further exploration of the resources and planning on offer, I might still find it. 

In terms of statistics, while I do find it easy in comparison to probability, it was great to learn about the different types of questions that we should be asking. Some of them call for higher order thinking which is awesome, and I will try to ensure that I include every type of question in my statistics planning from now on, along with opportunities to critically analyse data and graphs. I can see potential for integrating it with critical literacy, especially anything starting with "studies show that" or "according to the statistics"...