singapore math mathz4kidz

Seminar for Kindergarten Parents

2011-11-10T14:40:00.001+08:00

Seminar for K2 Parents

View more presentations from Jimmy Keng

Singapore Math in Arizona

2011-11-05T14:34:00.001+08:00

Singapore Math Administrators Symposium Scottsdale

View more presentations from Jimmy Keng

Strategies for SUCCESS! in Mathematics

2011-11-04T15:30:00.001+08:00

This was the keynote lecture given by Dr Yeap Ban Har at Utah ASCD Conference.

Utah ASCD Conference

View more presentations from Jimmy Keng

How to Engage Students in Mathematics

2011-09-10T20:55:00.000+08:00

First New Teachers' Conference, Manila, 10 September 2011

View more presentations from jimmykeng

Workshop for Parents in Singapore

2011-08-04T00:22:00.001+08:00

This one is on problem-solving heuristics.

Red Swastika School

View more presentations from jimmykeng

USA National Singapore Math Summer Institute in Denver

2011-07-27T02:41:00.001+08:00

National Singapore Math Summer Institute, Denver

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Teacher Professional Development in Chile

2011-07-12T17:18:00.002+08:00

About 60 Chilean educators are completing these courses as part of Certificate in Mathematics Teaching (Primary) with MCI.

MAP101

Primer Encuentro de Formacion Docente

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

MAP201

Primer Encuentro de Formacion Docente MAP201

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math in Worchester State University

2011-07-07T14:28:00.003+08:00

MCI Worchester State University Lecture 1 Yeap

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Plenary Lecture 2

MCI - Worchester State University Singapore Math Institute Plenary Lecture 2

View more presentations from jimmykeng

Plenary Lecture 3

MCI - Worchester State University Singapore Math Institute Plenary Lecture 3

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math in London

2011-06-27T05:40:00.001+08:00

ARK Schools, London

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math is also catching on in London.

Seminar for Parents on Model Method in RGPS

2011-04-23T18:32:00.002+08:00

This is the edited version of the presentation.

RGPS Seminar for Parents (Revised)

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

RGPS Seminar for Parents

Singapore Math in the Netherlands

2011-04-21T05:03:00.001+08:00

MasterClass Utrecht

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

200 Dutch educators came to two MasterClasses in two cities.

Singapore Math at NCTM Indiannapolis

2011-04-15T00:04:00.002+08:00

NCTM2011 Morning Session

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

NCTM2011 Afternoon Session

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Talk for Association for Mathematics Eucators, Singapore

2011-03-12T19:22:00.001+08:00

Association of Mathematics Educators Seminar on PSLE Mathematics

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Seminar for Parents at PLMGS on PSLE

2011-03-06T15:07:00.000+08:00

Seminar for Parents at PLMGS on PSLE

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math in the US - Nashville and Chicago

2011-02-01T01:14:00.002+08:00

Singapore Math Administrators Symposium underlines the importance of school leadership in successful program implementation.

Singapore Math Administrators Symposium, Nashville

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math Administrators Symposium, Chicago

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Education: An Update

2011-01-10T05:44:00.000+08:00

This was first presented in Bangkok, Thailand.

Anglo Singapore Parents' Seminar

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

mathz4kidz Seminar for Parents

2011-01-09T23:04:00.003+08:00

mathz4kidz for parents

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

This was the presentation made to mathz4kidz parents on 26th December 2010.

PISA 2009

2010-12-07T09:11:00.004+08:00

PISA stands for Programme for International Student Assessment conducted under the auspices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The findings is released on 7 December 2010.

65 countries (some countries participated as a city e.g. Shanghai)took part in the study. It is not a competition but it is a study that contains information to help education systems navigate itself in relation to the world.

15-year olds were assessed in areas of reading, maths and science. PISA 2009 has reading as its focus. It is conducted once every three years.

The study finds out the extent to which 15-year olds (those near the end of secondary education) are able to analyse, reason and apply their knowledge in unfamiliar settings.

In particular, the proportion of students in the two highest levels of proficiency (Level 5 and Level 6) is suppose to indicate the proportion of talent pool in a country.

Countries that I have worked with are mostly represented in the study - Singapore, the Netherlands, the US, Chile, Thailand, and Indonesia. The Philippines and Malaysia did not participate. In Singapore, 5152 students randomly sampled 15-year-old students from 167 secondary schools and 131 students from 4 private schools participated in PISA 2009. This is the first time Singapore took part in PISA. It has always taken part in TIMSS which focuses more on attainment of curricular goals and PIRLS.

Look out for a few things in the reports.

Proportion of students in a country that are in the highest level of proficiency in all three domains - reading, maths and science. These is indicative of the talent pool in a country. On average, this is less than 5%.

PISA 2009 focuses on Reading - so there are quite detailed findings about Reading. (In Singapore, students do this portion in English).

Look out for the proportion of students who are deep and wide readers.

Find out what type of reading materials are best in helping students become good readers.

Other than ranking, look out for proportion of top performers in each domain.

Also look for for the indicator that tells us about how students in the lowest quarter in term of socio-economic background perform. This is indicative of social mobilty trough education.

The Executive Summary and the Report is available on the website. In mathematics, China-Shanghai (China participated as provinces rather than as a whole country) was top with Singapore second.Third was China-HongKong (not significantly higher than Korea) with Korea, Chinese Taipei, Finland and Liechtenstein (these countries scores were not statistically different from each others') making up the other top-performing countries. Japan is a notch below with countries like Switzerland, Canada, the Netherlands and China-Macau.

Students' performance at Level 6 and Level 5 are important. This is the excerpt from the Report.

"Proficiency at Level 6 (scores higher than 669 points)
Students proficient at Level 6 on the mathematics scale can conceptualise, generalise, and utilise information based on their investigations and modelling of complex problem situations. They can link different information sources and representations and flexibly translate them. They are capable of advanced mathematical thinking and reasoning. These students can apply insight and understanding, along with a mastery of symbolic and formal mathematical operations and relationships, to develop new approaches and strategies for addressing novel situations. Students at this level can formulate and accurately communicate their actions and reflections regarding their findings,interpretations, arguments, and the appropriateness of these to the given situations.

Across OECD countries, an average of 3.1% of students perform at Level 6 in mathematics. In Korea and Switzerland,around 8% of students are at this level, and more than 5% of students in Japan, Belgium and New Zealand perform at this level. Among the partner countries and economies, in Shanghai-China, more than one-quarter of students perform at Level 6, while in Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong-China the proportion is 15.6%, 11.3% and 10.8%, respectively. In contrast, less than 1% of students in Mexico, Chile, Greece and Ireland reach Level 6, and in the partner countries Kyrgyzstan, Indonesia, Colombia, Jordan, Albania, Tunisia and Panama, the percentage is close to zero.

Proficiency at Level 5 (scores higher than 607 but lower than or equal to 669 points)
Students proficient at Level 5 can develop and work with models in complex situations, identifying constraints and specifying assumptions. They can select, compare, and evaluate appropriate problem-solving strategies for dealing with complex problems related to these models. Students at this level can work strategically using broad, well-developed thinking and reasoning skills, appropriately linked representations, symbolic and formal characterisations,and insight pertaining to these situations.

Across OECD countries, an average of 12.7% of students are proficient at Level 5 or higher. Korea is the OECD country with the highest percentage of students – 25.6% – at Level 5 or 6. Switzerland, Finland,Japan and Belgium have more than 20% of students at these levels, while in the partner countries and economies Singapore, Hong Kong-China and Chinese Taipei, the percentage of students at these levels is 35.6%, 30.7% and 28.6%, respectively, and in Shanghai-China, more than half of all students perform at least at Level 5. With the exception of Chile and Mexico, more than 5% of students in every OECD country reach at least Level 5.

Jakarta Post

2010-11-23T13:49:00.005+08:00

http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/11/23/expert-calls-math-teaching-revamp.html

This article was written by a journalist who attended the launch of Maths Champion - the Indonesian version of My Pals Are Here! Mathematics.

In the article, the 'learning centres' the journalist wrote is actually Professional Learning Communities (PLC). I was describing the fact that in Singapore teachers learn to become better teachers through a school-based approach to professional development.

Singapore Math in Chile

2010-10-15T14:50:00.003+08:00

http://www.mineduc.cl/index2.php?id_contenido=12322&id_portal=1&id_seccion=9

This is the Englsih translation of the information on Chilean Ministry of Education website.

Ministry of Education will begin to apply Singapore method for learning of mathematics

Textbooks used for teaching this methodology will be delivered in March 2011.

40 000 children of first and second grades in 300 schools across the country will be involved.

In a seminar organised by the Ministry of Education and delivered by one of the experts of the Singapore method for teaching mathematics, Dr. Yeap Ban Har, principals and teachers were given an understanding of the method.

Dr. Yeap Ban Har, PhD in mathematics education, was for many years an academic at the National Institute of Education of Nanyang Technological University. During the seminar, he explained that the teaching of mathematics must not be such that many students do not learn it well. He said, "I have seen taught classes of Chilean students and they have the same potential as children in my country. It is possible that they also enjoy mathematics and have high achievement."

The methodology applied in Singapore has resulted in the series of textbooks "Thinking without Boundaries" or "Pensar sin Limites in Spanish. The books are for students in the first six grades.

The Mineduc will deliver the book to about 40 000 students in first and second grades in 300 educational establishments of the country, both public and private subsidized schools, which constitute a representative sample of schools in the country.

For Barbara Eyzaguirre, coordinator of educational standards of the Ministry of Education, "It is important for Chile to achieve progress in the training of students in mathematics and for this we must consider policies that help students so that they can actually achieve an international standard."

During the seminar in Santiago, some teachers from schools that are currently using this method, highlighting the good results achieved by their students.

This learning system aims to develop reasoning abilities and the ability to solve problems, with three major focus: focus on the visualization of mathematical problems through the use of diagrams, using an approach that allows progress from concrete to the pictorial to finally reach the abstract, and a deep understanding of the concepts, logical thinking and mathematical creativity - in contrast to the application of formulas without meaning.

To achieve these goals, Dr. Yeap Ban Har explain that spiral curriculum plays an important role, where students encounter core ideas for several years, but each time with different degrees of depth. In addition, practice with systematic, gradual variations is important.

This method is based on a problem-solving approach and relies on the use of visuals, concrete materials and good practice, will be implemented in schools in Chile from next year.

Singapore Math in Denver Colorado

2010-10-08T20:24:00.001+08:00

The first presentation is on problem solving and the second one is on features of early grades mathematics in Singapore.

NCTM 2010 Regional Conferences & Expositions Denver 1

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

NCTM 2010 Regional Conferences & Expositions Denver 2

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math in Chile (University of Santiago de Chile)

2010-10-02T19:08:00.001+08:00

I made a presenttaion on multiplicative fields

University of Santiago de Chile Multiplication

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

and assessment.

Seminar at Colegio Inmaculada Conception, Universidad Andres Bello & San Benito School Santiago

2010-09-29T15:33:00.003+08:00

This presentation was made at the launch of My Pals Are Here! Mathematics Spanish Edition called Pensar sin Limites (PSL).

Other than three public seminars, this was also presented at various schools that strated their journey in using PSL

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Seminar at Colegio Inmaculada Conception, Universidad Andres Bello &San Benito School Santiago

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Minisitry of Education of Chile

2010-09-28T16:06:00.004+08:00

Chile MOE Seminar Spanish

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Dr Yeap Ban Har was invited to speak at this seminar which was hel first in Coneption on 28 September 2010 and again in Santiago two days later. There is now a Spanish edition of My Pals Are Here! Mathematics.

Chile MOE Seminar English

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math in the Netherlands

2010-09-20T12:48:00.001+08:00

http://www.vkblog.nl/bericht/346835/Nieuwe_rekenmethode_uit_Singapore_een_oplossing

Another item on Singapore Math in Dutch. And this is another one ...

http://www.vkblog.nl/bericht/346835/Nieuwe_rekenmethode_uit_Singapore_een_oplossing

Singapore Math in The Netherlands

2010-09-17T10:03:00.002+08:00

This is Day 2 presentation on the bar model.

Singapore Math in The Netherlands

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

This is the Final Day presentation.

Singapore Math in the Netherlands Day 3

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Global Forum on Singapore Mathematics 2010 Hyatt Hotel Singapore

2010-09-16T14:03:00.003+08:00

Paper 1

Global forum paper 1

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Paper 2

Global forum paper 2

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Paper 3

Global Forum on Singapore Mathematics Paper 3

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Singapore Math in the Netherlands

2010-09-16T02:59:00.003+08:00

A leading Dutch newspaper Volkskrant published this article that attracted a lot of media attention. Dated 15 September 2010.

AMSTERDAM - In 1995 ontdekte Ban Har Yeap (42) voor het eerst dat kinderen in Singapore beter kunnen rekenen dan elders in de wereld. De Singaporees kreeg een vergelijkende studie van internationale rekenprestaties van basisschoolkinderen onder ogen: Singapore voerde al jaren de lijst aan.

Rekentalentjes tref je in elk land. Het zit hem vooral in de grote middengroep. Meer dan 40 procent van de Singaporese kinderen kan lastige rekenproblemen oplossen. Tegen een internationaal schamel gemiddelde van 4 procent.

Sindsdien reist docent en docentenopleider Yeap over de wereld – van de VS en Chili tot Noorwegen en Zuid-Afrika – om het Singaporese rekenen toe te lichten. Dit jaar is Nederland aan de beurt. Vanaf volgend schooljaar introduceren uitgever van lesmethodes Bazalt en onderwijsadviesbureau Haags Centrum voor Onderwijsadvies de methode op de Nederlandse markt.

In Den Haag is de methode op drie basisscholen getest. Met succes. De kinderen vonden rekenen direct leuker, zegt Lionel Kole van Bazalt. ‘Al was het maar omdat ze mochten tekenen tijdens het oplossen van de sommen.’

Kern
Dat is meteen ook de kern van de methode, zegt Yeap. De Singaporese rekenmethode is sterk visueel. Kinderen leren geen formele algebra, ze leren rekenen via het ‘strookmodel’. Yeap geeft een voorbeeld. Op een blaadje schrijft hij: X + Y = 11 en X +3Y= 29. Een verzameling tekens die personen met enige rekenvrees een milde stress kunnen bezorgen.

‘Bij ons lossen kinderen van 8 dit met gemak op’, zegt Yeap. Hij tekent twee poppetjes. Een jongetje en een meisje. Allebei met een koffer. De koffer van de jongen weegt 11 kilo, die van het meisje 29. De kleren in de koffer van het meisje zijn drie keer zo zwaar als die van de jongen, zegt Yeap. Bij verdere uitleg snapt zelfs de verslaggeefster het.

Yeap bekeek Nederlandse rekenmethodes. Tot zijn verbazing ontwaarde hij een interne contradictie: je moet goed in rekenen zijn om te leren rekenen. ‘Daarom scoren alleen de kinderen met een abstract talent hoog in Nederland en de rest van de wereld.’ In Singapore en andere Zuid-Oost Aziatische landen, waar gebruik wordt gemaakt van het visuele rekenen, scoren alle kinderen hoger. Vooral voor kinderen met een beperkte of matige aanleg voor wiskunde en rekenen is de methode een uitkomst.

Hard werken
Dat er in Zuid-Oost Azië goed wordt gerekend, verbaast mensen vaak niet. Yeap: ‘Leren en hard werken is in onze cultuur belangrijk, maar daarmee verklaar je de resultaten niet. Enerzijds focust onze methode zich op één onderwerp per keer en dat over de duur van vele jaren. Anderzijds worden onderwijzers intensief opgeleid en krijgen ze ook als ze al werken elk jaar nog honderd uur rekenles.’

Nog een voorbeeld. Een kind van 9 rekent moeiteloos 351:3 uit. Yeap: ‘Ze zien het getal als 300 en 30 en 21. Ze denken in blokjes en plaatjes. Dat is een veel natuurlijkere manier van rekenen dan puur abstract.’

Deze week leidt Yeap diverse Nederlandse lerarenopleiders op in de methode. Meestal zijn de reacties zeer positief. ‘Hèhè, eindelijk snap ik het ook, zeggen ze vaak.’

Een ander voordeel is het rekenplezier. Waar in Nederland maar een klein percentage op de middelbare school voor een bètaprofiel kiest, gooit in Singapore geen enkel kind wiskunde uit zijn pakket. Yeap: ‘Waarom? Omdat rekenen leuk is.’

(if you can read Dutch)

Presentation Slides
Day 1

Rotterdam Day 1

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Keynote Lecture at Centre of Excellence (Mathematics) East Zone in Singapore

2010-09-11T23:18:00.000+08:00

Games in Maths

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Yeap Ban Har at East Asian Regional Conference on Mathematics Education 5

2010-08-15T09:48:00.000+08:00

EARCOME 5 Plenary Panel Discussion

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Professional Development for Teachers in Florida by Yeap Ban Har

2010-08-01T21:06:00.000+08:00

St Edward's School, Florida

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Seminar for Parents & Tutors on Primary 1 & 2 Maths

2010-07-17T18:55:00.002+08:00

http://www.stu.org.sg/Professional10/Advert%20-%20Maths%20Workshop%20for%20Lower%20Pri%20Maths%201.htm

This course is organised by Singapore Teachers' Union for the end of July.

Seminar for Parents on PSLE Maths

2010-06-28T00:00:00.003+08:00

How to Ace PSLE Maths

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

This is one of the many talks on PSLE Mathematics that I give throughout the year.

Henry Park Primary School Seminar for Parents

2010-05-22T15:34:00.004+08:00

I am glad the school with the alumni association took the trouble to do this for the parents. I was also able to meet two friends, from school and from university days whom I have not seen for a while. There were so many questions during the break - which is good - that I did not manage to catch up with them.

2010 Henry Park Primary School Seminar for Parents

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Developing Critical Thinkers Through Singapore Math

2010-05-21T01:26:00.001+08:00

This seminar was given to teachers and parents at Keys Grade School.

Developing Critical Thinking Through Singapore Math

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

AIR 2009 Report on Singapore, Korea and Hong Kong Mathematics Curriculum

2010-05-10T07:03:00.002+08:00

http://www.air.org/files/MathStandards.pdf

Bina Bangsa School Professional Development

2010-05-09T23:30:00.001+08:00

BBS April 2010 Singapore Math in Indonesia by BBS Maths Consultant Dr Yeap Ban Har

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

NCTM2010 Presentation by Yeap Ban Har, Patsy Wang and Richard Askey

2010-05-03T19:36:00.002+08:00

NCTM 2010 Can Singapore Math Help U.S. Students?

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Presentations at Boston and San Diego

2010-04-26T03:04:00.004+08:00

These are available at www.mathz4kidz.com as well as math.nie.edu.sg/T3. I have also posted some on my facebook.

By the way, my students created something to help kids learn the model method www.ultimath.com This was their project for research education when they were in secondary two and three.

AME PSLE Seminar

2010-03-15T17:36:00.004+08:00

Ame Psle Seminar

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Seminar for Parents Fairfield Methodist Primary School & Griffiths Primary School 26 & 27 February 2010

2010-03-01T12:22:00.001+08:00

2010 Parents Psle Fairfield

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Public Seminar by Singapore Teachers' Union 6 Feb 2010

2010-02-05T08:08:00.005+08:00

STU organized a seminar for members of the public - teachers and educators on the topic of PSLE examination. Helping Students with PSLE Mathematics is a seminar to help adults helping children understand the current views on what constitute doing mathematics and how this is assessed in the national examination. Strategies to help students are demonstrated during the seminar. See http://www.stu.org.sg under Professional Development.

Parents Seminars

2009-11-23T04:48:00.002+08:00

In the last three weeks, I have conducted three seminars for parents. In Singapore, Singapore Teachers' Union conducted a seminar on the model method. In Manila, Vavier School and Ateneo de Manila University Grade School had seminars for their parents. In Jakarta, Bina Bangsa School also did the same thing.

The event at Xavier School Manila is reported at http://w3.xs.edu.ph/?p=7101

Teaching Kindergarten Mathematics 10th Creating a World-Class Education Conference Manila, The Philippines 5-6 November 2009

2009-11-06T09:40:00.001+08:00

Teaching Kindergarten Mathematics 10th Creating a World-Class Education Conference Manila, The Philippines

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Paradigms In Mathematical Education For The 21st Century _22 24 October 2009 Valencia Spain

2009-10-17T21:43:00.000+08:00

Paradigms In Mathematical Education For The 21st Century 22 24 October 2009 Valencia Spain

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Conference on Singapore Math Strategies

2009-07-21T09:44:00.002+08:00

The first conference held in Las Vegas attracted 800+ participants. Other than the keynote lectures, I conducted several sessions during the conference. The titles of the sessions are given below together with the approximate number of participants:

A-2: How Can I Help My Students See It? Developing Visualization (180 pax)
B-2: Questioning Questions: Techniques for Improving Attitudes (200 pax)
B-9: Strategies for Teaching Challenging Word Problems (170 pax)
C-2: Mental Math Mastery (with Char Forsten) (280 pax)
C-11: Piece of Cake: Teaching Fractions (240 pax with many gatecrashers!)
D-3: Developing Thinking Skills & Habits of Mind (130 pax)
D-9: Lesson Study & Singapore Math (100 pax)
E-1: Creative Thinking for Students Who Struggle (170 pax)
F-19: Open Forum: Q&A With Dr Yeap Ban Har (50 pax)
G-1: Activity-Based Lessons (140 pax)

A-2 was taught using exampless from Grades 7-12 for the National Conference on Differentiated Instruction (19-22 July 2009). D-9 was also repeated during this conference. A new session The 5 Math Competencies was developed for the DI conference. Each session has about 150 pax.

The next National Conference on Singapore Math will be held in July 2010 in Las Vegas.

Keynote Lecture at USA National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies 13-16 July 2009 at Las Vegas, USA

2009-07-20T07:46:00.001+08:00

Keynote Lecture at USA National Conference on Singapore Math Strategies 13-16 July 2009 at Las Vegas, USA

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

A Great Way to Increase Children's Intelligence! - Mathematics Can Do That!

2009-06-24T23:56:00.000+08:00

A Great Way To Increase Children Intelligent! Math Can Do That!

View more OpenOffice presentations from jimmykeng.

20th June Penang ; A Great Way to Increase Children's Intelligence! - Mathematics Can Do That!

2009-06-21T22:12:00.000+08:00

Education in the US

2009-05-17T13:25:00.002+08:00

Education Secretary Arne Duncan

"Last week I went to Berkeley County, West Virginia, to begin an open, honest conversation about education reform. I wanted to hear ideas about how we can accomplish President Obama's goal of providing every child in America a complete and competitive education, from cradle through career. As we prepare for the reauthorization of No Child Left Behind, I want to hear from classroom teachers and other educators, parents and students, business people and citizens. What's working, and what's not? What do we need to do that we're not doing, and what do we need to stop doing - or do differently?

In the coming weeks, I will ask questions here. Topics will include raising standards, strengthening teacher quality, using data to improve learning, and turning around low-performing schools. I will be reading what you say. So will others here at the U.S. Department of Education.Today, I want to start with a simple set of questions:

Many states in America are independently considering adopting internationally-benchmarked, college and career-ready standards. Is raising standards a good idea? How should we go about it?

Let the conversation begin!"

Arne Duncan

NCTM Every Child Counts

2009-05-08T22:20:00.001+08:00

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

NCTM Every Child Counts

View more presentations from jimmykeng.

Mathematical Concepts & Skills in Primary 1 Mathematics

2009-04-12T23:22:00.003+08:00

Mathematical Concepts & Skills in Primary 1 Mathematics

View more presentations from Mathz4kidz Learning centre.

A Seminar for Parents Helping Your Child Prepare for PSLE Mathematics

2009-04-12T23:22:00.001+08:00

A Seminar for Parents Helping Your Child Prepare for PSLE Mathematics

View more presentations from Mathz4kidz Learning centre.

Some Quotes

2009-03-10T10:46:00.002+08:00

Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please.
Mark Twain

If you give me four hours to chop down a tree, I will spend threesharpening my axe.
Abraham Lincoln

Tests alone can't evaluate teachers.
Gerald Bracey, researcher/writer in education matters

Judging mathematics by its pragmatic value is like judging symphoniaby the weight of its score.
Alexander Bogomolny, creator of "Cut the Knot"

Correction does much, but encouragement does more.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Because we know America can't out compete the world tomorrow if ourchildren are being out educated today, we are making the largestinvestment in education in our nation's history.
Barack Obama

To succeed, you must first improve; to improve, you must firstpractice; to practice, you must first learn; to learn, you must first ail.
Wesley Woo

Fail again. Fail better.
Jonathan Lundell

Inspiration never arrived when you were searching for it.
Lisa Alther, American novelist

Special Date

2009-03-03T23:50:00.002+08:00

Today 3rd March 2009 is special ... 03.03.09. As many of us would have realized The product of 3 and 3 is 9. We say the square of 3 is 9 or the square root of 9 is 3. The last time we had this was 02.02.04, that was in 2004 and 01.01.01, that was in 2001. When is the next date when we have squares and square roots such as this?

WebSites

2009-02-28T06:52:00.003+08:00

Have you been to http://illuminations.nctm.org/? There are plenty of resources for teachers (and parents) to select for thier children to use. I was told there are some new materials for those who have been using this website before.

An Article in The Guardian 17 Jan 2009

2009-02-24T07:38:00.005+08:00

"Perhaps the real key to Singapore's success, though, is the rare combination of traditional teaching and discipline, and a holistic, child-based approach."

I think this is an important observation from this article. It reminds us that the different approaches discussed by educators are not mutually exclusive. Yeap Ban Har

An outsider's perspective on education system in Singapore

Lessons from Singapore by Mike Baker (The Guardian)

How do you achieve a school system consistently in the top three in the world for maths and science, fourth for literacy, and described by experts as leading the world in teaching quality? Moreover, how do you manage to get 80% of pupils to pass five or more O-levels when they are taught in their second language in classes of 35? The answers are found in Singapore.

I have just accompanied winners of the Teaching Awards on a study visit to Singapore. It was organised by the charity CfBT Education Trust, which has sent British teachers to several countries to see what they can learn from other school systems.

So what did they expect to find? One assistant headteacher from the Midlands expected to see "a very traditional curriculum, rows of pupils, teacher in front, students there to learn". And indeed she did. But she also saw a whole lot more: traditional methods blended with more progressive thinking, and a focus on teaching the whole child, not just on exam results. It gave the British teachers plenty to ponder.

International comparisons are fraught with difficulties; it is easy to forget that what works in one country will not flourish in another. But Singapore has many similarities to the UK. The official language of school instruction is English, there is a national curriculum, and the national examinations are O- and A-levels, administered by Cambridge Assessment.

It was soon clear to the British teachers that there are similar challenges. Singapore is a multi-ethnic, multilingual society. Pupils are obsessed with mobile phones and computer games, and are, as one Singapore school principal put it, the "strawberry generation: easily bruised and damaged".

So why does it work? First, education is the government's top priority. That is not just rhetoric: a country with no natural resources (it even has to import water) knows it lives and dies by its collective brainpower. The ministry of education is very close to schools; as all teachers and principals are civil servants, they regularly rotate through postings to the ministry.

Teachers speak approvingly of the way the ministry supports initiatives with targeted funding. Or, as one former headteacher put it, the system runs on "top-down support for bottom-up initiatives".

For example, there is a drive to boost learning outside the classroom. The government provides funds for school visits, clubs and extra-curricular activities, enabling them to make such activities compulsory. Pupils are regularly graded on these activities, and the grades count towards entry to further education.

In another reform, the ministry announced recently that all primary schools would move to single-session teaching, with the juniors taught in the morning and the infants in the afternoon. This will bring smaller classes, better pupil-teacher ratios, and allow a programme of compulsory extra-curricular activities for the juniors in the afternoon.

Like England, Singapore is undergoing a big school building programme. But there is no disruption while the builders are in, as the whole school decamps to a vacant school nearby. The government maintains spare capacity for this very purpose.

In a reform called the Integrated Programme, schools with more able pupils are encouraged to bypass exams at 16, allowing greater curriculum flexibility right through to A-levels.

One visiting headteacher from Essex was struck by the real stretch offered to more able pupils, the "clear articulation of ideas between government and schools", and the way the whole system not only "talked the talk, but also walked the walk".

Perhaps the real key to Singapore's success, though, is the rare combination of traditional teaching and discipline, and a holistic, child-based approach. In the UK, we tend to see these as mutually exclusive opposites.

mikebakereducation.co.uk

The Missing Link

2009-02-13T20:50:00.005+08:00

Try this task. You need to arrange four different Vietnamese dolls in a row. Find the number of different ways of doing this. Two ways are shown in the photos . . . Finding one arrangement is not problem solving. Finding a couple of ways is also not problem solving. What is problem solving? Finding all the possible ways, knowing that one has not found all the ways, or knowing that one has, is problem solving. Polya described problem solving as comprising four stages (1) understand (2) plan (3) do and (4) look back. Perhaps students who consistently not able to handle problem solving may have been doing only three of the four stages. Often, they have limited opportunities to do the look back phase. In other words, they have not been doing problem solving, in the true sense of the word, all this while. They have only been engaged in parts of the problem-solving process - that perhaps explain why they have not develop expertise in problm solving. One cannot be good at something unless one has gone through, and has practise, the entire thing.

Number Bonds & Model Method

2009-01-04T12:30:00.003+08:00

If number bonds and model method are part of your conversation then this blog is for you. As parents in Singapore sent their kids back to schools last Friday, the perennial concerns of how to do better in mathematics and in school surface again. I have no doubts parents elsewhere have the same concerns.

Technology is pervasive and become increasinlgly so. In helping our children with mathematics, we should help them to develop their human qualities and sometimes with the use of technology. Use mathematics to help them develop the ability in abstract thinking, help them improve in their visualization ability, guide them to see patterns, spot trends and make generalization, encourage them to use words and other medium to describe their thoughts concisely and precisely with increasing clarity and sophistication. These are human qualities that we want our children to develop and mathematics is "an excellent vehicle" to help student develop and improve such intellectual competencies (Ministry of Education Singapore, 2006).

This first entry of the year aims to help us re-focus the business of helping our children with school mathematics in ways which are beneficial and enjoyable both for the children as well as for the adults helping them.

Technology

2008-12-27T10:49:00.002+08:00

There are probably two aspects to helping teachers use technology in teaching (mathematics). One is the use of technology. The other is the human qualities that must be developed through the use of technology. As technology takes over the nitty gritty of machine skills, instructional efforts can then be directed to developing human qualities. For example, as the calculator takes over tedious computations, students can perform many computations effortlessly to observe patterns and make generalization.

SJI Junior International Parents Seminar

2008-11-21T11:04:00.001+08:00

Chicago Lecture 3

2008-11-16T10:37:00.000+08:00

Plenary lecture presented at International Conference on Science and Mathematics Education 2008 by Dr.Yeap Ban Har

2008-11-14T22:18:00.000+08:00

Plenary lecture presented at International Conference on Science and Mathematics Education 2008 by Dr.Yeap ...

Get your own at Scribd or explore others: Education Primary and High Sch mathematics educatio

Chicago Lecture 2

2008-11-14T17:53:00.001+08:00

Chicago Lecture 1

2008-11-14T17:52:00.001+08:00

Teaching Second Grade in Edgewood School in Scarsdale USA

2008-11-12T05:34:00.004+08:00

For the first 15 minutes, I was worried as the children did not seem ready to engage in some difficult thinking. I had asked them to pick two 1-digit numbers from a stack of cards. Rohit volunteered and picked 3 and 3. I told them that the 3 and 3 were used to make 33 and 6 (3 + 3) and then the difference 33 - 6 was found. We used the 100-chart to help with the subtraction.

Another girl picked 8 and 6 and again we used those to form 86 and 14 and found the difference 86 - 14. I told them that even if I could not see the second number, I can still work out the difference!

This is a multi-step process problem. The children seemed lost in the many steps. They were not entirely ready for this and I had to do something to help them remember what the problem was all about. Some constantly thought that I was guessing the second number (i.e. 6 when the girl picked 8 and 6), instead of the answer to the third step - after using 8 and 6 to form 86, 8 + 6 = 14 and finding the difference between 86 and 14.

(I used the term difference very early in the lesson. I would not have done this in Singapore as I am aware that we introduce this term only in Primary 3. But I thought these kids being kids in U.S. would know the term. Clearly it was a wrong assumption - second graders who know subtraction may not comprehend the term difference.)

To help them remember, I constant got them to refer to the cases we have tried how the three numbers 86, 14 and 72 were obtained.

Each of the four groups were then invited to picked two numbers but not show the second one. I then wrote down the final answer for each case. We then checked and each time the answer was correct.

I asked the children to tell how the magic worked.

There was an early suggestion from Rohit and the boy in front of him that the answer was obtained through multiplication. However, as they had not yet learnt the multiplication tables, they struggled with this. I invited the children to checked if the answers was in their 'book of magic' which was just their exercise books which happen to have multiplicaton tables.

I gave some hints and many children could see that the tens digit in the answer is related to the first digit they chose. Someone else described that the sum of the digits in the answer is 9.

I asked Michael, who struggled with the task and seemed to start to lose interest in the lesson, to come out and helped me. Later, he told the Principal that he was nervous when he was called. I guided him and in the end he could see that the digits add to 9. He seemed more engaged after that.

I let the children try the trick among themselves and, just before we ended, gave them a few examples to try.

We had a roomful of teachers observing the children. It was a modified lesson study of sorts. The photographs of the lesson and a discussion of the mathematics will be posted here in the near future.

I did the same problem with teachers at Stamford Primary School in Singapore. The teachers came up with two ways - multiplying the first digit by 9 as well as to reduce the tens digit by 1 and making sure the sum of the digits in the final answer is 9. They could also explain method that multiply the first digit by 8 or by 10.

Bandung & Semarang Parents Seminar Oct 08

2008-10-25T16:05:00.001+08:00

Teaching in Chile on YouTube

2008-10-24T10:41:00.004+08:00

This is a video clip (in Spanish) to document my experience teaching a class in a public school in Chile. It was a third grade class, solving a problem based on addition of three one-digit number. I have taught similar lessons to second grade Thai students and first grade Singapore students.

Lesson Study for LSM Teachers

2008-09-21T22:56:00.000+08:00

Lesson Study for LSM Teachers - Upload a Document to Scribd

Symposium on Emerging Issues in the Mathematics Curriculum (Manila, The Philippines)PPT

2008-09-21T22:36:00.000+08:00

Manila CEM - Upload a Document to Scribd

Symposium on Emerging Issues in the Mathematics Curriculum (Manila, The Philippines) 17 July 2008

2008-09-21T22:31:00.000+08:00

Manila CEM - Upload a Document to Scribd

Why Cavemen Drew on Cave Walls

2008-06-30T23:09:00.004+08:00

Pre-historic cavemen already knew what the human brain is not good in - it is not good in memorizing large amount of information and it is not good in doing procedures. They drew on cave walls to help them retain information. They created simple machines to carry out procedures. Mankind's subsequant endeavour in inventing paper and creating more and more powerful computer storage devices as well as our attempt to invent increasingly complex and sophisticated machines only tell us one thing - the human brain is not superior in memorizing and doing procedures. Making children learn mathematics by memorizing and doing procedures result in two things - they don't do well or they struggle, only to do well superficially. Our brain is a visual brain. Our brain is good at spotting patterns and trends and coming to a general conclusion. Get children to visualize. Get them to look for patterns and make connections when they learn mathematics. These are their strengths. In turn, these abilities become increasingly more and more powerful. Mathematics is about visualization and looking for patterns. Mathematics is not about memorization and procedures.

Teaching in Chile

2008-06-29T13:18:00.004+08:00

The children were asked to arranged numbers one to five in a certain arrangement such that the total of the three horizontal numbers and the total of the three vertical numbers are the same. Later, the sets of numbers were changes to two to six, three to seven and four to eight. Each time, the children were asked to tell what the common total was. For each set of numbers, there were three possible totals. Finally, the children were asked to predict the possible totals if the sets of numbers were five to nine and ten to fourteen.

During my visit to Universidad del Pacifico, I had the good fortune to use this problem with a third-grade class in a public school and a fourth grade class in a private school, both in Chile. I have taught many lessons using such and other problems to primary school children in Singapore. In the public school, the children were less confident. In the private school, they were more so. In Singapore, some classes were closer to the class in the public school and others were more similar to the class in the private school. In some of these classes, the children had stronger basics. In others, the basics were not quite in place yet. In Singapore, the children spoke in English. In Chile, they spoke mostly in Spanish. Singapore students often performed well in international comparative study. Chilean students, less so.

But the potential of the Chilean children was not any less than that of Singaporean children. The Chilean kids were as engaged as the kids in Singapore. They were just as enthusiastic in trying to solve the problems. Their faces lit up when they managed. They looked puzzled when two of their friends gave conflicting information. They discovered for themselves who was right. They did all these and more, just like Singaporean kids.

I learnt that kids everywhere have the same potential. I believe that given the same opportunities kids everywhere will reach the same pinnacle.

EL Mercurio News

About mathz4kidz

2008-06-15T14:26:00.001+08:00

mathz4kidz implements programs that are consistent with the philosophy of SingaporeMath. The vision of mathz4kidz is Where A Child Grows to Be Creative & Critical Problem Solvers which emphasizes holistic development of children through a rigorous mathematics program. The overarching ACT framework directs the development and implementation of teaching materials. ACT refers to the three key competencies that mathz4kidz hopes children will develop - Attitude, Communication and Thinking. mathz4kidz's long-term goals include to develop research-based mathematics programs based on SingaporeMath.

About SingaporeMath

2008-06-15T13:46:00.003+08:00

SingaporeMath has gained an international reputation for helping average students attain high achievement levels and enjoy mathematics. Some prominent features of SingaporeMath includes the emphasis on complex problem solving and concept development through the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach. A prominent feature of SingaporeMath is simple explanations for difficult concepts.

SingaporeMath's emphasis on the development of students' intellectual competencies is consistent with the importance placed on nurturing knowledge workers and people who can participate fully in an increasingly technological world. Textbooks based on SingaporeMath have been adopted in many countries around the world. As of this year, there is even a Standards Edition of a K-5 textbook series based on SingaporeMath.

TIMSS has consistently found that Singapore students perform well in mathematics. A 2005 study by American institute for research (AIR) found that SingaporeMath Grade 6 problems are "more challenging than the released items on the U.S. Grade 8 National Assessment of Education Progress (p.xiii)". It was also found that SingaporeMath "are rich with problem-based development (p.xii)" instead of focusing on the mechanics of mathematics and the application of definitions and formulae to routine problems. A 2007 article in Educational Leadership concluded that "using the bar model approach, Singapore textbooks enable students to solve difficult math problems - and learn how to think symbolically ".

This emphasis on visual methods in SingaporeMath could be a contributing factor to why Singapore students are able to sustain their achievement level from Grade 4 to Grade 8.