The Year 6 Number stream of the new mathematics Curriculum contains a notable content descriptor: multiply and divide decimals by multiples of powers of 10 without a calculator, applying knowledge of place value and proficiency with multiplication facts; using estimation and rounding to check the reasonableness of answers (AC9M6N06) Yep, we’re just like Singapore.
This post will be about the new Curriculum, of course, but first a bit about the draft curriculum that preceded it. In August last year, there was a Zoom meeting between representatives of ACARA and AMSI (and of member organisations) to discuss the draft mathematics curriculum, a delayed response to AMSI’s submission calling for a halt […]
Ben Jensen is a think tank guy. Ben is CEO or King or whatever of something called Learning First. We’re not a fan of think tanks, but Ben appears to be pretty smart. Ben writes clearly and for a purpose, and demonstrably Ben is playing for The Good Team. He can play better.
“Boy, the food at this place is really terrible.” “Yeah, I know. And such small portions.” “And they won’t even serve it to us.” Yep, ACARA is even worse than Woody Allen’s Catskills resort. This charmingly insidious aspect of ACARA’s appalling mathematics curriculum was pointed out to me by blog-commenter Storyteller, while discussing my Cones […]
First, enjoy some great Kraftwerk, because, and just because: Regular readers may recall Australian reporter Natasha Bita. Natasha did some really excellent stenographic work for ACARA. Natasha also played right along with AMSI’s most recent Chicken Little crusade. It turns out that Natasha is an excellent stenographer even when there’s nothing to stenograph.
We still haven’t had the time, the energy or the stomach to analyse ACARA’s sparkly new curriculum. We’ll get there, we promise. In the meantime, Ole Warnaar, the President of the Australian Mathematical Society and previous recipient of ACARA’s contempt, has written bluntly on just how farcical was the final act of ACARA’s two-year farce. […]
This post, as indicated by the title, is ostensibly about the State of declining enrolments in mathematics subjects. That State, as we shall see, turns out to be Queensland. But, first things first. Last week, AMSI released its annual Mathematics Participation Report Card, complete with a media release and a media notice of an Australian story […]
Is it significant that Keith Devlin’s twitter handle has “prof” in it, and that the name of Devlin’s website has “prof” in it? Maybe not, but at the moment it feels significant. Greg “Non-Prof” Ashman could reasonably regard it as significant. Last week we wrote a bit about Slow Jo Boaler, her threat to call […]
We’ve been trying to tone down the language on this blog. Honestly. But education reporters make it so damn hard. To be fair, most of the reports of the passing of ACARA’s curriculum have been ok. Not good, not exhibiting much in the way of thought or memory or reflection, but ok. Sure, the reporters […]
Yesterday, ACARA’s draft curriculum was approved by the Ministers, as it was always going to be. The draft is, of course, still secret, since when did ACARA ever give a stuff about what anybody thinks? The draft is due to appear in a couple weeks. We shall be ready. Until the draft is released, there […]