numeracy logoI am ticking things off this list left, right and bloomin’ centre … I am a veritable list-ticking ninja this weekend!

One of the things we’d usually do in gain time in the Summer term, is to check if the maths part of the school website needs updating ready for September (obviously we’re playing catch up!) and we’ve come to the conclusion that ours does need doing NOW!. Put it this way: if your text starts “Maths is a mandatory subject” that might be a massive hint … what message does that send out? Boring! Boring! Boring! Apologies if whoever put the current text together, is reading this, but seriously! We have enough of an issue with the perception that maths is hard or boring as it is!

In the short term we’ve put some words together to replace what is there, but in the longer term we’re after our own page and “me-being-me” one isn’t enough and I’ve asked the gaffer for TWO. One for the maths stuff and the other as a numeracy page … I’ve already decided what we want on them too and done a little logo for it too! I am soooooo all over this!

The maths page will include the links to useful sites (I’m not being rude but please don’t suggest any yet, as I’ll only lose the information … I’ll ask when we’re set up!) and so will include sites like:

  • MyMaths – the subscription was renewed in the Summer term (we didn’t want it and won’t renew next year!) and so a massive chunk of our budget was spent for us (not that I’m bitter about that!!), but whilst we’ve got it we will make use of it for homework.
  • JustMaths Online –OBVIOUSLY!! I’ve already passed on the teacher logins so that the team can get access to the resources and we’re part-way through getting each teaching room sorted with student logins on the displays too!
  • Sumdog – I was amazed that the school isn’t set up to use it already … it is now! The competitions that they run will also get featured in the parent bulletin as part of our aim to raise the profile of maths.
  • SidebarbannerTimes Table Rockstars – I set us up with a trial account yesterday and each teacher has been set up as a band manager. I’ll blog about how we’re hoping to use this later in the week because for the life of me I can’t remember what one of the acronyms means that is used at school and it doesn’t make sense without knowing!! I’ll be back on that one! Basically if the trial goes down well with the students I’m hoping to launch after Christmas with the rest of the school (and also get featured heavily in the parent bulletins!!) So far I’m impressed: I like the look of it and I have the coolest name ever … Suzi Whitesword!

The other thing we want to introduce is a “Maths Question of the Week” on the weekly parent bulletin that is sent out and so I’ve put together the first 8 weeks of questions (QUESTIONS FOR Half term 1 Q1-Q8) – you will have seen most of these before as maths teachers! and then each week the office can just use a new question and aren’t chasing me.

I have also diarised a note to myself to put together the next half terms questions together at half term and even better I have put a note in my diary for gain time to check the website for any changes in readiness for September!!

Now I’m onto the next item on my list.