Mel Muldowney - justmaths

THE list

7 August 202618 August 2015 by Mel Muldowney

Cue the M&S advert music. This isn’t just any list. This is a maths list. There are perils in writing a list. When I’m trying to sleep at night I lie on the edge of my bed with my ipad on the floor and read blogs. Maths blogs. I am not saying they are the … Read more

I’m saying “nowt” …

7 August 202617 August 2015 by Mel Muldowney

I thought I’d get in before the deluge of tweets and blogs about grade boundaries, grade inflation, higher versus foundation (and so on) starts this week (no doubt there will be “some sort” of media frenzy!) and I thought I’d have my say early. I am going to try to avoid the hype if I … Read more

One exam board .. Part 1

7 August 202614 August 2015 by Mel Muldowney

I’ve split this post into two parts .. you know how I love to “rabble on”. This part looks at the most recent (since 2012) government documents relating to their (read that as Gove’s) drive for a single exam board and the second is looking at it in the wider sense with a bit more … Read more

#ChineseSchool 2

7 August 202612 August 2015 by Mel Muldowney

People!! Let’s remember its TV. Before this week’s #ChineseTeachers started I checked my crystal ball and could see it all going horribly wrong but with a hint of a light at the end of the tunnel and I’m thinking that is what we got. I’m not sure what the intention of the whole project was … Read more

#ChineseSchool .. oh dear ..

7 August 20265 August 2015 by Mel Muldowney

Read the following with a massive pinch of salt! (and also forgive any typos .. I will correct in the morning! I still have a floor to mop this evening!!) If you needed a reason (as if we need more of them!) as to why PISA and the other international benchmark tests cannot be taken … Read more

GCSE 9 -1 New content – Two or more binomials

7 August 20263 August 2015 by Mel Muldowney

One of the topics that is new to the higher tier is “expanding two or more binomials”. When the subject criteria was published there was a question as to “how many binomials?” … where does it end? In fact, it’s not that scary … what it actually means is triple brackets … just that! (no guarantees … Read more

Scheme of work 2015/16

7 August 202629 July 2015 by Mel Muldowney

I am currently working on putting together formal units for our scheme of work for each of the BigFat 50 (for the new GCSE) and Top 40 (for existing GCSE) and have done it in the same format as the year 7 and 8 one which I will also share at some point before September but before … Read more

Frequency Trees .. post ?/n!

7 August 202628 July 2015 by Mel Muldowney

Before you say anything … I have not broken my blogging break – I’m not really here! I had a blogging binge before I left …. Anyway, I have written about frequency trees more than I care to admit but thought I’d share a homework (here -> Frequency Trees – LEARN Homework ) I’ve made for them … Read more

Time for a break …

7 August 202627 July 2015 by Mel Muldowney

Every holiday it takes me a few days to actually realise that I’m on a break and this one has been no different. I suspect it comes from (a) having been self-employed (it was a town-centre pub!) was always “on duty” and then (b) when in the corporate world I never used my full holiday entitlement … Read more

GCSE 9-1 – Content changes 1

7 August 202625 July 2015 by Mel Muldowney

Lots has been written about the changes and with all the “hullaballoo” over the SAMs it seems apt to be able to document a definitive list (from my perspective) of the changes to content over the next 4 blog posts (this is 1 of 4) – the intention is that where there are significant changes … Read more