• Duration
    1 day
  • Location
    East Melbourne
    Regional
    Ballarat
  • Mode
    Face to face
  • Fees
    Fully Subsidised

The Electrifying Children’s Mathematics provocation workshop moves beyond the goal of engaging children in learning mathematics by providing educators with authentic mathematical thinking experiences. 

These experiences acknowledge the role computers play in mathematics and society’s increasing demand for computational thinking and project-based approaches. This hands-on workshop places a strong emphasis on thinking mathematically for school leaders. 

Workshop facilitator, Dr Gary Stager, believes school leaders need sufficient experience to identify opportunities and develop the requisite knowledge required to support new forms of classroom instruction. Dr Stager challenges traditional concepts of teaching mathematics and explores project-based learning and computer programming to improve achievement on the existing curriculum.  

Mathematical thinking and computation are present and required skills for everyday tasks such as gaming, designing graphics, storytelling or construction and craft. Debugging develops problem solving skills, resilience, independence, and other habits critical for successfully navigating an uncertain future. In an age of AI, computational fluency is required for making sense of the world, fact-checking results, and using data. Computing makes project-based learning possible in mathematics. 

Audience

Electrifying Children's Mathematics invites teachers and school leaders working on school improvement in numeracy and STEM.   

Teachers from Victorian Tech Schools are also invited to attend.

Facilitator

Dr. Gary Stager's work spans decades and continents, helping school leaders embrace computer technology to amplify the potential of students. In 1990, Dr. Stager led professional development in the world’s first laptop schools and played a major role in the early days of online education. He has worked extensively with Dr. Seymour Papert, a leader in educational computing, to create a successful high-tech project-based, multi-age, learner-centred, alternative learning environment within a prison for troubled teens. He has also earned a Ph.D. in science and mathematics education. 

Following on from his workshops at EduTECH, Dr Stager is looking forward to working with school leaders in Melbourne and regional Victoria through the Academy.   

Focus and tasks 

This hands-on workshop places strong emphasis on thinking mathematically for school leaders. Dr Stager will challenge traditional concepts of teaching maths and explore project-based learning and computer programming to improve achievement on the existing mathematics curriculum.  

Workshop participants will work in block-based, text-based, and physical computing environments and share advice for mentoring, leading and inspiring colleagues to expand their practice.  

You’ll gain knowledge and understanding of how to:

  • challenge traditional concepts of teaching maths and explore project-based learning and computer programming to improve achievement on the existing mathematics curriculum
  • explore authentic mathematical thinking experiences using computational thinking and project-based approaches and expand educators’ ability to create complex, diverse, and active contexts for deep project-based learning
  • share advice for mentoring, leading and inspiring colleagues to expand their practice
  • work in block-based, text-based, and physical computing environments.

Fully subsidised by the Department of Education for Victorian government school and Department of Education Tech School participants.

Last updated 29 August 2023