Author: amiecoleygmailcom

Mathematical Literacy & Communication

25th Jun 2023

@emmaemma53 and I delivered a session at MathsConf32. For those who missed it, we decided to co-write this blogpost: Why does literacy and communication matter in maths? This article  https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/weak-readers-struggle-more-maths-english-lit was published in TES in 2020. It uses a study of 370,000 secondary school students who sat GCSEs in 2018-19; they found a significant correlation … More Mathematical Literacy & Communication

Subtending Angles

24th Feb 2022

For many pupils, the language used in circle theorems can be a barrier to their understanding. What does the word subtended actually mean? I used to settle for ‘subtended is synonymous with made’. On reflection, that oversimplified it too much and omitted important information. For now, I’m settled on the following definition: An angle subtended … More Subtending Angles

Right angled Trigonometry meets the Unit Circle

16th Feb 2022

I’ve introduced Trigonometric Graphs through the unit circle a number of times, and I’ve never been overly happy with it. Students seem mystified and struggle to attach it to their current understanding of right angled trigonometry. I suppose this is why memory aids such as CAST have been created. I think this should be avoided, … More Right angled Trigonometry meets the Unit Circle

Sneaky One

9th Feb 2022

The additive identity is getting a lot of deserved attention at the moment with the phrase zero pair. I’m writing this post in the hope that the multiplicative identity starts to receive the same love. Back in early December, I observed a lesson and it got me thinking about fractions and how we model the … More Sneaky One