Further Reading
Teaching and Learning plans
Teaching and Learning Plans (T & L Plans) are professional learning processes in which teachers in the Pilot schools are engaging, in order to examine teaching methods, content and curriculum, as well as student learning and understanding. T & L Plans are recognized by the Project Maths Development Team as one of the most powerful designs for building professional learning communities both within and among schools.
The Team have developed T & L Plans for Strand 1 and teachers in the pilot schools, through school support visits, have the opportunity to learn many ways to improve planning, observation, and discussion of T & L Plans. Sessions are led by the Regional Development Officer in collaboration with teachers in their own schools. In addition, during school visits teachers are exposed to many ideas on how to start T & L Plans, as well as ways to improve them, in order to maximize the results in their schools . Pilot schools also have the opportunity to observe and discuss T & L Plans prepared by teachers from other schools at workshops.
Teachers have left both our workshop and school sessions excited about the potential offered by T & L Plans for themselves, their fellow teachers, and their students. Participation in constructing and reviewing T & L Plans as a team is encouraged in schools. We are sure that the T & L Plan workshop/school sessions will help teachers establish quality professional learning communities in their schools and/or localities in order to improve classroom teaching and learning.
Appropriate T & L Plans produced by teams of teachers will be published on the Project Maths website. We would encourage all teachers to practice these T & L Plans in the classroom to avail of this important teaching and learning opportunity and provide important feedback which will improve the quality of the T & L plans over time.
Documents
Review of Mathematics in Post-Primary Education ( NCCA, Oct 2005)
The review is not simply an exercise in syllabus revision, but rather a more fundamental evaluation of the appropriateness of the mathematics that students engage with in school and its relevance to their needs. It takes into consideration broader reviews that are currently taking place (the implementation of the primary school curriculum; junior cycle) and the proposals being developed for senior cycle education.
International Trends in Post-Primary Mathematics Education (NCCA, Oct 2005)
In the context of the review by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) of mathematics education at post-primary level in Ireland, this study focuses on a number of key international trends in mathematics education.While it is cognisant of developments in Ireland, it does not focus on Irish developments per se. However, in the final chapter we note potential areas of overlap, areas where there are significant divergences and possible lines of development in mathematics education at post-primary level in Ireland. The NCCA’s companion document provides a review of developments in the Irish context (NCCA, April, 2005). In reviewing international trends in terms of their implications for both curriculum and assessment, we highlight selected countries and specific initiatives, and concentrate on a few key ideas.
