The Australian Curriculum has very sensibly interconnected Number and Algebra into one strand. Teachers across Australia have already generated many practical illustrations of classroom lessons, unit planning and assessment strategies all of which show elegantly how Number concepts can morph into Algebra. We will workshop many of these illustrations in an active way.

Children's literature can provide a stimulus for a mathematics lesson. But, research on effective teaching of mathematics shows that it is important for lessons also to have a clear mathematical focus and for this to be communicated to the children. In this session Andrea will share some favourite lessons from across the mathematics curriculum that incorporate children's literature and develop important mathematical ideas.

From a very young age, children begin to pose problems about the world around them, but how often do we foster this curiosity when they begin their formal education? We will explore what problem posing means in Prep to Year 2 through a range of activities. Although Problem Posing is presented in VELS Levels 3 and 4, it is something that younger children can do, as will be illustrated in this workshop, through the sharing of classroom stories and experiences.

Algebra often elicits negative memories of high schoolmathematics: lots of 'a's and 'b's and confusing manipulation procedures. The learning of algebra envisaged in today's curriculum begins in the early years and focuses on students' thinking and reasoning to make mathematics useful in daily life. We will explore the big ideas of algebra using a variety of engaging and enjoyable activities suitable for lower to middle primary students.

Some students are at risk of not being given opportunities to continue to learn if they have already achieved the standards for their particular year level, or maybe even the level above. This session will address some of the myths of mathematical giftedness, as well as explore some practical ideas for catering to these students' learning needs on a daily basis within a regular mixed-ability classroom.

What are the issues affecting the learning and teaching of mathematics at your school? Teachers’ professional learning continues and deepens further when teams of teachers work together to resolve a common challenge in their school contexts. We will present a possible process to help school maths leaders identify a school-based need in their mathematics program. We will then explore strategies that leaders can use to engage the whole school staff in the change process. This can be the beginning of building a community of learners within the school.

This workshop is about gaining some direction in your life. We will explore how location and direction can be represented using grid references on maps, compass directions and bearings. Pirate training will be required so expect to move around a bit and with any luck you may find treasure!

We will draw upon materials from Maths Enrichment Camps for students in Alice Springs and Darwin. Visiting mathematicians work with students and teachers on 'juicy' maths problems. This session will give teachers an opportunity to explore these problems, so that they can be used with their students. A feature of each of the problems is that they are accessible to young students, but have some serious mathematics 'lurking' to challenge older students. Also explore several forms of Latin Squares and traverse some networks!

Two of the core proficiencies in the new Australian curriculum are 'reasoning' and 'problem solving'. In this workshop we will look at the central role of discussion in problem solving, and in engaging learners in reasoning and mathematical thinking. We will work on some mathematics, think about the role of talk in supporting the reasoning involved and explore teaching and approaches that encourage classroom dialogue, exchange of ideas and building of mathematics.

This is arguably the biggest current shift or emphasis in maths education across much of the world. Major desired outcomes of skill development, thinking reasoning and communication, and catering for differentiation (the '7-year-gap') can all be healthily and efficiently achieved through open-ended investigative approaches. There now exists a huge pool of practical illustrations which will be explored as well as empowering processes for teachers to generate their own examples.

The presenters love working in maths classrooms to make mathematics relevant and exciting for children. In this workshop we will draw on 5 activities which "work", while addressing important mathematics. We will talk about how to adapt the activities for other grades, and have fun too!

In this session we will focus on a selection of rich tasks which can be used over an extended time frame or revisited several times to explore a range of essential understandings in an enjoyable, active and mathematically worthwhile way.

In this workshop we will explore the application of factors to a variety of situations. We will solve several problems that appear different but are connected by a common structure - they all involve factors! In the process we will learn why knowing multiplication facts is not enough for more advanced ideas.

Bring your laptop (Mac or PC) and explore some introductory tasks using Scratch, free software from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and GeoGebra, free dynamic geometry software developed in Germany. Scratch is accessible to young students, and can be used to explore mathematical ideas, as well as a vehicle for storytelling and problem solving. GeoGebra allows students to create geometric representations of mathematical problems. Software will be provided, or download ahead of time from http://scratch.mit.edu and http://geogebra.org.

The Australian Rules set-shot comes down to kicking the ball far enough and straight enough. The distance to goal is easily estimated. Not quite so the accuracy needed. In this workshop, Terry shows us a series of bench-top physical models, activities and video material that show us that commentators, coaches, players and fans often have it wrong. Mathematics can dispel the myth of the 'impossible angle' or the 'straight-in-front doddle'. This presentation allows maths to help solve a problem that bedevils the modern game and frustrates footy fans. Maths to the rescue!

We know that the competence in each language of a multi lingual student impacts on their learning of mathematics. We will review some of these research results. Session participants will also be encouraged to share their wisdom of practice in teaching non English speaking background (NESB) students, particularly from Africa. If you have knowledge of ethno mathematics practices and artifacts, and social customs that use mathematics, these would be good to share during this session. If you are able to participate in this way, please contact me (Philip.Clarkson@acu.edu.au) well ahead, so you can contribute effectively.

We know that the competence in each language of a multi lingual student impacts on their learning of This workshop will look at what improvisation might mean for mathematics lessons. Improvisation does not mean 'anything goes': there is a discipline to improvisation. We will look at some of the elements of the discipline of improvisation and how they might be applied to mathematics teaching. We will explore a number of games that help build classroom community - an essential element of supporting students to develop authentic learning.

Visualisation plays an important role when developing ideas related to geometry and space. Spatial sense could be described as an understanding of the shapes and the relationships that exist between them. The ability to mentally visualise objects and figures and see relationships between them are an important aspect of spatial sense. In this workshop, Matt will explore some important ideas through the use of tasks that have the potential to develop geometric and spatial visualisation strategies.

In this workshop we will look at how length activities can be used as a context for learning about fractions. We will also look at how measurement concepts can support and develop fraction understanding.

How can we collect insights about student learning in a manageable way as part of our everyday classroom practice? In this session, we will explore this question through a range of strategies including observation, questioning, the use of flip cameras, and rich tasks.

What do my students actually understand in mathematics? How do we set learning goals for the next level of learning for our students? How do we structure Professional Learning Teams to focus on teaching and learning in mathematics? How do we create a learning plan for all students across grades and year levels? If you and your team ask any of these questions, this session will give you the opportunity to explore, examine and trial a formative assessment analysis tool for leading instructional decisions for your classroom and school.

This workshop focuses on an activity often referred to as the Algebra Walk. Learners themselves become the subjects of algebraic images. The teacher today can easily take photos of this activity, suddenly providing the material for some very effective discussion and deep learning of the concept of a function. We will see first hand how this activity can run and explore two ways through which the learning is subsequently unpacked.

A game can be an engaging and exciting way to address important mathematical ideas with children. In this workshop, Marj will share a series of games that have the potential to initiate mathematical inquiries in the classroom. The importance of 'task analysis' will be explored including ways of modifying games to meet the range of abilities and teacher questions that can be used to prompt and probe student thinking.

This session will describe a Measurement unit with junior primary children that aims to be both engaging and challenging. Specific tasks and contexts will be shown and discussed. The unit itself integrates many areas of Measurement such as length, perimeter, mass and volume over a term.