Our first Mahi Ngā Tahi activity was based on “Train Teasers” from MOE NZ “Figure It Out” series.
Ākonga worked in pairs. Each pair were given a paper with a number which represented the number of seats that would be on the train carriage (numbers from 2-13).
The problem: There are 3 people on each seat. Show many people are in the carriage.
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Workings are tacked to the wall ready to be replaced with the next Mahi Ngā Tahi activity.
Mistakes are valued.
We began with the number 9.
Ākonga were invited to show different wants to make the number nine.
They were encouraged to use + – x and /
They needed to know to use the / key to show division.
If asked “How many do we do?” I say, “500”. In truth, I encourage 5.
A self-directed ākonga (learner) went home and spent “all night” on this.
According to Keith Devlin “mathematics is the study of patterns”.
As Keith Devlin shows in “Mathematics: The Science of Patterns,” mathematicians now see their work as the study of patterns–real or imagined, visual or mental, arising from the natural world or from within the human mind.
We all want our ākonga (learners) to be motivated to learn maths.
By encouraging patterns, ākonga are delighted with their ability to create their own.
Ākonga engage in teaching others.
Āko means to teach and learn.
Kaiāko (teacher) learns alongside ākonga.
Tuatahi (first), this will make your maths teaching & learning easier (not easy, teaching & learning isn’t easy).
Second, there are two components that make up Tahi Maths:
1- Korero Tau (number talks) which are ā konga(learner)-created number talks and…
2- Mahi Ngā Tahi (work together) which is a collaborative, whole group activity where mahi (work) is done in pairs then shared out to the group.
Let me know what you’d like to know.
Ngā mihi nui (a big thank you).
