Task Centre News June 2010

657 tasks placed in schools during May. 323,514 placed since the project began in July 1992. We offer an email news service from each of the three key projects linked to this site. If you would like to receive updates from the Task Centre Project, Maths300 or Calculating Changes send an email to doug@blackdouglas.com.au: In the subject line write Subscribe Maths. In the body of message state which projects you want to subscribe to, or simply write Subscribe All. Add your name and preferred email address. Please feel free to distribute this information.

In this month's News you will find: Winter Specials Maths300 Access Reminder Additions to Task Cameos Recording & Publishing Tasks of the Month Task 105, Soma Cube 1 Task 211, Soft Drink Crates

• Winter Specials - Last Days
  June 30 is the deadline for BIG discounts on 100 tasks, as above, and the following items:
  • There are only a few Fractions in Action Mixed Media kits left. 10 fraction tasks, software and a manual with investigation sheets, whole class lesson notes and more. These are below cost at $220 (plus freight). The Mixed Media link below to start your thinking about how this kit is structured.
  • Additional Maths With Attitude manuals are now only $27·50.
  • And if you are a primary teacher, don't miss the introductory special on Working Mathematically with Infants and the discount on extra Poly Plug when purchased with the kit.

• Maths300 Access - Reminder
  If you want to have control of your Maths300 access code you will need to know the email address connected to your account. If you don't know it, we suggest you contact Educational Services Australia (ESA) and find out what it is. If the address is that of one teacher in the school we suggest you change it to a generic school address such as maths@.... Otherwise when the nominated person leaves the school, you will have to change the email address again.

  Contact ESA by email or by phone on 03 9207 0600.

• Additions to Task Cameos
  Matthew Reames, St. Edmund's Junior School, UK, has been busy with investigations on a weekly basis in his Year 5 class. As a result he has submitted children's work which has been added to the cameos of Task 37, Fraction Magic Square, and Task 45, Eric The Sheep. See Link List below.

  Matthew has also been working with Task 211, Soft Drink Crates, which is one of the new Cameos for this month. His students can be seen hard at work on the first part of that problem in the Cameo below.

• Recording & Publishing
  As part of the on-going revision of all aspects of Mathematics Centre the Recording & Publishing section has been upgraded. Mathematicians must keep a journal-style record of their continuing investigations and they must publish their work for others to understand and build on. Our work is exclusively about supporting curriculum in which students are learning to work like a mathematician, so this component is now easier to access from the Maths Tasks page and has also had new material added to it. See Link List below.

• Tasks of the Month
  Two new cameos this month.
  • Soma Cube 1 We have all heard of the Soma Cube, but how did the puzzle come about? This task explores a problem related to combinations of cubes to explain that background.
  • Soft Drink Crates requires higher order thinking without the need for high levels of maths skills. In using it you are likely to discover that all your students are indeed able to reason like a mathematician. The emphasis is on problem solving strategies and proof.
      
  Click a photo to access its cameo, or access all current cameos through the Link List below.

• Link List
  • Mathematics Centre ... visit & bookmark
  • Mixed Media units of work
  • Working Mathematically with Infants
  • New-look Maths300 or link from Mathematics Centre ... visit & bookmark
  • Task 37, Fraction Magic Square
  • Task 45, Eric The Sheep
  • Maths Tasks page
  • Recording & Publishing page
  • Task Cameo Library (119 tasks listed)

• Did you miss May?
  If so you missed information about:
  1. Professional development around the world
  2. Information about your access code for new-look Maths300
  3. Additions to the cameo for Task 79, Tangram Teasers
  4. One teacher's response to Mathematics Centre
  5. Iceberg Information about three Tasks of the Month (Tasks 154, 202, 203)
  6. ...and more...

Keep smiling,
Doug.

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