Join us at this year's Scottish Conference for a varied day of keynote speeches and hands-on workshops that will explore subjects including:

*Mathematics and the Curriculum for Excellence
*Contextualized and active learning approaches
*Creating dynamic mathematical learning environments
*The role of assessment in active learning

Keynotes Speeches

The Investigative Classroom
(Lynda Keith)
What does it look like? What does it feel like? What is the potential for children’s ability to explore and create meanings through an investigative approach? This session will explore the place of problem solving in Curriculum for Excellence and build up a picture of the key features of what makes an investigative classroom in mathematics. Lynda will draw upon her recent experiences in supporting teachers in developing a more investigative classroom and illustrate the keynote with examples of good practice from a variety schools.

Lynda Keith is an independent consultant and author. She has taught in a variety of schools in Scotland and England and until last year was a Senior Lecturer and Course Director of the PGDE ( Primary ) course at the University of Strathclyde. She has extensive experience in Teacher Education both at the Initial stage and in supporting local authorities and schools across Scotland with in-service courses and customised advice. Her main expertise lies in all aspects of Early and Primary Mathematics, in active learning methodology, classroom organisation and making links across learning.

Missing Pieces of the Mathematical Puzzle:
Numbers, Words and Pictures
(Gill Potter)
How do your children approach a challenging problem? Are they excited when they get stuck or frightened by it? This session explores the importance of using numbers, words and pictures in order to make sense of mathematics in our daily lives. It examines a range of collaborative learning situations which support children to explain, explore and make decisions so that they have fun working mathematically together.

Gill Potter is an independent consultant, researcher and author with a national and international reputation in mathematics, e-learning and thinking skills. She is a Cognitive Acceleration through Mathematics Education (CAME) tutor and a specialist in long-term INSET which focuses on developing creative leading and learning approaches to mathematics across schools. Her experiences as a Deputy Headteacher and a senior lecturer in gifted and talented education at Oxford Brookes University enable her to maximise impact whilst building lasting relationships. Gill is a professional leadership coach and a consultant for the National College for Leadership of Schools and Childrens' Services and works extensively to develop leaders of learning in real and virtual classrooms.

Workshops - choose your morning and afternoon workshop
(A, B, C, D, E or F)

A - Numeracy and Literacy: Making Links (Lynda Keith)
Children need help in making connections in, through and across learning. This workshop will explore the links between the outcomes for Numeracy and Literacy with particular emphasis on developing an interdisciplinary approach and real contexts for learning.
(Afternoon workshop only)

B - From Daydreaming to Creative Ideas in Mathematics (Gill Potter)
In this workshop you will explore a range of classroom activities to support imaginative mathematical scenarios, examine ways of structuring and organising creative thinking and look at strategies for evaluating and discussing what it is that makes a ‘good idea’ a successful strategy.
(Morning workshop only)

C - Active Learning - Working and Learning Together (Amy Sinclair)
This workshop will look at how to use active learning opportunities to enhance pupils’ engagement and learning. It will focus on pupils learning together by talking and playing in group and whole class activities. It will explore the features of effective group work and how to create a supportive classroom ethos where pupils help and challenge each other. You will take part in different group activities and games which use every day materials and basic classroom resources. This will be a hands-on workshop, so be prepared to move around, use your imagination and play!

Amy is a freelance primary mathematics consultant. She has taught in a variety of Scottish schools and has worked at local authority level supporting schools in developing good practice. She was part of the writing and engagement team for Curriculum for Excellence at LTS and has written publications on active learning in maths. She is passionate about engaging pupils in Maths through creative, active learning opportunities.

D - Being Mathematical Outdoors P1-P3 (Jan White)
In this workshop, we will examine the potential of the special nature of the outdoors to offer young children relevant and motivational encounters with mathematical ideas, and how to unlock the possibilities of even the most uninspiring outdoor spaces to enable children to engage in meaningful ways with being, feeling and thinking mathematically.

Jan works nationally as an early childhood consultant to advocate and support high quality outdoor provision for educational services for children from birth to seven. Her focus is on what children naturally want to do in their play and learning and how the outdoor environment enables this. Jan played a key role in developing Learning through Landscapes’ support for the early years sector. She is author of Playing and Learning Outdoors: making provision for high quality experiences in the outdoor environment and editor of Outdoor Provision in the Early Years.

E - Stepping into the Unknowns: Foundations for Advanced Mathematical Thinking P4-P7 (Hazel Lowe)
In this workshop we will examine how we introduce some areas of second level and how teachers can promote a deeper understanding, building solid foundations for more advanced mathematics. The session will demonstrate how basing introductions for children on a concrete, practical level, can build into more abstract thinking.

Hazel Lowe is an independent mathematics consultant. She has taught for over 20 years in various different roles. In 2009 she was seconded as the Numeracy Support Teacher for Perth and Kinross where she delivered CPD in both primary and secondary sectors on topics including: active learning, financial education and challenging able children.

F - Active Assessment (Barbara Gray)
Curriculum for Excellence requires practitioners who use a broad range of approaches to gather evidence and make professional judgments about what children know, understand and can do. This workshop will explore ways in which key principles to assessment can enhance the learning experience through active engagement of the learner.

Barbara has taught for 30 years in the North East of Scotland and is currently Headteacher of Charleston Nursery/Primary School in Aberdeen. For the past year Barbara has been leading developments in Learning and Teaching and Numeracy across the Authority. Barbara has been Chair of the National Numeracy subgroup on Learning and Teaching, a mentor for schools involved in developing the National Assessment Resource and a National Development Officer writing the Mathematics experiences and outcomes.

Book your place before 30th September and pay last year's delegate rate - Just £175+VAT

To register a place on the conference, click 'Book now', email conference@beam.co.uk or call 01242 278 600

Are you attending the Scottish Learning Festival 22-23 September?
Visit us on stand J68 to find out more about our exciting new Scottish CPD course programme.