Lake Joondalup Baptist College

Mathematics

Equipping students with the skills, strategies and knowledge to solve problems.

When presented with a problem we follow the procedure of “Working Mathematically”, that is:

Clarify
Choose
Use
Interpret
Communicate

More specifically:

Clarify the problem
perhaps re-write in your own words
identify the variables
make appropriate assumptions
Choose the model/strategy
A decision needs to be made about the Mathematical content required to solve this problem and how it will be implemented
Should this problem be: Acted Out, Worked backwards, . . .?
Is there a need to solve a simpler problem first, then extending?
Can the information be summarised into a diagram or table?
Use the model/strategy
Attempt the problem using the chosen method
Interpret the results and analyse the method used
Was the choice of method appropriate?
Was the choice of method the best choice?
Do we need to start again?
What do these results tell us?
Can we extend this to a more general case?
Communicate the results and implications
Who needs to know?
Which is the most appropriate form of communication?

Different modes of learning are appropriate in different contexts. Sometimes students work individually, sometimes in pairs or groups, sometimes as part of a class discussion. Often a variety of technologies are very helpful tools to aid this learning.

The Mathematical content we “use“ can be categorised as:

Number
Measurement
Chance and Data
Space
Algebra