Learn, Create, Share PLD

 I had the privilege of participating in the Learn Create Share programme during the Manaiakalani PLD, with a focus on Tackling Numeracy in CAA. The session explored strategies for enhancing vocabulary acquisition and student engagement through digital tools.

A key part of the experience involved collaborative work using the Miro online board and the Graphics Organiser, which helped structure our thinking and planning. These tools proved valuable in supporting learners' understanding and expression of mathematical concepts.

I had the opportunity to collaborate with Mr. Mansell throughout the session. Our discussions helped deepen my understanding of how to integrate these strategies effectively in the classroom to boost both comprehension and confidence in numeracy.

Here is my part of the  presentation:

My Hunch

Our last PLG, we were asked to formulate a hypothesis or hunch around our inquiry. We were required to generate a minimum of three hunches based on what we had learnt so far about our students and their learning environment.

Here is my Hunch:

If I provide daily practice with Do Now questions, then students' confidence and accuracy in numeracy exams will improve.

If I teach and model test-taking strategies (like checking work or estimating), then students will feel more prepared and score higher on the numeracy exam.

If I continue to incorporate regular Do Nows across all subjects, then students will show greater progress in key numeracy areas.

Term 2 Plan for my own class and Focus group

 My own class: During term 2, the focus is Geometry and Trigonometry.

Here is the plan for Term 1: Geometry/ Trigonometry:

• Vocab and Comprehension -Vocab is introduced in every lesson/ Miro interactive board.

• Assessment-Driven learning: PAT results, pre-tests, practice tests, and ViTaL sheet to track progress.

• 10 to 15 minutes Do Now Daily( using a Graphic organizer) on Geometry- helps activate prior knowledge and scaffold learning.

• KWL strategy for Trigonometry.

• Peer teaching and confidence building- Students work in teams, using the whiteboard to solve and explain problems together and build mathematical confidence.

• Workspace for Geometry with structured lessons. Link

• Video Lessons- Short, engaging lessons on Cobbett Maths and Transum Maths to reinforce learning.

• Digital Quizlet flashcards to build familiarity with Numeracy terminology and encourage independent learning.

• Wednesday after-school classes- working on Numeracy practice tests provides extra support.

• Topic test by the end of the test- ensures readiness for the next step.

• Numeracy homework on Education is perfect for Personalised learning- tailored for each student's levels and needs,

• Weekly conversation with Whanau/Well-being checks inns, strengthen school-home connection.

• Collaboration with Social Studies and Science with Do Nows to reinforce Numeracy in real world.

• Numeracy's past paper questions are on the NZQA website and in the Numeracy practice book.

My Focus: My focus with Do Nows for term2 and but for technology, is continued from Term1

Do Nows, as this subject is optional.

Term2 Plan for CAA(US32406)

 There are two CAAs in a year. One in May and the other in September. Year 11 learners and selected year 12/13 will sit in May. We are running Numeracy prep on Tuesdays during Period 3 & 4 and continuing study class on Wednesday after school.

Resources and support: I have been supporting all teachers(cross-curricular support) by providing weekly numeracy starters( Do nows) activities along with a ViTal sheet( tracking sheet) to track progress. These allow teachers to begin lessons with an engaging numeracy problem. Link

Holiday study class

 Year 11 students will be sitting the Numeracy exam in May (Week 5). To support them, we ran holiday classes during the first week for Year 11s, as well as a few Year 12 and 13 students who have enrolled to sit the exam. Learners focused on past papers from 2011 and 2012 (Term 2 and Term 3 papers). Attendance was around 30 students for the first two days, dropping to around 20 later in the week due to weather warnings. 

My Inquiry question 5-6

 

 My inquiry is an across-school focus on numeracy by providing 10 to 15 minutes" Do Nows.

(1) Plan term by term, providing Do Nows term by term(Plan for own class, Focus group, and all subject teachers).

(2) Term-by-term reflection to track their progress. Term1.

(3) Numeracy study class is on Wednesdays, and the holiday class is across the Maths department.

(4) Collaborating with all the departments and attending PLD with Ministry of Education facilitators.

(5) Collaborating with Mark Milford and Dr. Janni.

(6) My own class- Organise workspace, video lessons, practice tests, and past papers.

(7) Students' voice- to promote self-directed learners.

(8) Knowing the learners ' Ethnicity breakdown increases cultural awareness, sensitivity, and encourages empathy and understanding of the learners. link1 & link2

(9) PAT results - identify the ability level and tell which students are ready for the Numeracy exam as well as differentiated teaching.

(10) Literacy strategy- Graphic organiser & Vocabulary lict.

Visual Art Department PLD

We really enjoyed the Art Department’s session on Rhythm and Pattern, led by Ms. Ferguson. Art and Music are making a huge impact on the Numeracy exam. Both subjects have been supporting learning through "Do Now" activities.

Term1 reflection for 10PDv

My class  10PDv -My learners have completed both assessments: Number and Measurement. The Number assessment results are available, and Measurement is currently being marked. There has been a significant improvement in their academic performance, well-being, work ethic in class, and attendance, largely due to the positive influence of the Do Nows and study classes. 

Do Now results

  

10PDv -NUMBER RESULTS

As I mentioned, there has been a positive shift in the results, and I plan to continue the study class, as it is having a powerful impact in all areas, including whānau engagement.

Here is the student voice of 10PDv;

As we planned, the Numeracy study class for the whole cohort of Year 10 had an attendance of around 30 students and has been very successful. We will be continuing it next term as well. In the meantime, we are also going to run a Numeracy study class for the Year 11s during the holiday study period, as they will be sitting their exams in May. Here are the highlights:

year10 Studyclass

Year10 studyclass

Term 1 plan for my own class( 10PDv)

 Working alongside all subject teachers, I take on the role of both researcher and practitioner, truly "walking the talk." I first trial strategies within my class to explore their depth and effectiveness before sharing them more widely. This approach not only strengthens authenticity but also builds trust with the teachers I collaborate with. By experiencing the process firsthand, I am better able to understand the challenges and successes, making my support more practical, genuine, and impactful across subjects.

Here is the year Planner for yr10:

Here is the plan for Term 1: Numer/ Measurement.

• Comprehension -Vocab introduced in every lesson.

• PAT results, Pre tests and practice tests.

• 10 to 15 minutes Do Now Daily( using Graphic organier) on Number and Measurement and ViTaL sheet to track their progress.

• Peer teaching- I made them into groups and worked on the whiteboard to build confidence.

• Workspace for Number, Measurement and Numeracy, and Google Calendar.

• Video Lessons- Short videos.Cobbett Maths and Transum Maths for quick practice.

• Google Quizlet flashcards to familiarize yourself with keywords.

• PEE Structure to write the word problem.

• Wednesday after-school classes- working on Numeracy practice tests.

• Geoebra for 3D shapes and Nets.

• Topic test by end of the test..

• Numeracy homework on Education perfect.

• Weekly conversation with Whanau/ Well being check inns.

• Working with Literacy specialist Mark and Dr Janni.

• Collaboration with Social Studies and Science with Do Nows.

• Numeracy's past paper questions are on the NZQA website and in the Numeracy practice book.

Study class highlights

Term 1 plan with my Focus group

 I have been collaborating closely with my focus group on building a support network. I catch up with them weekly basis to track their progress. I chose my focus group from Social studies, Science, and technology. I gather uptake and depth of the implementation. They have been working with Numeracy Do Nows and monitoring class engagement. Link

As a researcher and practitioner, I have been actively "walking the talk" alongside subject teachers, collaborating closely across different areas. By trialing strategies myself and working with teachers like Mr. Niko, Mrs. Prasad, and Mr. Mansell, I can build authenticity and trust. This hands-on approach strengthens relationships, supports real classroom needs, and ensures that the practices we implement are both practical and effective.

TC Staff mtg PLD

 

Term1 Plan for CAA(US32406)

 Unpacked Numeracy Framework: I have been collaborating with other schools and engaging in professional and development opportunities. I participated in external PLD, including Ministry of Education workshops, Calculus PLD, and Auckland Central Cluster PLD with Julia Crawford from Cognition Education. To support consistency and accessibility, a commonly shared folder was shared with teachers.

Resources and support: I have been supporting all teachers(cross-curricular support) by providing weekly numeracy starters( Do nows) activities along with ViTal sheet( tracking sheet) to track progress. These allow teachers to begin lessons with an engaging numeracy problem. 

Here are the resources made for term 1: LINK

                                                 

Professional reading

 Today, we had our CoL meeting and were assigned homework to read the above article. I really enjoyed reading this article. Here is my takeaway;  Article Link

Research on culturally responsive mathematics education for Indigenous and marginalized learners has grown in Australia and New Zealand. Studies emphasize Indigenous knowledge, decolonization, and culturally aligned teaching while addressing challenges. Parental involvement, immigrant experiences, and teacher development are key focus areas. Findings support inclusive education that values diverse cultural perspectives.

Recent Australasian research on equity in mathematics education for low SES(Socioeconomic Status) students primarily uses large-scale quantitative data, often from Australia. Studies show that school SES is a stronger predictor of achievement than individual SES, with parental education also playing a key role. Rural and remote students benefit from incorporating local culture and context into teaching, but city-centric models disadvantage them. Policy recommendations focus on reducing school segregation, enriching learning opportunities, and leveraging community relationships for better outcomes.

Future research should focus on intersectionality, longitudinal studies, and underrepresented participant groups in mathematics education equity. More theoretical frameworks and positionality statements are needed for transparency. Gender studies should incorporate non-binary perspectives and critical frameworks, while culturally responsive mathematics education requires mixed-methods research. Further exploration

MY Inquiry Question1-4 ,2025

Our CoL teachers met with the Principal yesterday(SLT) to discuss our CoL Inquiry. As I mentioned in the previous post, My focus this year is on Empowering Numeracy. The SLT responded positively to my inquiry, which I designed with the support of Dr Janni who has extensive experience in Numeracy/ Literacy.

How and why? Link

TC Staff mtg PLD

 

How to read a CAA(maths question) using - Graphic Organisers

Text form to Visual form: I Do, we Do, you Do (grid format to tease out the language features)

I have been working with starters (Do Nows) to help students familiarize themselves with CAA questions. While working on this, my learners found it difficult to comprehend some of the questions. Over the past three weeks, I have been collaborating with Mark Milford to develop a smoother process for understanding these questions. Here is the graphic organizer( Scafffold) he introduced to aid comprehension.

I included this graphic organiser into the starters: Here are last week's (7) questions we trialed with my year10 Learners: Link

My learners found it very useful and here are the answers:

How to answer? WUAC

NCEA suggest to use W(working)U(unit)A(answer)C(communication) :

Example:

Calculate the simple interest earned I when $240 is invested for 3 years at 5% interest per year.

 Interest=240x5x3/100 (working)

              =$36 (Unit/answer)

simple interest for $240 for 3 years at 5% is $36( communication)

Knowing the learners(2)

 Here are the PAT results for my year 10 class: One Learner is working at a PAT score of 9,  one Learner is at a PAT score of 6, 4 working at a PAT score of 5, 9 learners are working at a PAT score of 4, 7 is working at PAT score 3 and two were absent. The majority of the learners are working at a PAT score of 4.

Ethnicity	PAT results
Tokelauan	3
Maori	3
Maori	5
Cook Island Maori	5
Other Asian	9
Tongan	4
Other Asian	4
Tongan	3
Maori	ab
Tongan	5
Maori	4
Niuean	4
Maori	3
Fijian	ab
Cook Island Maori	5
Cook Island Maori	6
Maori	4
Tongan	4
Tokelauan	4
Tongan	3
Tongan	3
Tongan	4
Cook Island Maori	4
Other Asian	3

Here is the year-level vs curriculum-level chart:

Knowing the learners

 

My Year 10 mathematics class consists of 25 students with 7 Maori learners, 2 other Asina, 4 Cook island Maori, 8 Tongans, 2 Tukeluan, 1 Fijian, and 1 Niuean.

Common Assessment Activity( CAA)

Three process ideas get tested by NCEA Numeracy, and the framework is Link.

Here is an example of each type of question.Link

 

"I can do Numeracy" resources can be used in yea7/8/9 students to prepare for the Numeracy exam. I can do Numeracy Link.

 New Zealand Mathematics Association(NZAMT) provided resources and I found them very useful for exam prep -NZAMT Resource 2022  & NZAMT Resources 2023

What do the exam papers look like? NCEA past papers LINK

 

Numeracy

 What is Numeracy? 

Numeracy is a fundamental skill that enables access to further learning, develops life skills, and allows people to fully engage in work and their community.

About NCEA Numeracy: 

From 2024, to gain an NCEA qualification, students must pass Numeracy standard US32406( common assessment task CAA/ 10 credits) or can be gained by approved subjects until 2027. Here is the link to the approved subjects.

What are the entry-level requirements for the CAA exam? PAT score of 4 or above.

When is the CAA exam? There are two sessions each year, in May and September.

Who sits on the exam? Year 9 ( PAT 6 or above), Year 10 ( PAT 4 or above approved by the teacher), and seniors who haven't passed Numeracy.

What should they learn? Here is the content list Link.