On this day in 1954 Alan Turing died. The image is from turingmachine.io, it is a Turing Machine that checks whether a a tape holds a number that is divisible by 3
Programme overview for Saturday 7th of June. Please read over it and then fill out the registration form whether you plan to be there live or view the recordings/resources at a later date.
9:45am – 10:45am NZAMT promo followed by Keynote
Countdown to NZAMT Conference
Going to conference this year in Dunedin? Still thinking about it? Never heard of it?
Amanda Fraser from the OMA organising team will join us for a quick promo of the event. Get a sneak peak of what you can expect. Hear tips from the locals about why you should come … and even stay a little longer.
https://www.ivvy.com.au/event/NZAMT25/
Data Ethics Panel – Anna Ferguson (Chair), Jess Williams, Rachel Cunliffe, Mark Hooper and Pip Arnold
Chaired by Anna, the panel, Jess, Rachel, Mark and Pip will share perspectives on data ethics. Collectively topics covered will include an ao Māori perspective on ethical considerations when data gathering; how CensusAtSchool deals with privacy, confidentiality, anonymity, consent, and data security; integrating data ethics into teaching and assessment of experiments in years 12-13; and ideas for considering data ethics from years 1-11.
Anna Fergusson is a lecturer of statistics and data science at the University of Auckland. She loves the challenges of curriculum, assessment and technology-based learning design, and enjoys facilitating workshops to support professional development of statistics teachers. As a data scientist, Anna supports and advances her teaching, research, and professional practice by creating new software tools, computational data analysis approaches, and educational technologies.
Ko Titirangi te maunga, ko Uawa te awa, ko Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti te iwi, ko Jess Williams tēnei. Jess is a mathematics and statistics teacher from Te Tairāwhiti and currently teaches at Gisborne Girls’ High School. She is passionate about advancing learners in mathematics and statistics and brings her ao Māori perspective to help shift thinking in maths pedagogy.
Rachel Cunliffe is co-director of CensusAtSchool New Zealand, founder of design studio cre8d design, and a former statistics lecturer at the University of Auckland. She is passionate about the intersection of data and design, and making statistics meaningful and accessible.
Mark Hooper is head of mathematics and statistics at Christ’s College, Christchurch. He is passionate about fostering student growth in mathematics and statistics while highlighting their real-world relevance.
Pip Arnold has been working in teacher professional learning and development for 20 years. She supports mathematics and statistics teachers from year 1-13 through PLD, curriculum and resource development and sharing her interest in statistics education and cross-curricular learning.
11am – 11:45am
Manipulatives for fractions | Dannielle Kennedy, Ormiston Primary
Fractions can be a stumbling block for many learners—especially when it comes to understanding where they belong on the number line. In this session, we will explore how using hands-on manipulatives can deepen conceptual understanding and support learners in building a mental model of fractions as numbers. We’ll also tackle some common misconceptions and look at practical ways to support diverse learners in making sense of fractions within a Modern Learning Environment. Come ready to engage with tools, tasks, and ideas you can use straight away in your classroom.
Dannielle is a primary school teacher at Ormiston Primary, currently teaching in a Modern Learning Environment with a collaborative team of three co-teachers and 89 students. With experience teaching New Entrant learners and presently teaching in a Year 5–6 space, she brings a deep understanding of learner needs across levels. This year, she has taken on the role of Learning and Teaching Leader in Mathematics, supporting her school’s transition to the refreshed New Zealand curriculum through resource creation, teacher mentoring, and professional learning. As a mother of a neurodiverse learner, she is particularly interested in ensuring that maths remains joyful and inclusive, and she is passionate about making the subject engaging and accessible for all learners
Looking Ahead: Making the Most of the Refreshed Maths Curriculum | Sunny Dama, Waiuku College
This session takes a practical look at the refreshed Mathematics curriculum—from Phase 1 to Phase 5. We’ll talk honestly about the challenges, but also highlight the exciting opportunities ahead for us as teachers. What do we actually need in Maths education to better serve our learners? Let’s unpack that together, share ideas, and look at how we can make the curriculum work for our students and our schools.
Sunny Dama is the Head of Maths and Business at Waiuku College. He’s passionate about making Maths fun, meaningful, and less scary for both students and teachers. Sunny enjoys working with others to find practical ways to improve teaching and learning. He believes that when we focus on what really matters for our learners, positive change becomes possible.
Cognitive Load Theory – Practical tips for the classroom | Malcolm Barr St John’s College – Hamilton
Have you ever wondered why your students miss the last (easy) step in solving a problem? Or why they can do all of the steps of a task individually but can never put them all together? Cognitive Load Theory can explain why this happens. In this workshop I will share with you what Cognitive Load Theory is, how it has informed my teaching, and some concrete tips for using it in your classroom.
I am currently Head of Faculty, Mathematics at St John’s College, Hamilton. I began teaching over 20 years ago as a Digital Technology teacher with Maths on the side, and left the profession after 5 years suffering the common burnout of young teachers. After a time to reflect, I returned to teaching, reinvigorated and focused on Maths. I now focus on my teaching practice with specific reference to research to ensure what I am doing can produce the best outcomes for my students.
12pm – 12:45pm
Accelerating Learners in Mathematics: Enablers, Scaffolds & Building Positive Relationships with Maths | Robyn McNeil & Heather Lewis, Evaluate Associates
This practical workshop is designed to support teachers in accelerating progress for learners who need additional support in mathematics. Discover how to plan purposeful enablers and scaffolds that give all students access to rich, year-level mathematical tasks. Explore tools and strategies that build confidence, foster positive attitudes, and strengthen critical thinking and problem-solving skills. This session will provide you with ideas to design lessons that scaffold to engage every learner.
Heather Lewis is a passionate advocate for helping every learner build a positive relationship with mathematics. With over 15 years of leadership in maths education, she brings deep expertise in accelerating learning and designing inclusive, engaging learning experiences. As a former national lead of ALiM and now national lead for the revised Year 0-8 mathematics and statistics curriculum, Heather is committed to making maths accessible, relevant, and empowering for all students. Her work is grounded in evidence-based practice and driven by a strong belief in every learner’s potential.
Robyn McNeill is a passionate mathematics education specialist who empowers teachers to foster positive mathematical identities and accelerate learning for all students. With over 14 years of experience delivering professional learning and development, Robyn has worked as a facilitator and mentor, supporting schools and teachers to implement evidence-based, culturally responsive practices. She has co-led the development of the Year 7/8 Maths Tutoring Trial and has supported national initiatives such as ALiM and MST through mentoring and facilitation, with a strong focus on improving outcomes for priority learners. Robyn’s drive comes from a deeply held belief that all learners can succeed in mathematics when they are given opportunities to engage meaningfully, experience success, and see themselves as mathematicians. Through her work, she helps educators create inclusive, discourse-rich classrooms that build confidence, capability, and connection to mathematics.
Algebra at phase 3 and 4 | Jared Hockly, Western Springs College – Ngā Puna o Waiōrea
The curriculum(s) is a BIG document! This workshop will be a chance to dig down into the final phase of the published Y0-8, and the 1st phase of the draft Y9-13 Maths and Stats Curriculums. For managability, we’ll focus just on Algebra (Knowledge) while connecting to Understand and Do. We’ll develop a better understand of what is in the Curriculum and how we can think about it. We’ll look at some algebra task and how they fit in our new documents.
I am HOD of Maths at Western Springs College – Ngà Puna o Waiòrea in Auckland… and organiser of these AMAonline events for the last few terms. I’m reading up, and thinking, and planning to teach my 3rd NZC (not to mention a couple years in the UK). I find the process of change a positive challenge; What do we continue to do and emphasis, and what innovations could we now make? I tend to take a stance of finding balance: New/Old, Digital/Unplugged, Structure/Flexibility …
Do digital mathematics assessments make the grade? | Amber Garret, Green Bay High School (UoA)
As the NZQA progresses to more digital-first assessments, how will this impact teachers and students of spatially dependent fields like mathematics? Drawing from recent studies in assessment practices from elementary to university-level mathematics, and informed by my own research on teacher and student perspectives of the Numeracy CAA, I will discuss some of the advantages and pitfalls of digitising mathematics assessment, and provide some guidance on how teachers might improve student experiences and performance.
Amber Garrett is completing her Masters of Professional Studies in Mathematics Education after teaching in secondary schools in Auckland as well as in Canada. Having taught and designed courses for mathematics, science, computer science, and robotics she is no stranger to integrating technology into teaching. She is passionate about assessment and has guest-lectured on assessment design at the University of Auckland. Although she has advocated for digital mathematics assessments with considered blueprints and aligned intentions, she is wary of implementing digital assessments for the sake of modernity alone. Her research has unveiled some avoidable pitfalls in the digital assessment process.
