Assessment Task 2 (AT2) Guide and Rubric

Unit Guide Description: AT2: Students will design a context-based resource to provide experiences that will extend and enrich young children's mathematical learning and explain the resource mathematical learning purpose and potential.

Assessment weight: 30%   (1200 words)

Overview:

Many of the choices you will need to make when you are teaching mathematics will be about what resources to use to ‘represent’ the mathematics you are planning to teach. You will need to know the role representations can play in student learning and ways you can use representations to support students to learn mathematics.

For this assignment you are required to explain and justify (give reasons for) the classroom based use of a selected resource (or combination of resources) that students will use to learn the mathematics you are planning to teach, and say how you plan to use them in your teaching.

The resources you choose to use can be physical or virtual, for example; number lines, numeral cards, digital apps, puzzles, hundreds charts, playing cards, Smartboard manipulatives, counters, MAB blocks, dominoes etc.

The resources you choose must be designed to develop children’s mathematical understanding of Number and Algebra, and be suitable for use with students in Foundation to Year 2.

Resource Sourcing:

Use the websites in the Online Mathematics Resource module in the unit CloudDeakin site or from a research based professional mathematics text listed in the module (e.g. the unit prescribed text or similar) to guide your resource selection. Do not select resources from Pintrest, social media, blogs or similar sites.

If you have sourced your resource from a website or book it must be accurately referenced so that it can be easily located by an assessment marker.

A representation of the resource (for example: photocopy, photograph, drawing, diagram etc.), including a sequence of representations to show how the resource will be used if appropriate, must be attached as an Appendix.

Using Literature:

Select at least 5 literature references (book chapters, journal articles, research papers) from the Reading List that will support the resource and teaching choices you have made.  

Wikipedia and other sources that are not peer reviewed publications or professional research based texts are not suitable sources for literature.

You can use information from the unit prescribed text or other professional mathematics texts however these should not be the dominant source of your literature support.

The reasons you have for the choices you make must be informed and supported by literature wherever possible. You should have sound support from the readings for the decisions you make about:

1. What mathematics content (concepts, processes and dispositions) learning you are planning – what you are planning to teach and why?

2. Why you have chosen the resource - What role will the resource play in developing the planned mathematics content learning and how do you know that?

3. How you plan to use the resource to support the planned mathematics content learning – What teaching strategies and practices will you use and why?

Your own opinions and experiences in teaching are not sufficient for your written justifications, you will need to use your chosen literature to analyse and synthesise current research based understanding about what mathematical content is important for students’ mathematical learning, how students learn that mathematics and what teaching practices support that learning.

In-text references, the reference list and the Appendix are not included in the word count. Referencing must be correct Harvard.

Curriculum:

Use your review of the literature and your resource choice to decide what Victorian or Australian Curriculum content (use the curriculum for your context) you will plan for.   Your assignment must have the following information.

Year level:   Say what year level you are planning for.

Curriculum Mathematics Content Description:   Use Curriculum content description codes.

Identified concepts and processes:   What mathematical concepts and processes will the resource and planning target?

Identified mathematical disposition:   What mathematical disposition will you planning aim to develop?

Supporting questions to develop your assignment:

These questions are to guide your thinking. They are not prescriptive (don't approach them as a 'recipe') and they aren't exhaustive (they are not the only things to think about).

Why is the mathematics learning you are planning for important? The curriculum provides detailed information about what mathematics content is important for students to learn, and what they should achieve, however your assignment should show that you understand that there are other reasons why this mathematics learning is important.

What do you understand about the resource you have chosen? Is it supporting concrete or abstract concept development? What mathematical processes will it support? Can you identify potential limitations and additional potential for mathematical learning the resource may have? Can it be modified to extend into other mathematics learning, if so, in what ways?

When planning for how to use the resource, what instructions or explanations will you use? (for example, can these be demonstrated or communicated non-verbally?).

Will you provide examples or models to support the children’s learning and understanding? (for example, what examples might you need to show? How would you explain any models you are showing?).

What language will you use and what dialogue or questions would you plan to use? (for example, what language will you use that would best support the mathematics learning you have planned for? What questions can you ask to encourage exploration of the concepts and processes and to support mathematical dispositions? What opportunities can you create for dialogue and discussion?)

How will the resource use and your teaching enable you to identify whether the planned learning has occurred (what will you be able to assess?).

Rubric: