National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics

The National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (NCETM) [http://www.ncetm.org.uk/] is the new institution set up in the wake of the Smith Report to improve mathematics teaching in England.

The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics (NCETM) [http://www.ncetm.org.uk/] was set up in the wake of the Smith Report [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adrian_Smith_(academic) Smith report] to improve mathematics [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathematics Mathematics] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher teaching] in England. It provides strategic leadership for mathematics-specific CPD and aims to raise the professional status of all those engaged in the teaching of mathematics so that the mathematical potential of learners will be fully realised.

Its Director is [http://www.ioe.ac.uk/ms/choyles.html Celia Hoyles] , OBE, Professor of Mathematics Education at the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Education Institute of Education] , University of London and former chief adviser on mathematics education for the government.

An innovative NCETM development is the [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=MatheMaPedia&action=edit&redlink=1 MatheMaPedia] project, masterminded by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Mason John Mason] . This is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maths_teaching&action=edit&redlink=1 maths teaching] [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki wiki] [http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=22] .

The NCETM's [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Evidence_Bulletin&action=edit&redlink=1 Evidence Bulletin] [http://www.ncetm.org.uk/Default.aspx?page=13&module=res&mode=100&resid=4467] , available only to those logged in to the site, asks "How can you use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=research+evidence&go=Go research evidence] to enhance your mathematics teaching?" It covers themes such as the following:

How can we encourage students to work hard?How to build on intuitive ways of workingWhat makes some teachers more effective than others?How to encourage effective discussion.How can [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=whiteboards+&go=Go whiteboards] make learning interactive? [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaze_aversion Gaze aversion] and teaching.Emphases of the NCETM include: [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Continual_Professional_Development&action=edit&redlink=1 Continual Professional Development] (CPD) [http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Functional_mathematics&action=edit&redlink=1 Mathematics teaching and learning] .

The website, which anyone can join, offers special areas dedicated to early years, primary, secondary, post-16 and new approaches to teaching and learning. Members can create their own [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=personalised+learning+space&go=Go personalised learning space] within a social networking site, where they can share ideas with others and ask for inspiration.

Special online events have included the world’s first online [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=discussion+of+proof&go=Go discussion of proof] , the launch of ground-breaking report [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Mathematics+Matters&go=Go Mathematics Matters] , led by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Malcolm+Swan+&go=Go Malcolm Swan] at the University of Nottingham, and videos of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Teachers+Talking+Theory&go=Go Teachers Talking Theory] : in Action, a new professional development resource created by and featuring primary and secondary teachers in the South West of England. Discussion forums track [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Information_communication_technology ICT] in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=mathematics+teaching+&go=Go mathematics teaching] and the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowland Bowland] case studies, newly in schools from September 2008 to enliven the teaching of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Key_Stage_3 key stage 3] mathematics.

At the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=NCETM+annual+conference+2008&go=Go NCETM annual conference 2008] , [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Peter_Williams Sir Peter Williams] launched [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Search?search=Review+of+Primary+Mathematics&go=Go the Review of Primary Mathematics] , which called for a mathematics specialist in every primary school by 2015, amounting to improved and ongoing training for 13,000 primary teachers. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Adonis Lord Adonis] , representing the government, welcomed the report and agreed to its implementation.

The NCETM hosts [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Online_courses online courses] as well as real-world [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conferences conferences] and workshops

Sources

Celia Hoyles: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2008/jan/22/highereducation.academicexperts

NCETM: http://www.ncetm.org.uk/