Secondary Maths

Assessment for Learning (AfL) forms an integral part of the teaching process in Mathematics and 2Know! CRS and NEO 2 can be used to support it in a wide range of ways.

Basic Calculator Function
Each CRS handheld responder and each NEO 2 has a built in, ‘simple’, and easy to use calculator function. So students can become accustomed to using a calculator in an effective way. Their final calculations can be sent to the 2Know! toolbar for whole class display and results displayed.

Real Time Results
These results can form a very important part of the teaching process itself because in using 2Know! to display results students are able to see for themselves real life real time data displays. So, for example, by asking a question of the class and displaying the results teachers are demonstrating the effective use of processing and representing data. The data is real-time and as questions progress students will see the resultant changes in representation. They will also be able to interpret data, fractions, decimals, percentages and ratios from their results.

Intuitive Assessment and Testing
So 2Know! is an ideal tool to support Mathematics teaching. Within the package is AccelTest, holding a library of Mathematics questions which can be easily adapted for individual or group use. Teachers are also able to download a complete set of KS3 Maths SATs questions which cover all topic areas and are graded from lowest to highest level of difficulty. Teachers can also develop their own question banks from scratch in this intuitive test creation package.

Using CRS and NEO 2 to support Accelerated Maths
Accelerated Maths™ from Renaissance Learning is a personalised programme of maths practice for all years from Year 2 to GCSE. The software is designed to follow a regime of ‘practice – test – review’. CRS and NEO 2 integrate perfectly into the recording of answers in this system. Teachers can concentrate on teaching the syllabus whilst being able to set individualised practice worksheets on each topic for each student. When the student has reached proficiency in practicing each topic they will complete a similar worksheet under test conditions. If they achieve an 80% accuracy on the test then they are awarded mastery of the topic - but that is not the end of their engagement with that topic. Two weeks later each student will start to receive new review questions on the topics they have mastered in their ongoing practice worksheets, thus ensuring continuous review and practice of the skills they have learned.

See the Renaissance Learning website for more details about Accelerated Maths™. [Please make hyperlink to AM section of RP site here]

Benefits of using Accelerated Maths
The most obvious benefit to teachers is the reduction of routine workload which in turns frees up valuable time to be used for teaching, monitoring and one to one intervention. In broad terms the benefits can be put into 3 categories:

Teachers need never produce another assessment sheet. Accelerated Maths will produce endless assessments on the topics that the teacher chooses and at the level appropriate for the individual student. Furthermore a clever algorithm ensures that every assessment sheet is different whilst maintaining the appropriate level of difficulty.

Teachers need never mark another assessment sheet. Accelerated Maths™, assessments can be marked using the 2Know!CRS or NEO 2. Indeed homework can even be marked online via Home Connect. In this way pupils get instant results and teachers are freed from the burden of endless marking.

Teachers will have all information readily accessible in an electronic mark book. As the assessments are marked and as the students achieve mastery of the topics all this information is automatically logged within the assignment book within Accelerated Maths. This allows the teacher to have up to the minute information on student progress and the status of the class as well as detailed input into the planning of future lessons.