Sinead Vaughan, AC for Bromley, Croydon, Lambeth, Lewisham, and Southwark
On Friday 1 March, a group of enthusiastic teachers came together to attend a professional development day on using GeoGebra effectively. They explored how the software could be used to enhance their student’s learning experience for A level and GCSE Mathematics.
The day was split into two sessions, with a beginners session in the morning and a more advanced one in the afternoon. Some teachers came for one session, but the majority stayed for both. We started by exploring the basics, including potential issues surrounding using technology in the classroom, and teachers soon felt confident enough to start creating their own files. In the afternoon, we identified ways to teach the Large Data Set (LDS) element of the new A level more effectively, and also discussed experiences of students using technology in classroom.
The teachers left feeling significantly more confident about using GeoGebra and inspired about embedding technology into their practice. Many left with the aim of disseminating ideas from the day to the rest of their department.
If you are interested in using technology more effectively in your own teaching, then do think about attending the one-day CPD course, Raising Confidence with Technology, which aims to increase teachers’ confidence with using technology to support GCSE Mathematics teaching. The professional development will provide a large amount of strategies and resources for teachers to use in their classrooms.