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Catering for Diversity
Members of this community will support each other in developing strategies and challenging mathematics curriculum for all students who include
- English as an added language or dialect students
- High achievers and gifted students
- Students who have special needs and
- Students at risk in keeping up with their learning
Teachers are also asked to plan and design for the diversity of their students, taking into consideration their:
- Learning experiences
- Learning styles
- Well being
Furthermore, teachers are asked to plan considering:
- Contextualised teaching
- Affirmative strength based pedagogies
- Deep Learning pedagogies
- Big Questions, rich enquiry
- Challenged-based learning, (project-based learning)
- Applications and Modelling
Learning Styles
All students have different learning styles so approach mathematics differently. The Engaging All Students community will consider how mathematics teachers can help students succeed by accessing the full range of students' learning strengths.
English as an Added Language or Dialect
The Engaging All Students community includes supporting teachers of students whose English is an additional language and/or dialect other than English (EAL/D)and who require additional support to assist them to develop proficiency in English.
Mathematics and language are closely linked. Mathematics is sometimes perceived as a "universal language" with an assumption of understanding in all languages. Mathematics teachers however, can work with English teachers to provide additional support to EAL/D students to develop their proficiencies in mathematical understanding.
High Achieving, Talented and Gifted
High Achieving, Talented and Gifted students can be located anywhere in Australia and are from all socio-economic backgrounds. They include Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islanders and English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners, young people who experience educational disadvantage and those who have a physical or learning disability.
High Achieving, Talented and Gifted students have outstanding potential or ability in one or more of a wide range of areas, such as literacy, mathematics, sport, music, visual and performing arts, a vocational area or leadership. While their ability is exceptional, gifted and talented students need to be encouraged, challenged and inspired if they are to reach their potential. The Engaging All Students community provides support for teachers in extending the more gifted and high achieving students in mathematics.
Special Needs
The Engaging All Students community supports teacher engagement in the Forum about the teaching of mathematics to students with disability or students with special needs. These students include those with
- Autism, Asperger's Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder
- Dyslexia
- Discalculia
Students at Risk
A student’s engagement in school is demonstrated across three dimensions: behavioural, emotional and cognitive.
Generally speaking, students are engaged when they:
- participate in all areas of the school including academic, social and extracurricular activities (behavioural engagement)
- feel included in the school and have feelings of belonging to the school (emotional engagement)
- are personally invested in and take ownership of their learning (cognitive engagement).
(cited from Victorian DEECD Identifying Student at Risk)
