Prague Session | 17 March 2018

Session 5 

The demands on young people in the marketplace are different to say four decades ago. Do our kids have the right competencies and mindset about what they are expected to be able to do in jobs that can give them a reasonable quality of life?

Practice is variation not repetition. See the theory of variability by Dienes.

Practice is important as a consolidation tool in mathematics learning.  

Not drills which is characterised by repetitive work.

Not rote memorisation.

So how do kids learn multiplication facts.

Thank you, class, for helping Nick.

He will be grateful to you guys.If he is listening.

But can we do drills.

Well, let's see.

Spoiler Alert: The answer is yes but how it can be done in an acceptable, even productive way, that can lead to learning in the true sesame of the word.

Colleagues think that this drill activity is productive because 

A. competencies like .... are developed

B. productive mindset like .... are developed

So, drills are acceptable if they can lead to high-level competencies and productive mindset otherwise it is illegal to do drills.

I am glad you had fun.