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ONLINE REGISTRATIONS FOR TUESDAY WORKSHOPS (24th Feb) ARE NOW CLOSED – If you attend on Tuesday 24th a Certificate of Attendance will be sent during the week commencing Monday 2nd March. Thank you.
ONLINE REGISTRATIONS FOR THURSDAY WORKSHOPS (26th Feb) ARE NOW CLOSED – If you are attending on Thursday 26th February and did not make your workshop selections prior to 5pm on Wednesday 25th February you will need to make your selections in-person when you arrive at the conference. NOTE – Some workshops may be full.
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Online workshop selection process is NOW CLOSED.
Please only attend on the date covered by your ticket (24th Feb or 26th Feb).
Register for and attend one workshop in each session. If you wish to change selections, you will need to do so at the event.
Special Note: Please register for and attend both parts of the exam sessions.
TUESDAY 24th February
2025 Essentials Exam Discussion 1.1 and 2.1
2025 Methods Exam Discussion 1.5 and 2.5
2025 General Exam Discussion 3.3 and 4.3
THURSDAY 26th February
2025 Specialist Exam Discussion 5.1 and 6.1
2025 Methods Exam Discussion 7.4 and 8.4
Re WAITLIST Workshop Registrations – If you placed your name on a waitlist for a workshop and have not received advice that a place has become available please do not attend that workshop at the event. Workshop sizes are limited to manage OHS requirements. Thank you
- Thursday 16 Jul 2026
- Friday 17 Jul 2026
Thursday 16 Jul 2026
10:50 AM - 11:50 AM Workshop Session 1 Thursday 16 July
Cards Games that make you think
Richard KorboskyDualoh Cards
Using card games to practice the mathematics that students have learned is a good strategy to use in the mathematics classroom. The set of card games give students the opportunity to see the same concept of mathematics in a variety of ways and gives the students the opportunity to practice their basic facts in order, addition, subtraction and multiplication. The card games focus on essential number mathematics ideas, language of maths, ideas associated with partitioning, flexible thinking and enjoyment of mental mathematics. As students play the games they have to think mathematically, they have to justify why they should pick up the cards and communicate this knowledge to the other person they are playing with.
Reframing Algorithms: From Steps to Structure in Primary Mathematics
Helen BoothAdelaide University
This workshop explores how commonly taught algorithms in primary mathematics can be reframed from fixed procedures into representations of mathematical structure. Drawing on classroom-based research, participants will engage with tasks that foreground commutativity and distributivity as foundational ideas underpinning flexible calculation.
Too often, students learn algorithms as sequences of steps without understanding the underlying mathematics. As highlighted in classroom observations, students can perform calculations accurately yet struggle to explain why their methods work. This session demonstrates how slowing down, using representations (such as Cuisenaire rods and area models), and prioritising mathematical talk can bridge this gap.
Participants will explore tasks that invite learners to reorder and partition numbers, compare strategies, and justify reasoning. These experiences support the development of fluency as flexibility and understanding, rather than speed alone. The workshop aligns with the conference theme by connecting curiosity (student noticing and conjecture) with connection (linking structure, language, and procedure). It offers practical approaches for teachers and leaders seeking to design lessons where algorithms emerge from understanding.
Real Maths, Real Kids: Differentiation That Actually Works
Lisa RowntreePenola Primary School
Many primary maths classrooms are dominated by task completion rather than deep thinking, making it challenging to differentiate effectively or truly assess student understanding. Teachers are often expected to create real-world connections, support diverse learners, and gather meaningful assessment data — all within limited planning time.
This workshop introduces a clear, structured approach to mathematics planning that embeds differentiation, promotes problem solving, and makes student thinking visible in every lesson. Participants will explore how a single mathematical concept can be taught through multiple entry points, using concrete materials, visual models, and real-world contexts to support all learners.
Grounded in research and classroom practice, these units have been developed based on a framework that works for me, demonstrating how assessment can be naturally integrated into each lesson, reducing workload while increasing impact. Teachers will leave with practical strategies and adaptable frameworks to design intentional maths lessons that build confident, capable problem solvers.
Maths and numeracy outside the classroom: Patterns on Country
Dr Caty MorrisCSER - Adelaide University
Mathematics and numeracy are everywhere in the world around us, and classroom learning can connect with this reality! This session explores how taking mathematics outside can unlock rich, authentic, and culturally responsive learning experiences for students based on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority in the Australia Curriculum: Mathematics. Together, we focus on identifying and leveraging Patterns on Country as valuable contexts for mathematics teaching and learning.
We investigate how patterns found, for example, in land, sky, water, flora and fauna offer meaningful opportunities to explore key mathematical concepts such as number, measurement, geometry, and algebra. Through practical examples, participants will see how learning on Country can provide a dynamic learning space where students identify, observe, represent, and generalise patterns in relevant and interesting ways.
Teachers will have the opportunity to reflect on their role as allies in embedding culturally responsive practices in mathematics that are both respectful and purposeful.
Designed for primary and middle years educators, this workshop considers ideas for planning and starting points for bringing Patterns on Country into the mathematics classroom.
Maths is everywhere on-Country and this session will help you and your students see it, explore it, and connect with it in new and different ways.
Teaching gradient
Anthony HarradinePrince Alfred College
Anthony will share a tried and proven method of teaching gradient through which students naturally become aware of “why” rise-over-run makes sense and “why” the slopes of perpendicular lines are related in the way they are. The method provides a perfect foundation for students to become competent with, and make sense of, the “practice questions”.
We start with paper and hard geometry tools and when sensible move to soft(ware) geometry tools. The move to software is optional.
Once shared, we will critique the method and reason why it could be thought of as both a ripper method, by some, and a waste of time by others.
Strategy in Mathematics
Hayden TronnoloneFlinders University
When students struggle on mathematical problems, we often try to address this by discussing (and re-discussing) content. Often, however, students are able to grasp concepts in isolation but struggle when it comes to put these into practice due to a lack of problem-solving strategies. In this workshop, we will explore how knowledge without strategy can cause difficulties, especially on complex problems. We will then look at ways we can embed this into mathematics teaching. This will include using games and explicit maths strategies that students can put into practice.
Learning Strategies to Spark Active Learning
Joanna PrinciBlackwood High School
(Please note this workshop was previously delivered at the Year 12 Conference and is being reoffered for a broader audience) This workshop explores practical ways to embed learning strategies that help support the development of self-regulated students. I will share how selected learning strategies are modelled in my classroom and embedded through lesson design to help students build a connected body of knowledge. Participants will examine examples of lesson starter activities used to introduce new concepts, incorporating real-world contexts where possible, to help develop understanding of abstract ideas. The use of exam-style questions drawn from multiple topics at key points throughout the year to support spaced practice will be explored. The workshop will also examine ways students can generate their own questions to further support their learning.
11:55 AM - 12:55 PM Workshop Session 2 Thursday 16 July
Embedding Maths in the Ordinary - Turning daily tasks into powerful learning opportunities
Sally Garrett, Desiree Gilbert & Kirsty HansenRedeemer Lutheran School & AISSA - Association of Independent Schools SA
How do everyday classroom moments become powerful opportunities for mathematical thinking? In this workshop, Sally, a Foundation teacher at Redeemer Lutheran School, shares her intentional approach to embedding mathematics within daily routines. Drawing on a simple but purposeful example, data collection during Fruit Break, Sally demonstrates how rich mathematical learning can emerge through questioning, noticing, and authentic classroom conversations. Her work highlights how subitising, counting, estimating, and data interpretation can be developed naturally while also strengthening student voice, curiosity, and classroom culture.
This classroom practice is part of a wider AISSA-supported, whole-school project focused on re-visioning mathematics teaching and learning. Kirsty, Deputy Principal (Teaching and Learning), will share how Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) have been central to driving this work, supporting professional dialogue, strengthening pedagogical rigour and ensuring coherent and sustained improvement in mathematics teaching practice across the school.
When Students Explain Maths: The Power of Video and Reasoning
Emeritus Professor Peter Sullivan & Mark Mc KelsonT2L - Teachers to Leaders
This session outlines an innovative approach to mathematics teaching and learning designed to build deeper student understanding through reasoning, problem-solving, and communication. The approach was designed as an extension program aimed at high-performing mathematics students. However, early feedback from teachers highlighted the broader potential of the approach, leading us to expand the trial to mainstream classrooms.The approach begins with a “Problem of the Week” designed for students in Years 3–6. Students access a short video presenting the mathematical challenge, work work collaboratively or independently to solve the problem, and then create a video explaining their reasoning, working out, and problem-solving strategies. This process strengthens mathematical language, confidence, and conceptual understanding, while also providing teachers with valuable insights into student thinking and misconceptions. Following successful initial trials, it became increasingly clear that the concept of students presenting video explanations of mathematical problems has significant benefits for learners across all ability levels. The process not only promotes engagement and accountability, but also places reasoning and communication at the centre of mathematics learning. In this presentation, Mark will share key learnings from trialling and Peter will explore the implications this approach may have for future classroom practice.
Multiply your impact - teaching multiplication that actually sticks
Claire EwensHenley High School & MASA
Rote learning gets students to an answer. Strategy gets them to understanding. In this practical workshop, teachers from Year 3 to Year 10 will explore research-informed strategies that develop flexible, confident mathematical thinkers and discover how the same conceptual tools that support Year 3 students can deepen understanding all the way through secondary school. Walk away with ready-to-use strategies and resources, not just theory.
Happy Hour Begins early!
Andrew Lorimer-DerhamThink Square
This playful session will explore a range of creative activities designed to engage any learner, build skills and confidence and promote rich mathematical discussion.
Participants will engage in a range of unique challenges, forged by curiosity and designed to
develop connection through a positive shared experience of maths.
Come prepared to participate!
The Operation Tower: better than BEDMAS
Dr David ButlerAdelaide University
The Operation Tower is how I help students remember and make sense of the order of operations (which other people use "BEDMAS" for). In this workshop I will describe the Operations Tower and how it can help students throughout the years, as well as discuss related ideas about problem-solving, flexibility and the way mathematical working is written.
Do modern scientific calculators make a positive difference to student learning and doing?
Anthony HarradinePrince Alfred College / Casio Calculators
We will look at how a modern scientific calculator (the CASIO fx-8200AU II) can be used in several learning/doing contexts, including the transformation of functions, and statistics, and compare how it operates to readily available older machines. You can then judge if there is a positive difference.
Bringing Coding to Life
John BamentNT School of Distance Education
Turn Maths into something students can see, touch, and control. In this hands-on workshop, discover how the TI-Innovator Hub transforms coding from abstract to real—powering LEDs, reading sensors, and bringing mathematical ideas to life.
Using a graphics calculator, you’ll explore simple, classroom-ready ways to embed coding into the Australian Curriculum—no prior experience needed.
Walk away with engaging tasks, practical strategies, and a fresh way to spark curiosity in your Maths classroom.
The Casio fx-1AU GRAPH in the Methods exam – new dog, new tricks?
Alastair LuptonAdelaide Botanic High School / Casio Calculators
With the Casio fx-1AU GRAPH replacing the CG50AU from 2026, it is highly likely that we will be preparing students for Math Methods exams using this new graphics calculators in the next year or two. In this workshop we will discover how the fx-1 handled the 2025 paper, and see what new tricks we might need to learn.
1:50 PM - 2:50 PM Workshop Session 3 Thursday 16 July
Experiencing a thin sliced task in a Thinking Classroom for Upper Primary
Lorna McCloryBTC - Building Thinking Classrooms
What does a Building Thinking Classrooms lesson look like start to finish? In this workshop, you will experience a thin sliced task from the perspective of a student and unpack the teaching moves used to unlock student thinking and understanding. The lesson will focus on content from upper primary.
Whether you're new to Building Thinking Classrooms or have been fully implementing for some time, there will be something for you in this session.
Why number fact fluency matters
Liana McCurry & Leah DraperSOLeducation
Number fact fluency is often misunderstood, with memorisation positioned as something to avoid in favour of conceptual understanding. This workshop reframes memorisation for what it is: the ability to remember and retrieve knowledge efficiently which is a critical component of mathematical success.
Drawing on cognitive science, including Cognitive Load Theory, working memory constraints, and schema development, this session explores why automaticity with number facts is essential. When students can recall facts quickly and accurately, they reduce the burden on working memory, allowing them to engage more successfully with complex, grade-level mathematics.
Participants will examine how fluency develops through the Instructional Hierarchy—from effortful strategies to automatic recall—and why speed and accuracy are both necessary indicators of mastery.
Grounded in evidence-informed practice, this workshop will provide practical approaches to building number fact fluency through explicit instruction, retrieval practice, and systematic review.
By the end of the session, participants will have a clear understanding of why fluency matters, what it actually involves, and how developing automatic recall supports students to think, reason, and succeed in mathematics.
Making Sense of Simplifying
Helen BoothAdelaide University
This workshop examines the familiar procedure of simplifying in fraction multiplication as a powerful site for developing conceptual understanding. Rather than treating simplification as a rule (“just cancel”), the session positions it as an expression of deeper mathematical structure.
Drawing on research and a teacher-education classroom episode, the workshop highlights how learners can correctly apply procedures without understanding why they work. Participants will unpack how commutativity and associativity justify simplifying within an expression, and how equivalence and invariance underpin these actions.
Through tasks that use visual, symbolic, and verbal representations, participants will explore how simplifying can be reframed as reasoning about relationships rather than as reducing numbers. The session emphasises discourse, multiple representations, and explicit attention to structure as key pedagogical tools.
Aligned with the conference theme, the workshop connects curiosity (questioning “why does this work?”) with connection (linking fraction procedures to broader mathematical properties). It is particularly relevant for teachers seeking to deepen both their own and their students’ understanding of fractions.
Use of Mathematical language and styles of solutions in Middle school preparing for Stage 1 and 2 Mathematics.
Deb Woodard-KnightUniversity Senior College
This workshop is designed for new, out of field, or pre-service teachers. The way we use language in the classroom is so important. Students pick up on what we say, so we must use appropriate terminology for their progress and for the future of their mathematics in mind. We will look at elements of the content in middle school that are a basis for years 11 and 12.
Reimagining Linear Programming
John BamentNT School of Distance Education
Take linear programming beyond procedures and into real mathematical thinking. In this workshop, explore how students move from trial-and-error with simultaneous equations to modelling constraints, graphing feasible regions on a graphics calculator, and explaining why optimal solutions occur at vertices.
Dive into the rich Maths behind changing constraints, multiple optima, and non-discrete solutions while strengthening students’ reasoning for the Mathematical Investigation (including RC5 predictions).
You’ll also explore how AI tools can support idea generation and deeper analysis—without replacing the Maths—so students can clearly explain not just what works, but why.
√2 or “square root of two” or “root 2”: Which one do you want in your captions?
Matt Mack & Dr Kate QuaneAdelaide University
The increasing use of video-based instruction in mathematics using education technology platforms has positioned captions as a tool for supporting student access, engagement, and comprehension. While captions are widely used to support accessibility, particularly for students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, their role in communicating mathematical content remains underexplored. The aim of this workshop is to demystify the process of editing captions to make mathematics more accessible to a wide range of students. This practical workshop will guide participants through the process of editing captions for a supplied video. Using an AI generated transcript, participants will analyse and edit the mathematical content to ensure consistency in communication of the mathematical concepts. Participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, insights and challenges of formatting the captions.
During the workshop, we will share insights into how to caption videos with mathematical content identifying three options for captioning. Participants will explore these options and then engage in an open discussion about the mathematical topics that benefit from different options. Participants’ perspectives of where captions will be beneficial in helping students bridge the language gap between written expression and both formal and informal expression will be sought.
This workshop aligns with the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework and the principle of multiple means of action and expression and multiple means of representation.
Talk Money Program as a catalyst to financial literacy learning and wellbeing
Roset KhairEcstra Foundation
South Australia’s curriculum reform places financial literacy at the centre of Mathematics, signalling a statewide commitment to equipping young people with the skills needed to navigate an increasingly complex financial landscape. This presentation examines how the Talk Money program—an evidence based national initiative designed to build financial capability through practical, age appropriate learning—can be strategically integrated into the new South Australian Curriculum to enhance both teacher practice and student outcomes. With emphasis on real world application, the session will demonstrate how Talk Money’s structured lessons, interactive activities, and real life financial scenarios align with curriculum priorities such as budgeting, consumer decision making, scam awareness, and understanding contemporary financial products like cryptocurrency and buy now pay later services. The presentation will highlight how Talk Money supports teachers by providing ready to use resources that reduce planning load while enabling deeper, inquiry driven learning experiences, strengthening the curriculum’s intent and empowering students with the confidence and capability to make sound financial choices throughout their lives.
Friday 17 Jul 2026
10:50 AM - 11:50 AM Workshop Session 4 Friday 17 July
World of Mathematics in a Tile Puzzle
Thomas Man
Tile puzzles are a great way to engage students with mathematics. Two eminent advocates stand out with their lifelong interests in the subject: Martin Gardner and Sir Roger Penrose. Tile puzzles with their colours, shapes and regular or irregular patterns not only intrigue the curious young minds as a recreational activity, but also teach them serious mathematics as well. For examples, how many combinations can be formed with six triangles in a tile, how many with seven triangles, and how many with six red triangles and a green square? This workshop proposes many topics and levels of mathematics that can be taught in accordance with the Australian Curriculum.
Mathematics cannot be learned without a keen quest for answers, and a world of mathematics can literally be at the student's fingertip with just a puzzling tile!
The Maths Project
T2L Education Emeritus Professor Peter Sullivan and Mark McKelson
At T2L, we have been trialling a new initiative called The Maths Project — an innovative approach to mathematics teaching and learning designed to build deeper student understanding through reasoning, problem-solving, and communication.The project originally began as an extension program aimed at high-performing mathematics students. However, early feedback from teachers highlighted the broader potential of the approach, leading us to expand the trial across mainstream classrooms. The initiative began with a “Problem of the Week” designed for students in Years 3–6. Students access a short video presenting the mathematical challenge, work collaboratively or independently to solve the problem, and then create a video explaining their reasoning, working out, and problem-solving strategies. This process strengthens mathematical language, confidence, and conceptual understanding, while also providing teachers with valuable insight into student thinking and misconceptions. Following successful initial trials, it became increasingly clear that the concept of students presenting video explanations of mathematical problems has significant benefits for learners across all ability levels. The process not only promotes engagement and accountability, but also places reasoning and communication at the centre of mathematics learning. In this presentation, Mark Mckelson will share key learnings from trialling The Maths Project and explore the implications this approach may have for future classroom practice.
Early Career Teachers: Routines that keep a maths lesson moving
Taresa O'Brien
This practical session focuses on setting up classroom routines that improve the flow of maths lessons and create safe, predictable learning environments. It is designed for early career teachers who are developing the systems, confidence and classroom language needed to manage the everyday moments that arise when running their own maths classroom.
Participants will explore strategies for establishing purposeful mathematical entry tasks, managing equipment and classroom resources, gaining attention before modelling examples, giving clear instructions, supporting students who are stuck or slow to start, resettling the class when practice time begins to drift, and finishing with a short check for understanding. The session will highlight how simple routines and go to responses can reduce cognitive load, allowing teachers to focus more on students’ mathematical thinking and less on solving every small problem from scratch.
Teachers will walk away with practical strategies, sample classroom language and a clearer understanding of how repeatable routines can support smoother lesson flow. These approaches can be adapted to different year levels, classroom contexts and personal teaching styles, helping early career maths teachers build calm, purposeful and responsive learning environments.
Experiencing a thin sliced task in a Thinking Classroom for Secondary Years
Lorna McClory
What does a Building Thinking Classrooms lesson look like start to finish? In this workshop, you will experience a thin sliced task from the perspective of a student and unpack the teaching moves used to unlock student thinking and understanding. The lesson will focus on content from grades 10-12.
Whether you're new to Building Thinking Classrooms or have been fully implementing for some time, there will be something for you in this session.
Demonstration-Observation-Reflective Conversation – a team-teaching informed coaching model for teacher growth
Alastair Lupton
Growing out the challenges and opportunities of a high school built around team-teaching, and forged through use at 40+ diverse secondary sites as part of a 2.5 year project to champion non-routine problem-solving in middle school classrooms, a simple model, and some key principles, for coaching led teacher growth have emerged. What will be shared in this workshop, the model, thinking behind it, the data and what is next, may be more blindingly obvious than revolutionary, and will hopefully make for an interesting take on how teachers grow and adopt new practices, and the conditions that help or hinder that happening.
Assessment Authenticity and Task Design of AT2 in the age of Generative AI+
Kylie Urlichs
In the age of Generative AI+ it is becoming increasingly important that we strengthen the authenticity of our assessment, we must be able to verify that a student's work is their own. I will discuss some of the current thinking and literature addressing this problem as well as demonstrate some of our own solutions to this problem. I will explain the thinking and processes behind our redesign of AT2 in our Year 10 and Stage 1 Maths courses.
Connecting the AAMT Pedagogy in Mathematics to the Universal Design for Learning Framework
Dr Kate Quane and Katherine Carcatsis
This workshop presents the findings of a research project that mapped the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework to the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers Pedagogy in Mathematics position paper. The AAMT position paper emphasises that no single approach can meet the needs of all learners and highlights the importance of teachers drawing on a flexible repertoire of strategies to support students. Similarly, UDL promotes the proactive design of learning experiences through multiple means of engagement, representation, and action and expression to reduce barriers and increase access for all learners.
This workshop will share how UDL aligns with the AAMT position paper. Participants will explore how UDL principles can be used to strengthen purposeful planning. Participants will examine examples of how multiple means of engagement, representation, and expression align with key pedagogical practices outlined in the AAMT position paper. Participants will also reflect on how this mapping can inform their own planning and decision-making in mathematics teaching.
11:55 AM - 12:55 PM Workshop Session 5 Friday 17 July
SESSION CANCELLED - Early Career Essentials Part 1: Purposeful Collaboration & Questioning Techniques - Double Session - Please select Part 2 (Workshop 6.1) also.
Rebecca Garrett & Ana Marques BrittoTrinity College, Thomas Moore College & MASA
SESSION CANCELLED - This hands on workshop focuses on how to draw out student thinking through purposeful collaboration, clear routines, and skilful questioning. Early career teachers will explore practical, classroom ready strategies that help students talk, reason and stay engaged. The session also introduces behaviour management strategies that help create calm, productive learning environments where thinking can flourish.
This workshop is the first half of a connected two part series — participants must also register for Workshop 2 to complete the learning sequence.
I beg to differ...entiate (Novel low-floor-high-ceiling activities)
Andrew Lorimer-DerhamThink Square
Differentiation is often confused with individualised work or using an online program to deliver content at the appropriate year level. While a step in the right direction, neither of these approaches captures the essence of differentiation. At its core, differentiation is about providing activities that are rich enough to be engaged with at multiple levels. Tasks and questions that inspire and challenge a wide range of learners. This hands-on presentation will showcase a range of low-floor high-ceiling activities designed to build mathematical skill, promote collaboration, and allow students to engage at their own level of ability. Participants will come away from this session with a range of practical ideas they can immediately implement in their own classroom.
Re-engaging Students Through Maths as Storytelling (Goompi Model)
Yuka SaponaroCanberra Mathematical Association / Melba Copland Secondary School - ACT
Do you have disengaged students who have strengths in sports or hands-on activities? Are you interested in using narrative to teach abstract mathematical concepts? This interactive workshop explores practical Maths as Storytelling (MAST) activities and lesson starters that resonated deeply with disengaged sports-loving students to help shift their mindset. Yuka will also share her journey of creating the ACT MAST Community where strengths from primary to tertiary educators are shared to help re-engage and inspire all students using the Goompi Model (guided by Prof Chris Matthews). From co-writing the National Indigenous Commitment Statement 2 years ago in Adelaide to trialling one MAST lesson starter then gradually creating her own adaptation of MAST as a new maths program at her school and beyond - this is a story that encapsulates the power of a like-minded community.
Unfolding Telescoping Series: Elegant Strategies for Simplifying Sums in Senior Secondary Mathematics
Jeshurun TanMorialta Secondary College
Telescoping series provide an elegant and powerful method for evaluating seemingly complex sums by revealing hidden structures that promote both curiosity and deep mathematical connection. This workshop is designed for high school mathematics teachers seeking to strengthen their content knowledge and refine their pedagogical approaches to teaching series in senior secondary classrooms. Participants will explore foundational principles through a carefully sequenced progression of examples, from simple difference-based expressions to more advanced forms involving partial fractions, with an emphasis on developing intuition and recognising when telescoping methods apply.
The session will also address common student misconceptions in algebraic manipulation and pattern recognition, alongside practical strategies to support effective teaching and differentiation. Through collaborative problem-solving and discussion, participants will engage with approaches that foster curiosity and build strong conceptual connections across topics such as sequences, mathematical induction, and infinite series. By the end of the workshop, teachers will be equipped with both a deeper understanding and classroom-ready resources to teach telescoping series with clarity, confidence, and creativity.
Where are the complex points on a graph?
Dr David ButlerAdelaide University
The complex numbers allow you to find the x-intercepts of graphs that don't appear to meet the x-axis, such as y=x²+1. This means the graphs we know have all these extra points we can't usually see. Is there a way to see these invisible points that surround the graphs we're familiar with? I invented a way to see them, called "i-arrows", and in this presentation, you'll get to explore them.
Tuning into Periodic Functions
Mikaela SawyerSt Andrew's Catholic College - Cairns / Texas Instrument
This hands-on workshop explores how combining graphing technology with pendulums can deepen understanding of periodic wave behavior. Participants will use the TI graphing calculator with a sensor to investigate sinusoidal functions, frequency, amplitude, and phase shift through both mathematical modeling and real-world data collection.
The Mathematics of Bushfire: Classroom Ideas and Real-World Connections
Professor Jason SharplesUniversity of New South Wales (UNSW)
This workshop offers an engaging and accessible exploration of the mathematics underpinning bushfire behaviour. It bridges classroom-ready concepts with authentic applications, demonstrating how core mathematical ideas can illuminate one of Australia’s most significant natural hazards.
Participants will be introduced to practical learning activities originally developed for Year 6 and Year 9 students. These activities highlight fundamental ideas such as shape, rates of spread, geometry, and simple modelling, making bushfire behaviour both understandable and relevant to school mathematics curricula. Building on these foundations, the workshop will extend into offering participants a glimpse into how mathematicians model more complex fire dynamics. Without requiring advanced mathematics, these examples showcase how basic principles scale into powerful tools used in research and real-world prediction.Ideal for educators seeking meaningful, context-rich teaching material, this session provides practical classroom ideas alongside deeper insights into applied mathematics. Participants will leave with information, inspiration, and a renewed appreciation for how mathematics can help us understand and respond to critical environmental challenges.
It's hip to be [a] square!
Christine LenghausMaths Heroes
Squares are a pretty cool shape! Two investigations into squares, a puzzle and a visual pattern to explore offer a smorgasbord to challenge your thinking. Suitable for any student who understands what a square is (Years 3-10).This will be a hands-on workshop, no powerpoint but printed and electronic copies of resources supplied.
1:50 PM - 2:50 PM Workshop Session 6 Friday 17 July
SESSION CANCELLED - Early Career Essentials Part 2: Practical Tools & Problem Solving Routines - Double Session - Please select Part 1 (Workshop 5.1) also.
Rebecca Garrett & Ana Marques BrittoTrinity College, Thomas Moore College & MASA
SESSION CANCELLED - Building directly on the collaborative and behavioural foundations of Workshop 1, this session shifts to developing student thinking through practical tools, representations, and problem-solving frameworks. Participants will trial hands-on strategies that help students plan, persevere, and reflect as mathematical thinkers. The workshop also highlights how consistent instructional routines reduce off?task behaviour by giving students clarity, structure, and ownership during problem-solving tasks.
This workshop is the second half of a connected two-part series — participants must also register for Workshop 1 to gain the full learning experience.
Incorporating Technology Effectively in Mathematical Investigations
Mikaela SawyerSt Andrew's Catholic College - Cairns / Texas Instrument
Discover how to harness technology to deepen mathematical thinking in Mathematical Investigations. This workshop explores practical strategies for integrating digital tools, mainly different types of graphing software, into rich mathematical investigations. Participants will learn how to select appropriate technologies, design meaningful tasks, and guide students in using these tools to explore patterns, test conjectures, and communicate reasoning.
Exploring Athletic Track Stagger: A Year 8 Measurement Investigation
Lilian ShanPulteney Grammar School
This workshop shares a Year 8 measurement topic investigation assessment, adapted from a textbook context involving athletics tracks. The task was designed to interleave circle perimeter, Pythagoras’ theorem, and linear relationships, supporting connections across topics.
Students explore the structure of a 400 m track and identify patterns in stagger distances, before generalising these relationships into a linear model. The task is then extended to the 800 m race, where students use a right-angled triangle model to approximate the additional distance created when runners cut into lane 1.
The session will outline how the task was implemented in the classroom, including scaffolding decisions, challenges encountered, and observations of student thinking. This reflects my experience as an early career teacher trialling the task in a classroom context.
The intention is to share a practical example of adapting a textbook idea into an investigation that encourages reasoning and connections between mathematical concepts. A rubric aligned with ACARA Version 9 and informed by SACE-style criteria will also be shared. Participants will be invited to share feedback and discuss how the task and rubric could be refined and adapted to suit a range of Year 8 learners and classroom contexts.
Try Maths Live - showing students your courage, confusion, corrections and curiosity
Dr David ButlerAdelaide University
This workshop is about the practice of trying maths live in front of other people without knowing in advance the answer or exactly how to get there, something I have been doing for many years with students one-on-one and in lectures and workshops, and also on social media. We will discuss the benefits of this approach for making thought processes more explicit and for making maths and maths teachers more human, and you will have your own turn at trying maths live.
Getting help from Claude
Jo KellawayASMS - Australian Science & Mathematics School & MASA
Claude AI is another generative AI tool but has some interesting features. Do you need an interactive worksheet? Do you need a lesson plan based on content or curriculum documents? Claude can do this and more. (I'm still exploring). Come and find out what I have discovered and maybe suggest some other cool ways to use this tool.