Mr Barton Maths Podcast

In this conversation, Andrew Manches, a Professor of Children and Technology at the University of Edinburgh, discusses the intersection of technology and early childhood education. He emphasizes the importance of understanding how children interact with technology and the potential benefits and challenges it presents. The conversation explores innovative tools that blend physical and digital learning, the role of gestures in communication, and the complexities of conducting research in educational settings. Manches advocates for collaboration between researchers and educators to enhance learning experiences and prepare children for a digital future.View the show notes here: https://podcast.mrbartonmaths.com/210-research-in-action-27-technology-and-learning-with-andrew-manches/

In this conversation, Silke Goebel, a professor at the University of York, discusses her research on number processing in children, the cognitive and cultural aspects of numerical cognition, and the influence of language on learning mathematics. She explores how numbers are represented in the brain, the concept of subitizing, and the challenges posed by different number systems across cultures. The discussion also touches on the impact of bilingualism and reading direction on numerical understanding, as well as practical takeaways for teachers and parents to support children's mathematical development. Access the show notes here: https://podcast.mrbartonmaths.com/209-research-in-action-26-linguistic-influences-on-number-processing-with-silke-goebel/

Kris Boulton and maths teacher Duncan Grantham join me to discuss creating maths resources using AI. You can access the shownotes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-in-action-4

Kris Boulton and maths teacher Lee Wheeler join me for the third in our monthly deep-dives about how to apply the principles of Atomisation in the classroom. This time we look at problem-solving, prerequisite knowledge, and overtisiation. Access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-in-action-3

Ollie Lovell and Mark Dowley have written a fantastic book - The Classroom Management Handbook. In this conversation, we dive into three of Ollie and Mark’s 10 behaviour principles: Master your own behaviour to influence others, Treat behaviour as a curriculum, and Success is the greatest motivator. We then discuss my favourite part of the book - the worked example or scripts that Ollie and Mark have written to show teachers exactly how to enact these principles in their classrooms. Whether you are a novice teacher or an experienced practitioner, there will be something in this chat, and indeed in the book, for you. You can access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/classroom-management-handbook

Science teacher and educational guru Adam Boxer joins me to discuss why he thinks the way CPD is traditionally delivered in schools is broken, and how we can fix it. We discuss three common models of CPD - the one-off inset, the yearly whole-school focus, and instructional coaching - and Adam outlines just how difficult it is to make them effective. We then discuss Adam's alternative. You can access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/adam-boxer-cpd/

Regular listeners will know that each month, I get together with my good friend and podcasting arch-enemy Ollie Lovell. This is the fifth in our series of conversations where we seek to agree upon a maths lesson structure. This time around, we continue our discussion of the Do Now, this time focusing on how to respond to the checks for understanding, and addressing reasons why the Do Now can take too long. As ever, we go super deep. So, I hope people enjoy it. Access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/lesson-structure-5

Kris Boulton and maths teacher Lee Wheeler join me for the second of our series of Atomisation in Action episodes, where we discuss the benefits and challenges of applying the principles of Atomisation in the classroom. This time, we discuss how Atomisaiton can go wrong, and how it works with sets and mixed-attainment classes. You can access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-in-action-2

This episode, Neil Almond, creator of the amazing Teacher Prompts newsletter, returns to the show. We begin by reflecting on some recent developments in the world of AI and then turn our attention to Neil’s AI spin on Neil Postman's Technology Principles, where Neil expresses caution about the impact AI could have on our students' education and the role of teachers. You can access the shownotes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/ai-in-education-3

This is the first in what I hope will be a new series of episodes focusing on Atomisation and its potential impact on student learning. Access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/atomisation-in-action-1

This is the second instalment in a series of episodes examining the role of AI in education. On this episode, I am joined by James Radburn. As you will hear, James has devoted considerable time to considering the positive benefits and pitfalls of AI in education. Today, after James shares three practical use cases of AI that all listeners can use, we dive into the tricky areas of AI literacy for both teachers and students. What is the minimum that all teachers and students need to know about AI, and what are the ethical implications? You can access the shownotes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/ai-in-education-2

In this engaging conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell discuss various teaching strategies, focusing on the 'Do Now' structure in classrooms. They explore the importance of checking for understanding, the effectiveness of mini whiteboards, and how to manage latecomers. The discussion also touches on their upcoming Aussie tour, providing insights into their teaching philosophies and practical classroom management techniques. In this conversation, Craig and Ollie delve into the intricacies of teaching strategies, focusing on the importance of establishing effective routines, gathering and responding to feedback, and optimizing communication in the classroom. They discuss the complexities of teaching, the necessity of splitting up gathering and responding to feedback, and reflect on the ongoing podcast series, emphasizing the depth of discussion required to improve teaching practices. You can access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/lesson-structure-4

I hope this will be the first of a series of episodes investigating AI's role in education. Specifically, I am interested in how AI can save teachers time, help them do their jobs better, or ideally both. I am also interested in the role AI may play in the future in acting as an intelligent 1-to-1 tutor for our students. So, in this first conversation, Neil and I cover the basics of what exactly AI is, cover some of Neil’s use cases for the likes of ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and NotebookLM, and then Neil reins me back in when I get a bit carried away about where education might be heading.You can view the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/ai-in-education-1

This is the third in our series of conversations where we seek to agree upon a maths lesson structure. This time around, we continue our discussion of the Do Now, this time focusing on the choice of content, and what students do whilst working on the Do Now. As ever, we go super deep. So, I hope people enjoy it.Show-notes: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/lesson-structure-3

In this episode, Ollie and I tried something different. I’ve been working with a school to help develop a departmental lesson structure with their maths team. I know Ollie had been doing something similar with a school he has been working with, so it seemed a good idea to chat through our ideas to see where we agreed and differed.My original plan was to cover this all in one pod. But, as you will hear, I may have been a bit optimistic about that. So, we are going to turn this into a series of episodes. Given how far we got in this conversation, we should just about wrap up our dive into a lesson structure by 2029.Access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/lesson-structure-2

In this episode, Ollie and I tried something different. I've been working with a school to help develop a departmental lesson structure with their maths team. I know Ollie had been doing something similar with a school he has been working with, so it seemed a good idea to chat through our ideas to see where we agreed and differed.My original plan was to cover this all in one pod. But, as you will hear, I may have been a bit optimistic about that. So, we are going to turn this into a series of episodes. Given how far we got in this conversation, we should just about wrap up our dive into a lesson structure by 2029.You can access the show-notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/lesson-structure-1

Ollie Lovell sent me a recording of a maths lesson he had recently taught in a school he has been supporting. I suggested we discuss the lesson, centring around Ollie’s planning, the decisions he made, and his responses in the lesson. Fortunately, Ollie agreed, hence what you are listening to now. I have shared the video clips from the sections of the lesson that we discussed on the show-note page here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/ollie-lesson

In this conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie Lovell discuss various topics related to teaching and professional development. They touch on the importance of aligning pedagogy in schools and the potential benefits and drawbacks of co-constructing instructional practices. They also discuss effective strategies for delivering CPD, including cold calling participants and switching partners during activities. Craig shares his takeaways from attending CPD sessions by Doug Lemov and from Ollie's conversation with Harry Fletcher-Wood. Overall, the conversation highlights the importance of thoughtful and intentional approaches to teaching and professional development. In this part of the conversation, Craig and Ollie discuss the importance of effective training and the role of habits in learning. They also explore the power of writing as a tool for participation and reflection. They highlight the need for visible writing to facilitate discussion and the benefits of rewriting to deepen understanding. They also discuss the importance of pushing conversations to a higher level to uncover underlying beliefs and assumptions. Finally, they reflect on the challenges of one-off PD sessions and the value of distilling wisdom into actionable takeaways. You can view the shownotes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-teachers-14 Time-stamps: Should school teaching and learning playbooks be constructed? (07:54) Reflections on Doug Lemov CPD (29:17) Effective training focusses on developing habits (44:08) The power of writing (59:01) During tricky conversations, push to a higher level (1:08:43) The importance (and perils) of models during CPD (1:22:04)

In this conversation, Craig and Ollie discuss various topics, including their health, their rankings as education influencers, and the importance of breaking down concepts into smaller atoms for effective teaching. They also explore the idea of sharing what students need to hear rather than showing off one's knowledge, and the challenges of atomization in teaching. Ollie shares his experience working with a school and the importance of focusing on specific areas for improvement. Craig highlights the value of breaking down routines and processes in teaching and the need to assess or teach each atom separately. They also discuss the curse of knowledge and the benefits of pairing experienced and less experienced teachers. The conversation explores the idea of productive struggle in education and the importance of curriculum resources. It discusses the benefits of students struggling with tasks and the role of teachers in helping them struggle at a higher level. The conversation also delves into the relationship between curriculum and pedagogy, highlighting the need for both to be addressed in teaching and learning. The importance of shared and prescriptive curriculum resources is emphasized, as well as the need for teachers to see themselves as curriculum designers. The conversation concludes with a discussion on gratitude and the power of storytelling. In this conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie discuss the benefits and drawbacks of discovery-based learning in mathematics. Craig shares his experience observing a teacher who used a discovery approach to teach geometry theorems, which initially made him skeptical. However, he found that the students were engaged and able to explain the theorems effectively. They discuss the importance of efficiency and strategic use of discovery activities in the curriculum. Ollie shares his love for teaching in ways that allow students to make connections on their own. You can view the shownotes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-teachers-13 Tell teachers what they need to hear (08:01) Breaking things down is the most important thing (13:03) Choose the level of struggle (24:56) What should we spend finite CPD time on (30:35) Dinner table chat (51:44) Circle Theorems discovery lesson (59:27)

In this conversation, Craig Barton and Ollie discuss various topics including recovery from illness, feedback, and teaching methods. They explore different approaches to going through responses from starters in the classroom, such as working through every answer quickly, circulating and addressing specific questions, and using mini whiteboards. They also discuss the importance of setting the tone for the lesson during the do now activity. Additionally, Craig introduces the concept of atomisation in teaching and the NPPPN sequence for teaching categorical atoms. They highlight the importance of using examples and non-examples to help students understand and categorize knowledge. In this part of the conversation, Craig and Ollie discuss the importance of using effective examples and non-examples when teaching concepts. They also explore the key factors that contribute to the success of high-achieving schools, such as sustained professional learning and a shared approach to teaching. Additionally, they discuss how pedagogy may differ when teaching senior students and the importance of providing feedback in a supportive and constructive manner. You can access the show notes here: mrbartonmaths.com/blog/tools-and-tips-for-teachers-12 Time-stamps: Responses to the Do Now (05:36) NPPPN (18:16) Ollie's visit to a high-performing school (33:42) How does pedagogy change at A Level? (49:55) Words to avoid when giving feedback (58:51) Triple EPPs (1:05:17)