Categories: News

Fee-free graduate certificate in primary maths teaching offered

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1245" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;02&sol;SND12-wk1-Maths&lowbar;training&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SND12-wk1-Maths training 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" &sol;>Following the success of Open Polytechnic&&num;8217&semi;s primary science teaching qualifications&comma; the new fee-free Graduate Certificate in Primary Mathematics Teaching &lpar;Curriculum&rpar; is now open for enrolments&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>It is widely acknowledged that many primary teachers feel a lack of confidence when teaching mathematics&period; With mathematics being part of the National Standards structure&comma; Open Polytechnic provides a vocational qualification that builds the skills of teachers so they are able to gain the best results for their students and for the school&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Open Polytechnic is New Zealand&&num;8217&semi;s largest specialist provider of distance learning&period; The online courses have been designed with inquiry-based learning in mind&comma; and the belief that mathematics can be fun&period; The design of the new courses builds on the success of the award-winning primary science teaching qualifications &lpar;winner of the 2014 DEANZ eLearning Excellence Award&rpar;&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;It has been a team effort getting the first courses online&comma; with courses written by primary teachers and expert teacher educators in consultation with principals and teachers&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Open Polytechnic lecturer Michael Fenton says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;There is a mix of readings&comma; case studies&comma; videos and interactive resources&comma; many of these are classroom-ready for immediate use&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;The hands-on element is integral to the learning of the teachers&comma; which is what research tells us is missing for students in the classroom&period; This is a wonderful opportunity to make a real difference in classrooms across the country&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The qualification uses the same approach used in Open Polytechnic&&num;8217&semi;s primary science teaching qualifications to improve primary teachers&&num;8217&semi; knowledge&comma; competence and confidence&period; The curriculum within the Graduate Certificate in Primary Mathematics Teaching &lpar;Curriculum&rpar; has been divided into manageable chunks&comma; enabling teachers to develop and use resources in their own classroom as part of the assessment&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>The qualification is specifically designed for in-service teachers and can be studied while still teaching&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;This development is in response to the need for increased mathematics teaching capability across the school sector to support and encourage students proceeding into mathematics&comma; science and technology specialisations thus contributing to the government agenda for increased innovation and entrepreneurship&comma;&&num;8221&semi; head of the School of Science and Technology at Open Polytechnic Dr Lily Belabun says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>If teachers enrol before February 17 they will be eligible to study this qualification fee free&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;

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