This page contains public domain documents and links to useful pages which are of application over multiple courses ("Subjects"). Some may be duplicates of what is on other subject pages.
Resources:
This page came about as a result of meetings with various parents where it became clear that the student and parents were not aware of nor using all the resources that the school has available for maths or science teaching and learning. There are numerous tools available for parents and students to keep abreast of teaching, learning and results in maths and science classes.
This page came about as a result of meetings with various parents where it became clear that the student and parents were not aware of nor using all the resources that the school has available for maths or science teaching and learning. There are numerous tools available for parents and students to keep abreast of teaching, learning and results in maths and science classes.
Christopher Poole Weebly: This is my website and blog. It is not very pretty, but has a tonne of useful stuff in the form of links. It is organised by Year and Subject. Each page contains a copy of the curriculum, the program which students are working to, and links to other resources for each chapter of the text we are using. There are dozens of links to Khan Academy, the premier teaching website in the world. This is a free resource, and I select and post links for 5-10 minute video lessons on most topics that we cover in class. So, if you have forgotten all the maths you learned at school, two or three clicks will take you to a brilliant explanation of any concept you can imagine. I maintain it in an ad-hoc manner, basically posting links to lessons which directly address questions students have asked, so sometimes it can be weeks between updates, but if we hit a difficult topic I will post stuff almost each lesson.
Khan Academy: As above, this is simply the best free teaching resource on the web, bar none. It covers almost every subject you can imagine from primary to degree level, mostly in the form of 5-12 minute lessons. Superb stuff. You can just use the links from my website, or create an account which logs your progress, and learn almost anything, anytime, for free. Note that the iPad app has quite different and lesser functionality to the web version. Still good, but my links are for the full web version, so will need to be run through Safari.
Cambridge: My Year 8 and 9 maths students have all been issued with a Cambridge Essential maths for the Australian Curriculum 2nd Edn text. This is stored in the classroom for students to access during class. Texts come with a code so that students can get access online to the entire text. If students do not have access to the internet at home, they should download the chapter pdfs so that they can work offline at home.
Mathspace: Cornerstone Christian College pays for every student to have access to Mathspace. Each student has been given a username and password. All my students can access a course which has been selected as matching their ability and the subject they are currently taking. I assign tasks which complement the material we are covering in class. Each task takes 5 to 20 (ish) minutes, depending on difficulty and year level. It is not intended to be purely mental maths. Student should have access to a pencil, paper and a calculator to complete the work.
Pearson science: science students have access to an electronic version of their text via their iPads. It does need the internet, but means they do not need to take their text home as long as they have their iPad.
The Great Courses: http://www.thegreatcourses.com.au/ . This is not a free resource, but I can highly recommend the material supplied by this company. Basically they video the best of the best lecturers in any particular topic, and sell the courses via download or DVD or streaming or CD. I use them a lot, but would only recommend them for motivated students who really want to improve their marks. There are hundreds of courses, but I can recommend:
Year 7 and 8: Mastering the Fundamentals of Mathematics
Year 9 and 10: Algebra I
Year 10 and Methods 1 & 2: Algebra II
Year 10, Methods 1 & 2, Geometry: An Interactive Journey to Mastery
Methods 1-4: Understanding Calculus: Problems, Solutions, and Tips
Methods 1-4 and Specialist 1,2 : Mathematics Describing the Real World: Precalculus and Trigonometry
Specialist 1-2: Prove It: The Art of Mathematical Argument
Note: never pay the “sticker price” for any of the courses. They cycle all the courses through a variety of discounts which actually make the courses quite affordable.
Year 7 and 8: Mastering the Fundamentals of Mathematics
Year 9 and 10: Algebra I
Year 10 and Methods 1 & 2: Algebra II
Year 10, Methods 1 & 2, Geometry: An Interactive Journey to Mastery
Methods 1-4: Understanding Calculus: Problems, Solutions, and Tips
Methods 1-4 and Specialist 1,2 : Mathematics Describing the Real World: Precalculus and Trigonometry
Specialist 1-2: Prove It: The Art of Mathematical Argument
Note: never pay the “sticker price” for any of the courses. They cycle all the courses through a variety of discounts which actually make the courses quite affordable.