Big Ideas to Start Strong across K-6 is a NESA-accredited sustained professional learning opportunity that aims to enrich the leading, teaching and learning of some important big ideas and core concepts in mathematics from Kindergarten to Year 6.

This course supports a whole-school approach to the leading, teaching and learning of mathematics. To support teacher voice and targeted teaching, some modules offer differentiation through learning pathways that have been developed inside the course structure.

Big Ideas to Start Strong across K–6 has been developed by the NSW Mathematics Professional Learning team in partnership with leading mathematics education academics, some of whom make appearances inside the professional learning.

Who is this course for

You may complete this professional learning individually or together as a team. Participants could include:

• any teacher or leader interested in enhancing their understanding of some important big ideas in mathematics across K–6
  
• Assistant Principals, Curriculum and Instruction (AP, C&Is)
  
• specialist support teachers
• graduate teachers with a specialisation in mathematics
• Stage 4 teachers and leaders focussed on supporting the transition between Stage 3 and Stage 4.

Learning as a school team

Learning together is usually more impactful than learning alone, however, it’s not always possible for schools. In previous years, participants have included:

• individual teachers who have used their RFF because they wanted to learn more about mathematics

• leaders who have participated in the learning along with a stage team

• whole school teams who learnt together, using staff development days and professional learning meetings

• teachers who have formed small communities of learners with colleagues in different schools and learnt online together – creating their own online learning spaces to talk about the course and what they’re doing in their classrooms as a result.

The course

This professional learning opportunity aims to:

• deepen understanding of some big ideas and core concepts in mathematics and how they relate to syllabuses
  

• showcase examples of classroom practice, tasks and assessment tools related to some big ideas and core concepts

• support knowledge for teachers across the horizon of learning from K–6 and beyond

• build teachers’ confidence in the teaching and learning of mathematics

• deepen teachers’ knowledge
  

• explore evidence-based mathematical pedagogies and research

• highlight opportunities for making and using connections within and across syllabuses through exploring big ideas and core concepts

• provide opportunities to work collaboratively within and across school communities

• support teachers in enacting what is learnt and refined inside classrooms.
  

Curriculum Reform and syllabus implementation

This course supports schools in Curriculum Reform by providing opportunities to deeply explore some important big ideas and core concepts that are embedded throughout the NSW Mathematics syllabuses. Additionally, the NSW Curriculum Review outlined the importance of building professional knowledge to support student understanding of the key concepts, principles, and ways of working in mathematics, focussing on conceptual understanding and the big ideas that underpin mathematics (NESA, 2021).

NESA Accreditation

This course is registered with NESA, recognising a total of 21 accredited hours of professional learning, including:

• the pre-requisite Introduction course – 2 hours (this is the same pre-requisite for Effective Teaching Practices in Mathematics)
• Big Ideas to Start Strong across K-6 – 19 hours

After successfully meeting completion requirements for each course, your details will be processed into MyPL and NESA eTAMS within a month.

Course commitments

This course involves 10 self-paced components with each one taking approximately 2 hours to complete. This includes:

• one prerequisite introduction “course” providing some important background information for teachers who choose to participate in Big Ideas to Start Strong or Effective Teaching Practices

• nine self-paced modules released throughout the year that unlock sequentially upon completion of the previous module
  

• opportunities to play with mathematics, discuss ideas, reflect and respond throughout each module.

Course content