MTH6110 |
Communicating and Teaching Mathematics: The Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme |
| Course Material | 2011-12 |
This module provides an opportunity for final year students to gain first hand experience of mathematics education, through a mentoring scheme with mathematics teachers in local schools.
Students are required to spend half a day (approximately 4 hours), each week for a semester, working in a local school.
Students also attend a weekly tutorial/workshop meeting. These take place on Wednesdays at 10am during the Spring Term.
This module is being offered in conjunction with the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme (http://www.uas.ac.uk/).
Students will typically begin by observing the teacher's handling of the class and progress from this classroom assistant stage through small teaching tasks to at least one opportunity to undertake whole class teaching, possibly for a short part of a lesson. As Student Ambassadors, they will represent and promote mathematics as a potential university choice.
Students will undertake and evaluate a special project on the basis of discussion with the teacher. This may involve a specific in-class teaching problem or an extra-curricular project such as a lunchtime club or special coaching periods for higher ability pupils. The student will keep a journal of their own progress in working in the classroom environment, and they will be asked to submit a reflective written report on the special project and other relevant aspects of the school placement experience.
During the UAS placement the undergraduate students will be involved in the following broad areas of learning and teaching:
Oral Presentation (20%)
Presentation on special project and experience. These
presentations are to be ten minutes in length with five additional
minutes for discussion. Presentations are provisionally scheduled for
the last week of the spring term.
Mentor Teacher's Evaluation (20%)
Mentor teacher's end of module report, including assessment of
student's planning and delivery of special project.
Each participant will serve as an ambassador of Queen Mary University of London and of the School of Mathematical Sciences in the local community. Additionally they will act as a teaching assistant and role model in local secondary classrooms. In light of these responsibilities and also the limited number of available opportunities, ultimate participation in this module is highly selective.
Selection will be based on a student applicant's:Discuss your interest in this module with your adviser.
You must register for the module prior to the start of the Autumn term. This is essential, for you to receive correspondence regarding the application process and training - which happen shortly after the start of the autumn term.
Please note, if your application for this module is not accepted you will have to change your registration to drop MTH6110 and add a different module in January. It may be useful to discuss contingency plans with your adviser at the start of the autumn term.
Write a brief, 1-page statement, describing your interest in the module.
Arrange for your undergraduate adviser to write a confidential letter of reference. This letter should address your interest in teaching, reliability and suitability for participation in the Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme. It should be sent directly to the Module Organizer.
Note that writing a good reference letter takes considerable time and effort. Please keep this in mind when requesting a reference. It is good practice to make this request when discussing your module registration with your adviser at the start of the autumn term.
Written Application Deadline: Thursday October 13, 2011
Your 1-page statement and the letter of reference should be submitted no later than the end of the day October 13, 2011.
Email submissions as MS Word, Adobe PDF, or plain text files are acceptable. Please email your application materials to Craig Agnor. Please use `MTH6110 Application' as the subject of your email.
Be sure to include your name and student identification numbers on all documents.
You will need to also complete a Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) Check as a part of your application. See below for details.
Deadline: Thursday October 20, 2011
Information regarding completing the CRB application can be found at the following links. [LINK1] [LINK2] Please read this before completing your application.
To complete your CRB check application for MTH6110 you need to:
Pick up the CRB application form from the School of Mathematical Sciences Office. Speak with the office staff and mention you are applying to participate in MTH6110 Communicating and Teaching Mathematics module and need a CRB form, they should be able to help you.
Read the instructions on page 1 before completing. You must complete all sections of the form marked in yellow. Please ignore questions relating to ISA registration. Please leave the back page of the form blank.
Make sure you indicate that you are applying as a 'free of charge volunteer'.
Sort out the appropriate identification (details are contained in the guide to completing the form). The link below has some information on what type of identification is acceptable. Additional guidance on identity checking can be found here. [LINK]
Bring the completed forms and your original ID (no copies) to the Education Liaison Office, in the Queen's Building on the first floor, Room E107. There your identification will be checked and copied and the forms submitted.
When you have submitted the CRB application, please send me an email to confirm that this has been accomplished.
Once you have submitted your application you will be contacted by the Module Organizers to arrange a time for your interview. The interviews are provisionally scheduled for the weeks of October 24-28 and October 31 - November 4, 2011. Additional information will be provided on the receipt of your application.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011 2:30-5pm in Room 4.01 of the Bancroft Road Building (Note the later start time).
Attendance is required to participate in MTH6110.