In our final episode of Season Two of ‘Digging For The Why’, we talk to the Curriculum Lead for Oak National Academy, Ed Southall.
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In this week’s episode, Ed emphasises the need to nurture curiosity from an early age to encourage participation in the classroom.
We delve into the challenges of moving away from traditional teaching models and the benefits that conceptual insight can bring to enrich students’ learning experiences.
Additionally, we explore how to create a classroom culture in which students feel safe to make mistakes, share ideas and engage in discussion to enhance their understanding and shift traditional teaching practices.
Meet our Guest
Author of ‘Yes But Why? Teaching for Understanding in Mathematics, Curriculum Lead for Oak National Academy and editor-in-chief of the Mathematical Association, Ed Southall, is the perfect guest for our podcast.
Ed specialises in speaking about conceptual teaching in maths and making maths make sense for children of all ages. He has an array of experience in teaching and senior leadership, as well as experience teaching in the Middle East.
00:00 Welcome and Introduction to Ed Southall
04:57 Ed Personal Journey with Maths and The Genesis of ‘Yes, But Why? Teaching for Understanding’
15:53 Challenges and Strategies in Teaching Maths Conceptually
22:20 The Impact of ‘Why’ for Students and Teachers
26:27 Exploring the Complexity of Teaching Maths and Mathematical Concepts
28:06 The Dangers of Prioritizing ‘Why’ Over ‘How’: Cognitive Load and Conceptual Understanding
31:14 Curriculum Design: Making Sense vs. Depth of Understanding
33:47 The Journey from Primary to Secondary Education and Building a Supportive Classroom Culture
41:07 Encouraging Deep Thinking and Understanding in Maths
43:00 The Importance of Classroom Culture in Learning Effectively
47:42 Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions
A transcript of this episode is available here
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Andy Lumley
Alison Hopper
A talented young creative iingledew produced our intro/outro – check out his Soundcloud.
