Parents' stuff
Welcome to the Pi Factory, the web site for pupils in my maths classes... and their parents and carers.
This site is meant to help pupils' with their homework. But it also aims to help them develop a confidence with their maths and, if possible, an enthusiasm for the subject.
At the very least it aims to help remove some of the anxiety many children — and adults — feel when faced with even the simplest of arithmetic.
Parents and carers can play a key role in helping their children.
You can see what homework has been set, when it was set and when it should be completed... plus links to online help by clicking your child's class on the home page.
The Pifactory is also starting to publish what I, and often pupils, have written on the whiteboard in class — boardshots. You can go right into the classroom and see what's been taught! Amazing, eh?
Also, parents and students can use the Pifactory chatroom to ask about homework, discuss answers, have a moan or swap jokes... if you want access send in a note asking for my permission form. I need the email addresses you and/or your child will use. I'll send an invitation and instructions by email.
Access to the chatroom is by invitation only and is moderated by myself. All correspondence in the chatroom is public to other users.
To avoid misunderstandings I do not communicate privately by email with either parents or pupils. If you'd like a private chat, please phone the school.
The London Grid for Learning
The site is hosted by the London Grid for Learning, part of the government'sNational Grid for Learning initiative putting education resources for schools, teachers, students, parents on the internet. NGfL is sponsored by the Department for Education and Skills.
System needs
The site is best viewed using Internet Explorer 4 or above. The design of the site is driven by a cascading style sheet. Netscape does not deal with style sheets with the same efficiency. To download the latest version of Internet Explorer click here.
The browser should be set with Java enabled, see tools/internet options/advanced.
The site contains a few files in Word and Excel. The site does not need Flash or Shock plug-ins, though some of the other maths sites listed as links do require such technology.
There is no sound used on this site.
Where do some of the links go?
Maths should be fun. It can be fun. Or, at least it should be less daunting. Point your children in the direction of some of the fun linked sites — they have games, puzzles and oddities.
All the linked sites have been checked. But if you do find one of the linked sites causes concern or the link is broken, please do let me know.
And if you find a great site that is not listed, also let me know.
The history of maths can also be interesting, and scandalous.
Pythagoras was not daunted by killing rivals like Hippasus... and almost certainly had little to do with the Pythagoras theorem which first appeared in India. Descartes did his best work staying in bed all day. Newton sniffed Mercury vapours and had a foul temper.
Ada Byron Lovelace invented much of the maths behind modern computer programming a century or more before PCs... driven by her gambling addiction and increasing debts.
Archimedes was killed after he asked a soldier kindly not to walk over his diagram in the sand. The woman mathematician Hypatia had the flesh scraped from her bones when she wandered into the wrong part of town.
Web sites that can help with homework or revision are listed under revision and homework help.
The level checker
Parents, as well as their offspring, are obviously concerned about the level that their child has attained. The level checker contains checklists which can be ticked so that you can chart your child's progress.
However, students progress through levels much slower than many parents expect or hope — typically about one level every 18 months or so. A student entering Southgate at, say, a level 4 is unlikely to be at level 5 till the middle of year 8.
Parents should also look through their child's exercise book occasionally. My comments in the book will indicate how they are getting on, whether or not homework is up to date and their attitude to work in class.
Useful stuff
Useful stuff contains just that... number lines, grids, how to do multiplication like the ancient Egyptians, conversion charts and other stuff.
The bookshop
The The bookshop gives some help in finding books that might inspire children and pupils... but which can also help parents to become interested and inspired by mathemetics and hopefully inspired to inspire their offspring. It also details dictionaries and reference books.
The bookshop links to Amazon.co.uk. The Pifactory earns a small commission from any sales made via this website... all proceeds go towards supporting the Pifactory.
Today's mathematician, quotation and number
Today's mathematician links to a very good history site giving a list of mathematicians who were born or died on this date... and giving biographies and sometimes pictures.
Today's quotation links to a site which has a different quotation about mathematics every day.
And Today's number generates a number based on today's date and gives some odd and interesting facts about that number.
How you can use this site to help your children
First, encourage your child to do their homework at a reasonable time, earlier rather than later. Try to build up a homework habit — same time, same place. And outside of this, it's chill-out time.
Make sure they are comfortable and work in a reasonable quiet space. If they work better listening to some music, fine. Loud? That's up to you. A snack, a drink might be welcome.
Try to help them to keep calm. As a parent of two children, aged 8 and 12, I know the feelings of rising panic and irritation when they find excuse after excuse for not doing their homework.
If your child is really struggling with the homework, don't let them panic. And don't panic yourself. Ask them to quietly raise it in class, and we'll take a look to see what the problem is. If you get really worried send in a brief note to the class.
It is worth looking through your child's exercise book occasionally. You'll see from my comments how they are getting on, whether or not they are doing well with their homework and their attitude to work in class.
The Panic Button
The Panic Button gives some advice on how to chill-out. Remember maths never killed anyone... well, not at my school. Yet! (Joke!) It did for Hippasus and Hypatia.
Mental maths skills
There are plenty of ways you can help your child develop their maths skills — without lots of angst and nagging. Ask them to find out the prices in supermarket, what will you save if you buy the 20%-off items? How much change do you expect? What would their pocket money buy?
Mental maths skills are invaluable, particularly also for use in science and geography. I hope soon to add some pages to the Pi Factory to help with this.
Help your children to talk maths language and put maths problems into words. The dictionary lists maths words used in class.
Try to help your child to work out strategies for working with numbers:
- Three times £2.99 is three times £3 minus three times 1p.
- 5% of £3.20... 10% is one-tenth, or, 32p. Shift the decimal point. 5% is half 10%, the answer is half of 32p, which is 16p.
- Seven times eight is really difficult! You have to learn it off by heart! Or, remember 5,6,7,8... seven times eight is 56!
When you work out numbers in your head, think of the little tricks you use. We all have them. Then explain them to your child.
However, some numbers and number-facts are just best learned. Silly rhymes — or even mildly rude ones — can help.
What do we teach?
What we teach is laid down in the National Curriculum. You can view and download the Maths National Curriculum in full. It's not light bed-time reading, but it will give you an indication of the areas being covered to help you follow what's happening. But remember not all children progress through the curriculum at the same rate.
Another reason not to panic... maths is taught by going round and round the curriculum, and going steadily deeper. So, yr7 pupils will take a look at algebra and equations in two or three bites... and then again in yr8 and so on. If they don't get it in what go, they will come back to the subject again... and again... and again!
Homework is not a punishment...
Southgate School takes homework very seriously.
Homework is not a punishment. It is a necessary part of completing the coursework.
Children who miss their homework, fall behind. Further and further.
Children who do their homework regularly and methodically usually do themselves justice.
Children who are absent from class, either for illness or music lesson or whatever, are still expected on their return to find out about any homework set and complete what they have missed. If this is a problem, they should see myself and we will work out a programme to catch up.
Missed homework... remember Hippasus!... well, it's a detention
Missed homework, or homework not handed in on time, will be punished with detention, either at lunch-time or, for persistent offenders, after school. Detention is not instead of the homework, which will still need to be completed.
If it starts to become a pattern we will contact you to seek your support.
Homework is set in the class-room and the pupils are expected to write the details in their planners.
If the homework does not appear on this site, that will not be accepted as a reason for not doing the homework.
Finally, I hope you find the Pifactory useful, helpful and amusing. If you have any comments or concerns please do not hesitate to contact me at school.
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