Defining Mathematical Giftedness

This theoretical paper outlines the process of defining mathematical giftedness for a present study on how primary school teaching shapes the mindsets of children who are mathematically gifted. Mathematical giftedness is not a badge of honour or some special value attributed to a child who has achieved something exceptional. Mathematically gifted children possess unusually high natural aptitudes for understanding mathematical concepts, and subsequently differ substantively to their peers in the way they view, understand and learn mathematics

Changing self-limiting mindsets of young mathematically gifted students to assist talent development

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of classroom teachers receiving professional learning about students who are mathematically gifted, but who may display self-limiting mindset tendencies. There has been an emerging emphasis on affective impacts in education in general (Duckworth & Gross, 2014; Dweck, 2015), and in mathematics learning specifically (Boaler, 2016; Williams, 2014), on nurturing positive, non-cognitive learner dispositions, or mindsets. However, there seems to be little research, and limited discussion in the literature, about the effect of mathematically gifted students’ mindsets – of how they perceive themselves as learners of mathematics – and the impact this has on their ongoing mathematics learning, and transforming their gifts into talents (Gagné, 2003). The development of positive learner mindsets in students who are mathematically gifted could have profound implications for these students as individuals, as well as for the future of society as a whole, as their gifts continue to be realised, enhanced and transformed into talents. The research design adopted for the study was a case study with a narrative analysis. The case was the phenomenon of mathematically gifted students who display self-limiting mindset tendencies, with three students at three different levels of primary school identified for the study. The case study, a descriptive research design, was used to observe and describe the effect of teacher professional learning on the mathematics learning and mindsets of these three students, over a three to four-month period. Data were collected from parent and teacher questionnaires, pre- and post-professional learning interviews with students and teachers, and observations of mathematics classroom lesson involvement. A narrative analysis process was adopted, with direct interpretation from data being the dominant approach, as the findings were to be a description of happenings rather than a frequency of happenings (Stake, 1995). The narrative analytic procedure used was based around the seven criteria for narrative case study first proposed by Dollard (1935), and revised by Polkinghorne (1995). Analyses and interpretations of data from this study show evidence of the targeted teacher professional learning having a positive impact on the three case study students’ mindsets about successful mathematics learning, and on their approaches to mathematics learning, especially their approaches to challenging tasks. It seems targeted professional learning may be valuable for teachers to develop an understanding of how support for mathematically gifted students is essential, and what it entails. Generalisations from a qualitative case study are limited because, by definition, it is a bounded system specific to a small number of individuals in a particular environment (Stake, 1995). However, if, as the findings of this study show, mindsets of mathematically gifted students can be nurtured (and changed if necessary) the implications could be profound if this does, indeed, enable extraordinary capabilities, or gifts, to be realised, enhanced and transformed into talents (Gagné, 2003). This research may also provide a valuable addition, or a ‘link in the chain' to the current knowledge base of mathematically gifted students, and how educators can best support their successful on-going learning. It hopefully provides further highlights, and uncovers new understandings of classroom support required for mathematically gifted students

The Impact of Let’s Count on Children’s Mathematics Learning

Let’s Count is an early mathematics program that has been designed by The Smith Family and the authors to assist educators in early childhood contexts in socially disadvantaged areas of Australia to work in partnership with parents and other family members to promote positive mathematical experiences for young children (3-5 years). A longitudinal evaluation of Let’s Count was undertaken in 2012-2014 involving 337 children in two treatment groups and 125 children in a comparison group. This paper shares preliminary results from the evaluation. Overall the findings demonstrate that Let’s Count was effective

Insights from Aboriginal teaching assistants about the impact of the Bridging the Numeracy Gap Project in a Kimberley Catholic school

As part of the Bridging the Numeracy Gap Project, four Catholic schools in the Kimberley appointed Key Aboriginal Teaching Assistants in Numeracy who, along with a classroom teacher from the school, participated in a 6-day professional learning program aimed at developing their mathematics teaching and leadership. At the end of 2010, audio-taped conversations took place to gain insight about the impact of the Project on learning and teaching mathematics at the school. Analysis of these data demonstrated that Aboriginal Teaching Assistants had clear views about the positive impact of project and of how to improve Aboriginal students‟ opportunities to learn mathematics at school

Insights about children's understanding of 2-digit and 3-digit numbers

Five interpretive place value tasks were added to the Early Numeracy Interview (ENI) to gain further insight about students’ construction of conceptual knowledge associated with 2-digit and 3-digit numbers. The researchers hypothesised that even though some students were successful at reading, writing and ordering numbers, interpreting multi-digit numbers for problem solving remained a struggle for them. Analyses of students’ responses showed that the new tasks distinguished students who previously were assessed as understanding 2- digit or 3-digit numbers, but who could not identify 50 or 150 on a number line or state the total of collections reduced or increased by ten. The new tasks assist teachers to identify students who need further instruction to fully understand 2-digit and 3-digit numbers

Opportunities for tidal range projects beyond energy generation:using Mersey barrage as a case study

Currently there is renewed interest in harnessing the vast tidal resource to combat the twin challenges of climate change and energy security. However, within the UK no tidal barrage proposals have passed the development stage, this is due to a combination of high cost and environmental concerns. This paper demonstrates how a framework, such as the North West Hydro Resource Model can be applied to tidal barrages, with the Mersey barrage as a case study. The model materialised in order to provide developers with a tool to successfully identify the capacity of hydropower schemes in a specific location. A key feature of the resource model is the understanding that there is no single barrier to the utilisation of small hydropower but several obstacles, which together impede development. Thus, this paper contributes in part to a fully holistic treatment of tidal barrages, recognising that apart from energy generation, other environmental, societal and economic opportunities arise and must be fully investigated for robust decision-making. This study demonstrates how considering the societal needs of the people and the necessity for compensatory habitats, for example, an organic architectural design has developed, which aims to enhance rather than detract from the Mersey

Randomized phase 3 evaluation of trifarotene 50 μg/g cream treatment of moderate facial and truncal acne.

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris often affects the face, shoulders, chest, and back, but treatment of nonfacial acne has not been rigorously studied. OBJECTIVES: Assess the safety and efficacy of trifarotene 50 μg/g cream, a novel topical retinoid, in moderate facial and truncal acne. METHODS: Two phase III double-blind, randomized, vehicle-controlled, 12-week studies of once-daily trifarotene cream versus vehicle in subjects aged 9 years or older. The primary end points were rate of success on the face, as determined by the Investigator\u27s Global Assessment (clear or almost clear and ≥2-grade improvement), and absolute change from baseline in inflammatory and noninflammatory counts from baseline to week 12. The secondary end points were rate of success on the trunk (clear or almost clear and ≥2-grade improvement) and absolute change in truncal inflammatory and noninflammatory counts from baseline to week 12. Safety was assessed through adverse events, local tolerability, vital signs, and routine laboratory testing results. RESULTS: In both studies, at week 12 the facial success rates according to the Investigator\u27s Global Assessment and truncal Physician\u27s Global Assessment and change in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesion counts (both absolute and percentage) were all highly significant (P \u3c .001) in favor of trifarotene when compared with the vehicle. LIMITATIONS: Adjunctive topical or systemic treatments were not studied. CONCLUSION: These studies demonstrate that trifarotene appears to be safe, effective, and well tolerated in treatment of both facial and truncal acne

Longitudinal progress of 6-year-old students who participated in an Extending Mathematical Understanding mathematics intervention program

The Extending Mathematical Understanding (EMU) Program is a specialised mathematics program that aims to accelerate the learning of Grade 1 students who struggle with learning school mathematics. Forty-two students participated in an EMU Program in 2010 as part of the Bridging the Numeracy Gap (BTNG) project. Analysis of students’ mathematics knowledge at the beginning of the EMU Program highlighted how diverse was this group of students. The students’ mathematics knowledge was assessed again at the beginning of the following year in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program for accelerating learning. Overall the students made very good progress and their learning was maintained

Global Consensus Position Statement on the Use of Testosterone Therapy for Women

The only evidence-based indication for testosterone for women is for HSDD. There are insufficient data for using testosterone for any other symptom/condition or for disease prevention

Half-Dead Colonies of Montastraea Annularis Release Viable Gametes On A Degraded Reef In The Us Virgin Islands

This article contributes to scholarship on Afroeurope by investigating the intersection of blackness, Africanness, and Europeanness in everyday discourses and social practices in the Netherlands and Italy. We examine how young African-descended Europeans are forging new ways of being both African and European through practices of self-making, which should be understood against both the historical background of colonialism and the contemporary politics of othering. Such practices take on an urgency for these youth, often encompassing a reinvention of Africanness and/or blackness as well as a challenge to dominant, exclusionary understandings of Europeanness. Comparing Afro-Dutch and Afro-Italian modes of self-making, centred on African heritage and roots, we discuss: 1) the emergence of a transnational, Afroeuropean imaginary, distinguished from both white Europe and African-American formations; and 2) the diversity of Afroeuropean modes of self-making, all rooted in distinct histories of colonialism, slavery, and immigration, and influenced by global formations of Africanness and blackness. These new Afro and African identities advanced by young Europeans do not turn away from Europeanness (as dominant identity models would assume: the more African, the less European), nor simply add to Europeanness (“multicultural” identities), nor even mix with Europeanness (“hybrid” identities), but are in and of themselves European