Dr. Yeap Ban Har is presently a lecturer at the NIE. He was previously a head of department at a local secondary school. He has taught students in various streams, both in primary and secondary schools. Dr. Yeap holds a Master of Education and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education. His current research interest focuses on problem solving, problem posing and thinking skills. He has been conducting workshops for teachers in Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and the United States of America ("U.S.A."). He has authored many conference papers and written chapters for several books. He is also the author of several books for primary and pre-school children.

The objective of our workshop series is to equip teachers with the necessary skills to guide students effectively in Mathematics.

TW050
Creative Thinking Skills for Low-Ability Lower Secondary Pupils (3 Hours)

In the spirit of Innovation & Enterprise, schools are striving to help pupils develop good habits of mind. Creative thinking is one such habits of mind. In this workshop, participants will learn the components of creative thinking and be engaged in activities that help develop this particular habit of mind. The activities will show features that are suitable for pupils who are not doing well in school mathematics. These include pupils doing, small-group instruction and opportunity to practise basic skills.

By the end of the workshop, teachers should be able to design activities that help develop creative thinking ability amongst pupils who have not being doing well in school.

TW051
ThinkTank Programme (3 Hours)

• Teachers to be familiarize with the philosophy of integrating the teaching of thinking skills with mathematics lessons.
• Through sample lessons, teachers would learn how thinking skills can be used to achieve three purposes;
  (1) to acquire basic concepts
  (2) to extend and refine a basic concept to another concept
  (3) to use concepts.
• Teachers would learn how to structure and modify lessons in the programme and also explore some assessment modes to assess the outcome of the ThinkTank Programme.

TW052
Thinking Skills in Mathematics (3 Hours)

• Help teachers understand how they can realise the vision of the Thinking Schools philosophy.
• A brief overview of the different models for teaching thinking skills would be presented.
• Teachers would be engaged in hands-on activities to understand the use of thinking skills to learn a new concept, to extend a concept, to refine a concept and to apply a concept.

TW053
Mathematics Investigations (3 Hours)

• Teachers would be engaged in understanding the principles behind mathematics investigation which would be demonstrated through a series of hands-on activities.
• Some investigations could be used as a teaching tool. Other investigations could be used as alternative and continual assessment. Yet others would demonstrate how interdisciplinary links could be achieved via investigations.
• Some investigations require hands-on experiments while others require more seatwork. Some investigations could be done as a team, while others could be done alone.

TW054
Test Items and Assessment Tasks for the Thinking Curriculum (3 Hours)

• Teachers would explore types of test items and assessment tasks that are consistent with the thinking curriculum.
• The topics covered during this workshop are:
  
  • Using the typical paper-and-pencil test to assess thinking in mathematics;
  • Modifying test items to assess thinking in mathematics curriculum; and
  • Alternative modes to assess thinking in mathematics curriculum
    
• The main aim of this workshop is to help teachers select and develop a range of assessment items in both the traditional format and the more innovative formats.
  
  TW055
  Designing Maths Trails (3 Hours)
  
• Teachers would understand that there is a spectrum of Maths Trail tasks, some of which are superficial while others integrate the physical environment with the intended mathematical concepts.
• Suggestions would be provided for the use of Maths Trails as a way to review concepts, to help students learn concepts, to incorporate problem solving and higher order thinking skills and for students to use communication and collaborative skills.
• Teachers would see examples of successful as well as unsuccessful Maths Trail tasks, and they would also be engaged in a series of hands-on activities. In cases whereby schools are constructing Maths Trails for your students, follow-up consultancy services would also be provided.
  
  TW056
  Helping Low-achieving Pupils in Mathematics (3 Hours)
  
• Teachers would learn on how to deal with low-achieving pupils.
• The workshop provides examples of tasks to motivate these pupils, give them some confidence in mathematics and equip pupils with basic competencies.
• First part: Teachers would be engaged in some tasks that pupils find enjoyable.
• Second part: Suggestions to equip pupils with basic competencies.
• Last part: Teachers would be encouraged to share their views and experiences.

TW057
Differentiated Learning and Teaching (3 Hours)

• Share ideas on how to cater to a mixed-ability class.
• The following topics would be discussed in the workshop:
  
  • Understand the different levels that pupils can respond to a class, teachers are able to assign appropriate tasks to pupils with different abilities.
  • Lessons that challenge the high-ability pupils but not beyond the grasp of the low-ability pupils. These lessons are based on the same activities but with differentiated learning objectives.
  • Adapting tasks for pupils of different abilities. The same tasks can be adapted to challenge the high-ability pupils and to facilitate higher-order thinking among low-ability pupils.
    
• Teachers would learn how to design the same tasks for all pupils and adapting the tasks to cater to the mixed-ability class.
• The aim is to challenge the high-ability pupils and to facilitate learning, including higher-order thinking even among the low-ability pupils
  
  TW058
  Mathematics-Based Project Work (3 Hours)
  
• Aims to serve as a stimulus for teachers teaching the same level to design and implement project work in their classrooms, perhaps by involving teachers of other subjects.
• Learn the different ways project work is used in the mathematics classroom. The models to be discussed are the teaching for project work, teaching of project work and also teaching through project work.
• The fundamentals of interdisciplinary projects will be described and illustrated. Teachers teaching the same level will brainstorm to germinate one seed idea for an interdisciplinary project.
• The speaker will share some examples to illustrate good project designs.
• Assessment methods will be described. The use of working file, portfolios and products as well as assessment tools such as rubrics and assessment process such as the use of exemplars will be described.

TW059
Child-Centred Mathematics Lessons (3 Hours)

• Focuses on the development of lessons to facilitate learning that is consistent with the TSLN philosophy.
• Teachers would be engaged in samples of such lessons, which are classified in eight categories:
  
  • Lessons to help children construct procedural knowledge
  • Lessons to help children construct conceptual knowledge
  • Lessons to help children extend knowledge
  • Lessons to help children refine knowledge
  • Lessons to help children use knowledge
  • Lessons to develop creative thinking
  • Lessons to develop critical thinking
  • Lessons to develop meta-cognition.
    
• Help teachers improve important techniques such as worksheet development and appropriate questioning. The purpose of this workshop is to allow teachers to attempt some child-centred lessons. Through teaching child-centred lessons, it is hoped that, in the long run, children in the school would be equipped with sound concepts, skillful processes and good habits of mind when they graduate.
  
  TW060
  Alternative Assessment in Secondary Mathematics (3 Hours)
  
• Learn a range of assessment methods including the design of rubrics that can be used for the SAIL Programme. Teachers will see samples of rubrics.
• Different assessment methods for different aspects of mathematics learning will be included.
• The use of the assessment results in planning instructional and remedial programmes will be discussed.
• Teachers are requested to have a specific topic in mind for the hands-on session where they will plan a task for students in a specific level.