Teach Middle East Magazine Mar-Apr 2018 Issue 4 Volume 5 | Page 32

Sharing Good Practice SNAPSHOTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST MATHS TEACHERS CONFERENCE 2018 O n February 24th, 2018, Mathematics educators from all over the world gathered at the Le Meridien Hotel Dubai and Conference Centre for the second annual Middle East Maths Teachers Conference. Under the theme “Making Mathematics Meaningful”, the event welcomed about 200 delegates from K-12 schools. This year’s event was a resounding success. Attendees took part in hands- on workshops, which were led by some of the best mathematics practitioners from around the world. The event welcomed Dr Paul Swan from Australia, a leader in the field 30 | Mar - Apr 2018 | | of developing and training educators on the correct use of manipulatives in the mathematics classroom. During his sessions he had the teachers up and working throughout. Kelly Lim kept her audience engaged as she enlightened them on the Singapore method for teaching Mathematics. She also presented some valuable insights into the performance of the leading countries in Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and The Programme for International Student Assessment (PISSA), focussing on what these countries do to stay at the top of Class Time the league tables. Lauren Grafton and Vivian Lloyd both explored the concept of mastery in mathematics, while Suzanne Saraya and Robert Bergin delved into the idea of growth mind-set in learning mathematics, especially in young learners. Dr Cory Bennett and his colleagues; Minette Finney and Kenneth Johnson deepened the educators understanding of how to create authentic and equitable problem solving experiences that are accessible to all students. Mohit Midha, CEO of Mangahigh