An update on resource development at www.mathsnet.net. Thank you for subscribing. MathsNet is a free and independent educational website, produced in its entirety by me, and supported technically by www.AngliaCampus.com.


CURRENT PROJECTS
There is now an newly re-structured and developed Interactive Fractions course, which covers most aspects of fractions in the UK National Curriculum. It is still in the process of being completed. Sometime in 2002, I hope to follow this with Interactive Graphs. On the courses page you will find quick links to all the online courses available on MathsNet.

A couple more games (Pegs and Boxes) have been added to the Puzzles page. On the Articles page you will find reviews of WebEQ 3, a collection of tools for putting dynamic maths on the Web, published by the people behind MathType, Geometers Sketchpad 4 and FX Draw 2, the add-on to Word for creating mathematical diagrams.

At Olympia In London the BETT Educational Technology Show runs from 9-12 January. You may be visiting. If so, why not send in any comments you may have about what's new? Here's a shortlist of some contributors (and their stands) with mathematical connections:
ACTIS (H44, H48), ACTIVboard (V60), ATM (AV2), BBC (F30), BECTa (X40), Big Bus (C52), Chartwelle York (SW41), Crocodile Mathematics (Z75), Easy Peasy (SW64), 4Learning (D140), Granada Learning (E40, F40), Hitachi Whiteboards (G90), Interactive Whiteboard Company (Q40, Q43), Learn.co.uk (L12), Macromedia (E100), MATHCOMM (SW7), MathType (SW41), Matrix whiteboards (H50), Millenium Maths Project (AV3A), Mimio whiteboards (D50, E50), OUP (LR3), QED books (PZ38), SMARTboard (Q30), Smile (SW1), SPA (G58), TAG (F50), Tarquin books (PZ16), TEEM (L4), Texas Intruments (V40)
A number of interactive whiteboard companies are included above. Any preferences? There's a keynote lecture : "Teaching Mathematics Interactively with Web-based Resources" by David Futcher at 11am on Friday 11th January.

Any comments on any of the above, or about BETT in general, will be welcome.

Finally, plans to launch www.mathsnet.com, a commercial venture, are continuing. Make contact if you wish to be involved in any way.

An update on resource development at www.mathsnet.net. Thank you for subscribing. MathsNet is a free and independent educational website, produced in its entirety by me, and supported technically by www.AngliaCampus.com.

CURRENT PROJECTS
Page by page, the website is getting a new look, aimed at making it more accessible. Please have a look and pass on any comments.

The main reason why this newsletter is following the last so soon is because I have been invited to attend a meeting at QCA (the organisation overseeing GCSE and GCE qualifications in the UK) at the beginning of February to review the GCE Mathematics specifications. You may have comments or experiences to pass on to me that could be useful at that meeting.

The BETT Educational Technology Show in London recently turned out to be the usual bewildering array of companies vying for our money - many promising to offering the answers to ALL our educational needs. If you went, did you see anything good?


Plans to launch www.mathsnet.com, a commercial venture, continue. Make contact if you wish to be involved in any way. At present, that address will simply refer you on to www.mathsnet.net .

An update on resource development at www.mathsnet.net. Thank you for subscribing. MathsNet is a free and independent educational website, produced in its entirety by me, and supported technically by www.AngliaCampus.com.

Only three newsletters this term. Where did this term go?

The password for access to the puzzle answers is not given here but is included in the emailed newsletter.


RECENT DEVELOPMENTS
I spent three days at QCA in London in February debating with others what can be done about AS Level Mathematics to improve the student's lot (but without in any way suggesting that Mathematics is "different"!). A tall order indeed. It was a very informed debate with much sympathy for students currently engaged in these courses, and positive suggestions were made. However, it looks at this time very much like higher powers at QCA and/or the Government have put a halt on preceedings. It looks like no changes are to be introduced for September 2003.
We are campaigning hard at my school to increase teaching time for AS, whilst maintaining the status quo for A2. Currently, Year 12 get five periods of 50 minutes per week with six periods for Year 13. After school sessions have already begun for Year 13; Year 12 will begin after Easter.
AS resit and new module results for January were very good - a return to our usual standards for A Level. This shows I think that Mathematics at this level takes time. It cannot be rushed. Basically, it is not suited to the AS model at all!
What do you think about all this?


CURRENT PROJECTS
The website has had a bit of an overhaul.

The ASA2 materials have been developed slightly. Currently there are 584 topic units and 149 exam style interactive questions.

A significant addition, uploaded about a month ago, is a new course on Interactive graphs. This is based firmly on the English National Curriculum and aims to cover all aspects of coordinates and graphs in Key Stages 3 and 4.

The Interactive geometry section includes interactive pages using JavaSketchpad 4, as well as new pages using CabriJava and the freely available C.a.R. A new version of Cinderella is expected sometime this year.

The Articles section includes reviews of :
Absorb Mathematics from Crocodile Clips, the TI-83 Plus Silver Edition, Geometer's Sketchpad 4, WebEQ 3 and FX Draw 2.

The Voting section has been brought up to date using polling software freely available on the web from HTMLGear. You can vote and view the results on a range of mathematical issues.

All the LiveMath pages have been updated to reflect the newer version of the plug-in for Internet Explorer 6.


Plans to launch www.mathsnet.com, a commercial venture, continue at a discrete pace. Make contact if you wish to be involved in any way. At present, that address will simply refer you on to www.mathsnet.net .