dr yeap ban har

NCSM 42nd Annual Conference Session 326 Strand 3 Venue: Windsor BC Integrating Curriculum, Assessment and Teacher Professional Development : Singapore and the United States Panel of Speakers Jeremy Roschelle (Stanford Research Institute International) Charles Patton (Stanford Research Institute International) Yeap Ban Har (National Institute of Education) Wong Khoon Yoong (National Institute of Education) My paper is titled Teacher Professional Development in Singapore Schools where I draw upon the two funded research projects I am co-investigators in as well as my work in lesson study and coducting PDs in Singapore schools for primary school teachers. The presentation is available at www.mathz4kidz.com and math.nie.edu.sg/T3 I attended the keynote The Opportunity: From Brutal Facts to the Best Schools We've Ever Had where he addressed the need for authentic team-based PLCs, guranteed and viable curriculum, leadership in PLC, and writing in mathematics. I am trying to attend more s...

The Singapore Mathematics Curriculum: What Makes It So Good? is an seminar organised by Katherine K. Merseth and Jon R. Star from Harvard Graduate School of Education. I discuss the three key theoretical underpinnings of the intended curriculum - Bruner, Dienes and Skemp. I discuss the enactive, iconic and symbolic representation of Jerome Bruner, the concept of multiple embodiment and the principle of perceptual and mathe,atical variability of Zoltan Dienes, and the notion of relational and instrumental understanding of Richard Skemp. It was generally well-received by a crowd of about 40 graduate students who are interested in mathematics education as well as a few faculty members from both the education and mathematiucs departments. The presentation slides are available at www.mathz4kidz.com

Mathematics Education Seminar Venue: McGuinn Hall 521, Boston College The lecture focuses on selected aspects of mathematics education in Singapore that have significant impact on high achievement of its students. It provides selected insights on the role of curriculum development, structures in the education system that support curriculum implementation, textbooks, teacher training, assessment and testing, and societal expectations on student outcomes. http://www.bc.edu/schools/cas/math/Mathematics_Education_seminar_09-10.html A group of people from the schools districts, department of education as well as faculty members of Boston College, Boston University and Harvard University were at the seminar.

At ASCD Conference & Exhibit Show, one can attend sessions on differentiated instruction (Tomlinson) and understanding by design(Wiggin & McTighe), two ideas that have caught on in Singapore schools. The ASCD bookstore carries a range of high quality books on professional learning and topics such as DI and UbD. At the ASCD Annual Conference in San Antonio, Texas, I presented a session on big ideas in elementary mathematics with a prtofessional development slant (Session 2130 on Sunday morning). The session was packed with all the 120 seats taken. I am glad it was well received. I also presented for SingaporeMath.Com. This session is to provide US educators a glimpse into Singapore primary classrooms (on Sunday lunchtime). Session 2130 Transforming Mathematics for the 21st Century: What Teachers Need to Know Description: What is the role of mathematics in educating children? What are the key competencies in elementary mathematics? This presentation will help teachers and curricu...

The top photo shows the APEC lesson study specialists who meet twice a year under this project. In 2010, they meet in Tokyo (February) and Chiangmai (November). The lower photo shows Singapore teachers' visit to a junior high school after the conference. The Fourth APEC-Tsukuba International Conference: Innovation of Mathematics Teaching and Learning through Lesson Study with the theme of Connection between Assessment and Subject Matter is an extension of the APEC HRD Lesson Study Project 03/2006, 02/2007, 02/2008 under the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports and Science, Japan and the Ministry of Education, Thailand. This conference is part of the Lesson Study for Implementing Curriculum: Developing Innovative Assessment Problem HRD 01/2010 which aims to improve mathematics and science teaching. Tsukuba University Japan and Khon Kaen University Thailand are the conveners of this project. I am at the conference on the invitation of Tsukuba University as one of what the project c...

Go to http://www.erikson.edu/earlymath/Ban_Har_Multi.asp for a presentation on big ideas in early mathematics as well as interviews on some issues connected with mathematics education. Videos of the lecture is available http://fora.tv/2009/04/18/Why_Singapore_Leads_the_World_in_Mathematics#fullprogram