I write this during NCETM’s Annual Conference in London. For me, it is primarily an ethnographic experience. Almost no-one present at the conference appears to be a teacher from the “chalkface”; what is noticeable, however, is representation of charities, private sector and quangos. A partial list of organisations having delegates here:
Becta, Tribal Group, Saltridge Educational Services Ltd, the Smallpiece Trust, National Association of Mathematics Advisors, Dance Exlosion, The Clothworkers’ Foundation, TwoFour, GHK Consulting, TTS Group Ltd, Personal Finance Education Group, National Strategies, Hitachi, Shell Centre.
Perhaps they position themselves for lucrative emerging market in CPD (Continuous Professional Development) of teachers of mathematics.
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This is hardly surprising, since such teachers will be busy at school at this time of year. But then, the very first sentence on their website reads:
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So, indeed, the CPD market is their goal. Perhaps they should rename themselves The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics Teaching.
By: dr rick on June 18, 2008
at 7:31 am
Unfortunately my attempted quotes were eaten by WordPress’s comment system; sadly it lacks a “preview” option. They were, for the first angle bracket:
Almost no-one present at the conference appears to be a teacher from the “chalkface”
And the second:
The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics provides effective strategic leadership for mathematics-specific CPD
So, indeed, the CPD market is their goal. Perhaps they should rename themselves The National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics Teaching.
By: dr rick on June 18, 2008
at 7:33 am