iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jonathan Hall @studymaths.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Reposted by Bernie Westacott

UPDATE: I've just added a pen overlay tool to the Algebra Tiles. It needs a bit of tweaking (rubber tool etc) and once I'm happy I'll roll it out to the rest of the manipulatives. mathsbot.com/manipulative...

A screenshot of the Algebra Tiles tool with the new pen overlay being used. In this case to complete the square.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

I like to use Polypad when introducing and developing formal written methods for factorisation. Here are 2 ways to manipulate the number cards to work out the total - this can then also be shown in written factorised form at some stage.

Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Under Welsh Labour government the traditional, rigid national curriculum was completely abolished. It was replaced by a highly decentralised model that legally mandated every individual school to design its own unique curriculum from scratch. What did they expect to happen?

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Found this in my video collection of Singapore Bar Model method. A typical algebra approach by a secondary Y8 pupil using formal algebra compared to how a Y5 student might use the Bar Model method to solve it. Sometimes I do both just to check if I can and also because I like to visualise a problem.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

2 great work-through videos on this important area of algebra from Dr Kevin Olding @mathsaurus.bsky.social . Read the appreciative feedback from pupils in the comments. Background youtube.com/watch?v=2pKr... Application youtube.com/watch?v=b7UT...

x.com

Kevin Olding - Mathsaurus (@mathsaurus) on X

Online maths challenge courses for ages 7-18 - many totally free (see pinned tweet). MMATH @magdalenoxford MSc @BirkbeckUoL PhD @SAMBa_CDT FRSA

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

Reading '10 Rules for raising kids in a Hi-tech world' “Now that I’m 12, I want to take 200 pictures of myself in a skimpy bikini and put them someplace where everyone in my school can see them and tell me if they like how I look.” (A fairly accurate definition of Instagram.)

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Reposted by Bernie Westacott

Mark McCourt @markmccourt.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I look forward to speaking at ResearchEd this Saturday. If you’re attending, why not join me during session 3.

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Reposted by Bernie Westacott

Jo Austen @joausten.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Lots of talk about GCSE resits recently... I’ve got some time before my new job in January & I’d like to do something useful so... 💻 FREE Grade 3 ➡️ 4 weekly webinars (Mondays, 5pm) 💻 🧑‍💻🧑‍💻 🧑‍💻 Small group (max 6) live lessons @ £15 each 🧑‍💻🧑‍💻🧑‍💻 More info & sign up: grade3to4bynovember.carrd.co

grade3to4bynovember.carrd.co

Grade 3 ➡ Grade 4 by November

GCSE Maths resit webinars and online classes with Jo Austen

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Just looking back over PowerPoints I used for PD in schools back in 2019. Using multiplicative reasoning to solve typical mixed direct and inverse problems. Getting pupils to think about whether the change in one quantity will directly or inversely change another.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Can a 27-pupil, needs-blind-but-fee-charging independent school meaningfully move the UK's Stem pipeline, or is it more a proof-of-concept for what state education could borrow if it worked?

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

The Gentle Parenting movement is doing so much damage to very young children. Use of the phrase 'connection not correction' is a red flag in this context. People/teachers/parents should read the original research and not rely upon TikTok or commercial companies making money.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Using the gym in the summer holidays…

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Interesting post from Craig Barton on the use of AI to draw maths diagrams using written instructions/specifications enabling students to get plenty of controlled variations of questions. Things are moving so quickly in the AI world. open.substack.com/pub/eedi/p/a...

open.substack.com

AI can (finally!) create high-quality maths diagrams

Party time in the Barton household

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 26/04/2026

For children aged 3-years-old to 6-years-old, according to research, how long should each homework be in major subjects like maths and English, and how many per week? Summary of what I found. Links to research highlighted in screenshots can be found in the thread below 👇

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Reading up on HOMEWORK - this week I've been looking at the most effective approach when setting maths homework in the 11-to-16-year old age range. Here's what the evidence says across the three dimensions: duration, frequency, and type. Links to references are given below.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

Good heavens - the standard of debate and argument in the current session in HoC is so poor. Even when they have prepared written notes, they witter/waffle, and repeat points already made. Where are the great speakers and minds of yesteryear?

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

I totally agree with what @adamboxereducation.bsky.social wrote on X re the role of HoDs. (Couldn't find it on here, so copied link to his X post). x.com/adamboxer1/s...

x.com

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Working on app with built-in examples to cover basic types: part-whole addition, subtraction, multiplication and division; comparison additive and multiplicative - draws a bar model and then solves the problem. Users can dictate their own problem into the app - it will draw a model and solve it.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

Forgot to post updated version of the factorising practice app I built using ClaudeAI. The user gets to select which type they want to practise and built in fading so that only the first 3 questions in each level get hints. Full solutions given where required. quadratic-factorising.netlify.app

quadratic-factorising.netlify.app

Factorise It!

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Really impressed by how much FuseSchool Trig videos pack into such a short time. Some comments from users on how succinct and helpful the videos are - voiceover v music volume sometimes not great, but info is well-explained. www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...

youtube.com

MATHS: Trigonometry - YouTube

This is the place to go to learn and revise GCSE level trigonometry. From identifying the sides of a right angle triangle, to calculating trigonometric ratio...

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

This is Marco Rubio explaining how the USA promised to defend Ukraine forever if they got rid of their nuclear arsenal left after the Soviet Union fell. youtu.be/3ADT1DVnvK4?...

Marco Rubio on the promise of the US to protect Ukraine

YouTube video by Bring Back The Tax

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Interesting article in The Telegraph: "‘Gentle parenting’ is wreaking havoc at nurseries like mine." Below are some quotes from the article followed by a few points in my @claudeai.bsky.social interaction.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

From @mrbartonmaths (X) AI in Education #2: Five Things I Learned from Barbara Oakley about Why Practice Still Matters in the Age of AI open.substack.com/pub/eedi/p/a...

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

I've now made a more customisable version where the user can input: (i) Labels for vertices (ii) select 3 dimensions, either (a) L,W and H or (b) Space Diagonal plus 2 of L, W or H (iii) any 3 vertices to form a triangular plane. Still rotatable.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

Great to have the ability to create 3D rotatable versions of Pythagoras and angles between lines and planes problems from textbooks and papers.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

Using bar models in solving Q25 In @ukmathstrust.bsky.social Junior Maths Challenge 2023. An alternative to the official algebraic solution.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

Following on from previous post re bar models...they are also great at organising age problems and helping pupils to see connections and plan a way forward. This questions is also from an ISMC Primary 3 paper and the bar model also made using @brainingcamp.com

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 17/03/2026

I love how bar models enable pupils to bring together all the information and help them to see connections and develop plans as to how to move forward with complex problems. This question from an ISMC Primary 3 paper. Bar model created in @brainingcamp.com

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 12/03/2026

This is a Primary 3 (8-9 year-olds) question from a Singapore maths competition. The answer is 15. Can you draw a family tree to show why it is 15? Some people have more than one role, i.e. a dad can also be a son.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 10/03/2026

Had great fun playing with this logic puzzle from International Singapore Maths Competition ISMC Primary 3 (same age as UK Y4 pupils) then getting @claudeai.bsky.social to solve it, and then worked with @claudeai.bsky.social app to develop a logic grid I can use with pupils.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Here is a link to the cancelling binomials app I made with the ClaudeAI app. There are 4 levels. Pupils can skip questions and/or select to see a full solution. deluxe-maamoul-0d0efe.netlify.app

deluxe-maamoul-0d0efe.netlify.app

Cancelling Algebraic Factors

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

'What Happens When Early Math Looks Like Play' New blog and resources from DREME Maths dreme.stanford.edu/news/what-ha... preschoolmath.stanford.edu/center-time/ preschoolmath.stanford.edu/mathmoments/

dreme.stanford.edu

From Inside the Classroom: What Happens When Early Math Looks Like Play - DREME

Many preschool teachers are intimidated by early math instruction. Researchers from the DREME Network set out to explore a more welcoming approach.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Have updated app so that pupil enters solutions in vinculum format rather than / format. Also have added levels to include simple cancelling of common binomial factors, factorising monic quadratics and difference of 2 squares before cancelling. Will add in combined cases later.

Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 28/02/2026

Just wrote an app using @claudeai.bsky.social to help pupils who need more practise cancelling common binomial factors, including examples that require pupils to recognise and factorise the difference of 2 squares. Impressed by the step-by-step explanation given by the app.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Used ClaudeAI today to write some practice apps to help our younger pupils consolidate number facts. Both have a starter app, with visual support/representation, followed by an abstract version with no visual.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

More new kit from the amazing Craig Barton. Two free tools for teachers open.substack.com/pub/tipsfort...

open.substack.com

Two free tools for teachers

Sounds cocky, but I am proud of these...

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

This Graph Explorer app took around 5 minutes to produce using Claude.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Took me about 5 minutes to get this first effort up and running. Now need to tweak it.

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 24/02/2026

Interesting article from @mrbartonmaths on creating your own maths resources. There goes my next few weeks of free time🤣 eedi.substack.com/p/the-democr...

eedi.substack.com

The democratisation of resource creation

How AI has changed the game, and why it is a good thing

Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 16/02/2026

ConcretePictorialAbstract (CPA or CRA) is not a linear progression. Pupils need to be interlinking the three aspects. Here is a very short snippet from Christina Tondevold @buildmathminds.bsky.social (link to full video 👇) youtu.be/2Q_7WVB-eb0?... Concreteness Fading is important as well👇

The CRA Sweet Spot

Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

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Using apps such as Polypad from Amplify can help to bring published maths schemes to life. We can make processes in schemes into actions that children can do and talk about. In intervention sessions I can keep making further examples. Links to the boards can also be shared👇

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

When I need some practice material for pupils then @draustinmaths.com is so useful. Easy to find the appropriate resource as it is well-labelled/grouped - answers/solutions are given. Load it all up into a Zoom whiteboard and off we go. Huge 'Thank You' to Amanda @draustinmaths.com

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Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 26/01/2026

Jemma @jemmaths.bsky.social did such a great thread on Twitter in 2022 that I wanted to put it together and share it with teachers. You can pause it wherever you want for individual or group discussion. Not new but worth a repost. youtu.be/YBx1rcPjuck?...

Jemma Algebra V1

Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

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Split the middle term method for factorising quadratic expressions. A video I made for pupils using a @drfrost PowerPoint youtu.be/jeAQwc5m46I?... via @YouTube

DFM GRID METHOD WITH EQUAL PRODUCTS AND THE SUM - SPLIT MIDDLE TERM

Bernie Westacott @berniewestacott.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

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Edited version of webinar session on using virtual manipulatives I did for a client last year. Just noticed an error around 42 minutes where I only have 2x instead of 3x. youtu.be/hsiV9vipoWM?... via @YouTube

Edited version of webinar session on using virtual manipulatives