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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes

@vmnalex.bsky.social
529 followers 185 following 431 posts

#mtbos #iteachmath | Engelmann | Free notes & resources @ vicmathsnotes.weebly.com | Author for OUP Maths | CL @ Ochre

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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I’m doing an experiment for making sequencing F–10 mathematics curricula easier. Take a look. vmnalex.substack.com/p/a-curricul...
vmnalex.substack.com
A curriculum sequencing experiment
Showing the progression of ideas rather than the progression of year levels
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
I’m doing an experiment for making sequencing F–10 mathematics curricula easier. Take a look. vmnalex.substack.com/p/a-curricul...
vmnalex.substack.com
A curriculum sequencing experiment
Showing the progression of ideas rather than the progression of year levels
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Matt Mack @matthras.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Grant Sanderson's (3blue1brown) guest post on Terry Tao's blog pretty much affirms and expands on my opinion of what's missing in maths academia: more maths communication overall, and especially towards different audiences.
terrytao.wordpress.com
If math is more than proof, we need to better celebrate the rest of it
[This is a guest post by Grant Sanderson. This blog post was initially written in a different file format and converted using AI. — T.] A sentiment echoing throughout the mathematics communit…
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Paddy MacMahon @paddymacmahon.com · 14/09/2026
Discussing my favourite two facts about random variables with my U6 #FurtherMaths #ALevelMaths in #MathsToday: They're not random, and they're not variables. Has got me thinking about flying lemurs...
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Segar Rogers @segarrogers.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
An idea for a question: Without recourse to calculators, tables or graphing packages: a) Place sec x, cos x, tan x, cot x, csc x & sin x in order, from smallest to largest, when x = 1°. b) How is this different for x = 44° ? #UKMathsChat
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Nathan Day @nathanday.bsky.social · 08/09/2026
In #MathsToday, Year 10 did some some Interwoven Related Calculations and then started on my all-new Algebra Fluency page - answering 1000+ questions between them! interwovenmaths.com/algebra It also gave me lots of data to know where to focus lessons in the Algebra topic we're about to start.
A maths worksheet titled “Task 1.3.3 Adjusted Multiplications”. It begins with “Given that 32 × 45 = 1440” and presents six questions using this fact: calculate 1/32 + 1/45; solve 32x = 1440; find the area of a 32 m by 45 m rectangle; find 32% of £45; share £1440 in the ratio 44:1; and expand 32(45x − 1).

A second section headed “Hence…” gives six related questions with adjusted values: calculate 1/16 + 1/45; solve 32x = 1472; find the area of a 32 m by 4.5 m rectangle; find 33% of £45; share £1395 in the ratio 44:1; and expand 31(45x − 1).A screenshot of https://interwovenmaths.com/algebra question
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Jonathan Hall @studymaths.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
I ran a few CPD sessions for my school on how Excel can make life easier as a teacher this week. We looked at practical solutions to real-life teacher problems. I've recorded them in case anyone finds them useful. (All the pupil data is made up.) www.youtube.com/playlist?lis... #ExcelToday
youtube.com
Excel for Teachers - YouTube
Time-saving tips for teachers using Excel.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
For the WA folk and others who are interested in Y11/12 curriculum, SCSA is reviewing their Mathematical Methods and Mathematics Applications syllabuses. senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au/syllabus-and...
senior-secondary.scsa.wa.edu.au
Years 11 and 12 | Syllabus Review
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
interesting framework, though I don't think I've personally seen it used really in the 12 years since this was released. (seeing 183 citations of it)
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
File this alongside teaching a new concept/skill by starting with a long-winded algebraic proof that doesn't act like how you use the concept/skill in practice.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
It was great to be at #researchED Melbourne #rEDMelb26 on Saturday to present, to hear from experts, and have great discussions with colleagues. To not overload a single post, I've put my reflections on Substack. vmnalex.substack.com/p/reflecting...
vmnalex.substack.com
Reflecting on researchED Melbourne 2026
Finally, a researchED in Melbourne CBD
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
Updates to the General Mathematics overview are up! This is quite a large update to v0.1.0 in terms of the amount of detail added (more on par with the Methods and Specialist overviews) and an added Responsible consumption and driving subtopic. vmnalex.substack.com/p/updates-to...
vmnalex.substack.com
Updates to VCE General Mathematics overviews (v0.2.0)
Changes ahoy!
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Matt Mack @matthras.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
An illustration of Cameron Patrick's post: "If anyone needs a p-value, I have a jar full of them, sampled from a genuine null hypothesis, available in my office." Drawn is a glass jar with a wooden lid containing various p-values e.g. 0.01, 0.005, etc. all in different fonts. An advertising red star on the left reads "Guaranteed to be significant!" Another advertising yellow star on the right reads "Sampled from genuine null hypotheses!".
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Jonathan Hall @studymaths.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Simplify the following. #MathsOnHoliday
a) 2^3+2^3
b) 3^5+3^5+3^5
c) 4^10+4^10+4^10+4^10
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
David K Butler @davidkbutler.bsky.social · 26/07/2026
A quick little blog post with some thoughts about what sometimes happens when you tell people to do a task a specific way: davidkbutler.xyz/2026/07/26/i...
davidkbutler.xyz
I did it my way
It’s Second Semester Orientation at Adelaide University right now, and last week I helped out at a session called Starting Strong for new students. One part of that session got the students t…
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
Stepping into controversial territory here, but if you know me, then you’ll know I am a fan of Engelmann/DI and so it shouldn’t be surprising that I think that scripts have a place in teaching. Let me try to convince you to write one by the end of this post. vmnalex.substack.com/p/let-me-con...
vmnalex.substack.com
Let me convince you to try writing a script
I'm trying to talk you down, the man who can't be moved; hoping that this post breaks even.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 13/07/2026
Taking the first day of term to tie up the slew of updates I've made on my overviews for VCE Mathematical Methods and VCE Specialist Mathematics. See the Substack post for some of the changes or check the changelog in the pdfs (links in the post). open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
Updates to VCE Mathematical Methods and Specialist Mathematics overviews (v0.2.0)
Changes ahoy!
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 29/06/2026
If you have opinions (like I do) on current VCE study designs (literally any and all of them, not just maths), the VCAA has a new survey out looking at all aspects of them. This is your best opportunity to broad feedback. www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administrati...
vcaa.vic.edu.au
Notice to Schools 67 - 25 June 2026 - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Notice to Schools 67 - 25 June 2026
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Sam Blatherwick @blatherwicksam.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
proportion and ratio tables #maths
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 26/06/2026
Fun thing I was playing around with recently x² + 5x + 6 = (1x + 2)(1x + 3) 6x² + 5x + 1 = (2x + 1)(3x + 1) That is x² + (p + q)x + pq = (1x + p)(1x + q) pqx² + (p + q)x + 1 = (px + 1)(qx + 1) So, no harder than monic factorising when the constant is 1. #mathstoday #mathschat
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Anna Stokke (Host of Chalk & Talk Podcast) @rastokke.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
How much math content knowledge should teachers have? In my latest conversation with Jonathan Regino, we discuss why teacher math content knowledge matters—and why it's difficult to teach something you don't fully understand yourself. 🔗 Link below #MathEducation #ChalkandTalk
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 25/06/2026
The VCAA's updated the approved technology page with information for the changes of approved CAS calculators and technology for 2027. The list has shrunk. The only non-Casio/HP/TI emulator software approved is Mathematica: www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/v...
vcaa.vic.edu.au
Approved technology - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Approved technology
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 19/06/2026
Was great to talk to Sarah Duggan at Education HQ about the issues with CAS calculators and UDFs following on from my earlier Substack. educationhq.com/news/defeats...
educationhq.com
‘Defeats the purpose’: maths expert takes aim at CAS calculators allowed in exams
Subject study designs that heavily involve senior students using advanced calculators capable of solving problems that veer well into university-level mathematics, risk diluting teacher instruction an...
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
General Maths NHT Exam 2 finally released at some point this week. So, I can finally round out my blogs working through them. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
NHT General Mathematics Exams 2026
Working through the exams and blogging while I'm at it.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
Grade distributions for VCE went up at some point, so I've updated my graphs and tables with the 2025 data. I've also thrown a quick blogpost together to highlight a few points at a glance. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
2025 VCE Mathematics grade distributions and statistics
These snuck out at some point.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 03/06/2026
Of course both Methods exams go up before the 2nd General exam does. Here’s my thoughts on the Methods NHT exams for 2026. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
NHT Mathematical Methods Exams 2026
Working through the exams and blogging while I'm at it.
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
David K Butler @davidkbutler.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
Did an exam revision seminar for 2nd year uni Probability course and discovered just how many of the distributions in the course model situations where you watch for an event to happen. It was nine of the twelve named distributions in the course!
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 31/05/2026
The 2026 NHT exams are starting to go up. I’ll be working through them and blogging my thoughts at the same time. Since both Specialist ones are up already, we’ll start there. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
NHT Specialist Mathematics Exams 2026
Working through the exams and blogging while I'm at it.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Interesting development "custom functionality – including User Defined Functions (UDFs) – on Computer Algebra System (CAS) calculators to be restricted during VCE Mathematics examinations from 2027." www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/administrati...
vcaa.vic.edu.au
Notice to Schools 52 - 28 May 2026 - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Notice to Schools 52 - 28 May 2026
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Segar Rogers @segarrogers.bsky.social · 07/05/2026
I'm looking for a publisher. 240 pages of old-world trigonometry, geometry focused & algebra free – where it came from, who built it, how they built it, how they used it, and how to do trigonometry in this way today. Any suggestions gratefully received. #UKMathsChat #iTeachMath #MathSky
A selection of twelve indicative thumbnail pages arranged in a grid.
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
Colin Foster @colinfoster77.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Does school mathematics sometimes feel like a checklist of disconnected procedures? What if instead we focused on five BIG IDEAS? Explore this brand new, comprehensive and completely free website for teachers: bigmathematicalideas.org #MathEd #MathTeacher #BigMathematicalIdeas
Logo for bigmathematicalideas.org, a website for mathematics teachers
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Reposted by Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes
David K Butler @davidkbutler.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
Shock! Students find it difficult to make decisions if they’ve never had practice making decisions.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 04/05/2026
If you've been having issues with accessing files on VIC Maths Notes, it looks like Google Drive decided to restrict access to a heap of them without me knowing. Should be fixed soon.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 02/05/2026
A lot of good ideas collated here. Worthwhile to have a look.
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David K Butler @davidkbutler.bsky.social · 25/04/2026
New blog post about factorising quadratics by focusing on the sum first, rather than the product first. #MathSky #ITeachMath davidkbutler.xyz/2026/04/25/f...
davidkbutler.xyz
Factorising quadratics by focusing on the sum first
This blog post is about my way of helping students factorise quadratic expressions by inspection, which is the opposite of how most people do it. Factorising When you multply out two monic linear f…
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
This is a great analogy. Though implementing it is tough. You need to find the time when students have enough of the background knowledge/skills to approach it as fully as possible and a task that is as close to the desired "full game" as possible, making concessions where teaching needs to occur.
I agree with the seven principles of teaching described by David Perkins in his book Making Learning Whole. He uses baseball as an analogy which shapes the language he uses. His first principle is Play the Whole Game. I like his description of what this means.

“We can ask ourselves when we begin to learn anything, do we engage some accessible version of the whole game early and often? When we do, we get what might be called a ‘threshold experience,’ a learning experience that gets us past initial disorientation and into the game. From there it’s easier to move forward in a meaningful motivated way.

“Much of formal education is short on threshold experiences. It feels like learning the pieces of a picture puzzle that never gets put together, or learning about the puzzle without being able to touch the pieces. In contrast, getting some version of a whole game close to the beginning makes sense because it gives the enterprise more meaning. You may not do it very well, but at least you know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.” (Perkins, p. 9)
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Aspeaky @aspeaky.bsky.social · 22/04/2026
What is e? I know it is 2.71, I know it has the great property that e^x is the same when we differentiate it, I also know that if the percentage interest is equal to the number of times it occurs it is the number the compound interest converges too. I don’t understand why it matters? Please help!
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David K Butler @davidkbutler.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
So #MathSky #iTeachMath, submissions for workshops for my local maths teacher association conference are due shortly, so I am making my yearly request for what things you would have me run a 50-minute session on. (Even if you can’t come, you can imagine what you’d love to be part of if you could.)
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 11/04/2026
While taking a quick look at the Psychology study design to check what they did with independent/dependent variables compared to General using explanatory/response variables, I noticed a number of differences in what was included.
open.substack.com
Study design structures
An investigation into how study designs are constructed for different subjects
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 09/04/2026
Reached the end of blogging through Data Analysis for General Maths with time series analysis. Looking at the processes we use and don’t use for smoothing and seasonal adjustment. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
Time series for General Mathematics
This is another post going through my draft overviews for VCE General Mathematics.
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Dan Rodriguez-Clark @interactive-maths.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Four units are now complete and available for FREE with no sign up needed (for now!) Pass on to any students preparing for the IB Maths AA (SL or HL) exams in May. tutor.interactive-maths.com/aahl #ibmath #ibmaths #AASL #AAHL
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 07/04/2026
Today’s post diving into all things data transformations. What is and isn’t included. And some considerations of whether we should be including it at all for General Mathematics. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
Data transformations in General Mathematics
Transformers, roll out.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 02/04/2026
I've been blogging my way through Data Analysis for VCE General Mathematics and am finally getting up to the meaty parts where I have *opinions*. Check out the latest one here (links inside to go back to the start). open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
Linear regression in General Mathematics
Wakin' up strong in the mornin', Walkin' in a straight line
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Emily Rae @ecrmaths.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
In #MathsToday I tried @theteacherwins.bsky.social's idea of getting the students to take turns answering an #ALevelMaths question, to focus on clearly setting out their steps, so that the other person could pick up from where they got up to. It went really well, and they seemed to enjoy it!
An A Level mechanics question on inclined planes, with the answers in two different coloured pens. The students had 60 seconds each before passing the paper to their partner to continue. I think with a regular group I may have given them 90 seconds, but these were further maths students so 60 was enough.An A Level mechanics question on inclined planes, with the answers in two different coloured pens. The students had 60 seconds each before passing the paper to their partner to continue. I think with a regular group I may have given them 90 seconds, but these were further maths students so 60 was enough.
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 31/03/2026
ICYMI and a reminder there’s still a couple days to put in a response to the VCAA’s survey on UDF use for 2027
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Ben Sparks @sparksmaths.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
"Trigonometry is circles not triangles?" 

Person behind them says:
"Always has been"
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Dan Draper @dandraper.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
Made this for year 12 to practice discernment with differentiation. Took far longer to plan and write than it did for them to do it, but hopefully it helps consolidate and make meaning between sentences and expressions/equations! #MathsToday #ALevelMaths
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 24/03/2026
With the VCAA surveying opinions about UDF use with CAS calculators, what better time to also discuss whether the CAS calculator still has a place for senior mathematics. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
Casio calculator: "Well, looks like another person is trying to take us down a notch."

TI calculator: "I don't think it's going to go well for them"
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Alex ~ VIC Maths Notes @vmnalex.bsky.social · 20/03/2026
Had to take a beat to organise my thoughts on grades after reading another post. open.substack.com/pub/vmnalex/...
open.substack.com
The scarlet letter: Grades
Ooh, burn!!
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Dan Draper @dandraper.bsky.social · 19/03/2026
My year 13s are struggling with reverse chain rule, so wrote these as a bridging task before we look at adjusting to get a reverse chain rule result. #MathsToday #ALevelMaths
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