MHF4U
Grade 12 Advanced Functions
Course and Tutoring

To make new learning more accessible to students, teachers build new learning upon the knowledge and skills students have acquired in previous years – in other words, they help activate prior knowledge. It is important to assess where students are in their mathematical growth and to bring them forward in their learning.

In order to apply their knowledge effectively and to continue to learn, students must have a solid conceptual foundation in mathematics. Successful classroom practices engage students in activities that require higher-order thinking, with an emphasis on problem solving. Learning experienced in the primary, junior, and intermediate divisions should have provided students with a good grounding in the investigative approach to learning new mathematical concepts, including inquiry models of problem solving, and this approach continues to be important in the senior mathematics program.

Students in a mathematics class typically demonstrate diversity in the ways they learn best. It is important, therefore, that students have opportunities to learn in a variety of ways – individually, cooperatively, independently, with teacher direction, through investigation involving hands-on experience, and through examples followed by practice. In mathematics, students are required to learn concepts, acquire procedures and skills, and apply processes with the aid of the instructional and learning strategies best suited to the particular type of learning.

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Students’ attitudes have a significant effect on how students approach problem solving and how well they succeed in mathematics. Students who enjoy mathematics tend to perform well in their mathematics course work and are more likely to enroll in the more advanced mathematics courses.

Students develop positive attitudes when they are engaged in making mathematical conjectures, when they experience breakthroughs as they solve problems, when they see connections between important ideas, and when they observe an enthusiasm for mathematics on the part of their teachers. With a positive attitude towards mathematics, students are able to make more sense of the mathematics they are working on, and to view themselves as effective learners of mathematics. They are also more likely to perceive mathematics as both useful and worthwhile, and to develop the belief that steady effort in learning mathematics pays off.

It is common for people to feel inadequate or anxious when they cannot solve problems quickly and easily, or in the right way. To gain confidence, students need to recognize that, for some mathematics problems, there may be several ways to arrive at a solution. They also need to understand that problem solving of almost any kind often requires a considerable expenditure of time and energy and a good deal of perseverance. To counteract the frustration they may feel when they are not making progress towards solving a problem, they need to believe that they are capable of finding solutions. Teachers can encourage students to develop a willingness to persist, to investigate, to reason, to explore alternative solutions, to view challenges as opportunities to extend their learning, and to take the risks necessary to become successful problem solvers. They can help students develop confidence and reduce anxiety and frustration by providing them with problems that are challenging but not beyond their ability to solve. Problems at a developmentally appropriate level help students to learn while establishing a norm of perseverance for successful problem solving.

Collaborative learning enhances students’ understanding of mathematics. Working cooperatively in groups reduces isolation and provides students with opportunities to share ideas and communicate their thinking in a supportive environment as they work together towards a common goal. Communication and the connections among ideas that emerge as students interact with one another enhance the quality of student learning.

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Classroom teachers are the key educators of students who have special education needs. They have a responsibility to help all students learn, and they work collaboratively with special education teachers, where appropriate, to achieve this goal. Special Education Transformation: The Report of the Co-Chairs with the Recommendations of the Working Table on Special Education, 2006 endorses a set of beliefs that should guide program planning for students with special education needs in all disciplines. Those beliefs are as follows: All students can succeed.

In any given classroom, students may demonstrate a wide range of learning styles and needs. Teachers plan programs that recognize this diversity and give students performance tasks that respect their particular abilities so that all students can derive the greatest possible benefit from the teaching and learning process. The use of flexible groupings for instruction and the provision of ongoing assessment are important elements of programs that accommodate a diversity of learning needs.

If the student requires either accommodations or modified expectations, or both, the relevant information, as described in the following paragraphs, must be recorded in his or her Individual Education Plan (IEP). More detailed information about planning programs for students with special education needs, including students who require alternative programs and/or courses, can be found in The Individual Education Plan (IEP): A Resource Guide, 2004 (referred to hereafter as the IEP Resource Guide, 2004). For a detailed discussion of the ministry’s requirements for IEPs, see Individual Education Plans: Standards for Development, Program Planning, and Implementation, 2000 (referred to hereafter as IEP Standards, 2000). (Both documents are available at http://www.edu.gov.on.ca.)

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Some students are able, with certain accommodations, to participate in the regular course curriculum and to demonstrate learning independently. Accommodations allow access to the course without any changes to the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate. The accommodations required to facilitate the student’s learning must be identified in his or her IEP (see IEP Standards, 2000, page 11). A student’s IEP is likely to reflect the same accommodations for many, or all, subjects or courses.

Providing accommodations to students with special education needs should be the first option considered in program planning. Instruction based on principles of universal design and differentiated instruction focuses on the provision of accommodations to meet the diverse needs of learners.

There are three types of accommodations:

● Instructional accommodations are changes in teaching strategies, including styles of presentation, methods of organization, or use of technology and multimedia.

● Environmental accommodations are changes that the student may require in the class-room and/or school environment, such as preferential seating or special lighting.

● Assessment accommodations are changes in assessment procedures that enable the student to demonstrate his or her learning, such as allowing additional time to complete tests or assignments or permitting oral responses to test questions (see page 29 of the IEP Resource Guide, 2004, for more examples).

If a student requires “accommodations only” in mathematics courses, assessment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the appropriate course curriculum expectations and the achievement levels outlined in this document. The IEP box on the student’s Provincial Report Card will not be checked, and no information on the provision of accommodations will be included.

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Some students will require modified expectations, which differ from the regular course expectations. For most students, modified expectations will be based on the regular course curriculum, with changes in the number and/or complexity of the expectations. Modified expectations represent specific, realistic, observable, and measurable achievements and describe specific knowledge and/or skills that the student can demonstrate independently, given the appropriate assessment accommodations.

It is important to monitor, and to reflect clearly in the student’s IEP, the extent to which expectations have been modified. As noted in Section 7.12 of the ministry’s policy document Ontario Secondary Schools, Grades 9 to 12: Program and Diploma Requirements, 1999,the principal will determine whether achievement of the modified expectations constitutes successful completion of the course, and will decide whether the student is eligible to receive a credit for the course. This decision must be communicated to the parents and the student.

When a student is expected to achieve most of the curriculum expectations for the course, the modified expectations should identify how the required knowledge and skills differ from those identified in the course expectations. When modifications are so extensive that achievement of the learning expectations (knowledge, skills, and performance tasks) is not likely to result in a credit, the expectations should specify the precise requirements or tasks on which the student’s performance will be evaluated and which will be used to generate the course mark recorded on the Provincial Report Card.

Modified expectations indicate the knowledge and/or skills the student is expected to demonstrate and have assessed in each reporting period(IEP Standards, 2000, pages 10 and 11). The student’s learning expectations must be reviewed in relation to the student’s progress at least once every reporting period, and must be updated as necessary (IEP Standards, 2000, page 11). If a student requires modified expectations in mathematics courses, assessment and evaluation of his or her achievement will be based on the learning expectations identified in the IEP and on the achievement levels outlined in this document. If some of the student’s learning expectations for a course are modified but the student is working towards a credit for the course, it is sufficient simply to check the IEP box on the Provincial Report Card.

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Young people whose first language is not English enter Ontario secondary schools with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Some English language learners may have experience of highly sophisticated educational systems, while others may have come from regions where access to formal schooling was limited. All of these students bring a rich array of background knowledge and experience to the classroom, and all teachers must share in the responsibility for their English-language development.

Teachers of mathematics must incorporate appropriate adaptations and strategies for instruction and assessment to facilitate the success of the English language learners in their classrooms. These adaptations and strategies include:

● modification of some or all of the course expectations so that they are challenging but attainable for the learner at his or her present level of English proficiency, given the necessary support from the teacher;

● use of a variety of instructional strategies (e.g., extensive use of visual cues, scaffolding, manipulatives, pictures, diagrams, graphic organizers; attention to clarity of instructions);

● modeling of preferred ways of working in mathematics; previewing of textbooks;

● pre-teaching of key vocabulary; peer tutoring; strategic use of students’ first languages);

● use of a variety of learning resources (e.g., visual material, simplified text, bilingual dictionaries, materials that reflect cultural diversity);

● use of assessment accommodations (e.g., granting of extra time; simplification of language used in problems and instructions; use of oral interviews, learning logs, portfolios, demonstrations, visual representations, and tasks requiring completion of graphic organizers or cloze sentences instead of tasks that depend heavily on proficiency in English).

When learning expectations in any course are modified for English language learners (whether or not the students are enrolled in an ESL or ELD course), this must be clearly indicated on the student’s report card.

Although the degree of program adaptation required will decrease over time, students who are no longer receiving ESL or ELD support may still need some program adaptations to be successful

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To ensure that all students in the province have an equal opportunity to achieve their full potential, the curriculum must be free from bias, and all students must be provided with a safe and secure environment, characterized by respect for others, that allows them to participate fully and responsibly in the educational experience.

Learning activities and resources used to implement the curriculum should be inclusive in nature, reflecting the range of experiences of students with varying backgrounds, abilities, interests, and learning styles. They should enable students to become more sensitive to the diverse cultures and perceptions of others, including Aboriginal peoples. By discussing aspects of the history of mathematics, teachers can help make students aware of the various cultural groups that have contributed to the evolution of mathematics over the centuries. Finally, students need to recognize that ordinary people use mathematics in a variety of everyday contexts, both at work and in their daily lives.

Connecting mathematical ideas to real-world situations through learning activities can enhance students’ appreciation of the role of mathematics in human affairs, in areas including health, science, and the environment. Students can be made aware of the use of mathematics in contexts such as sampling and surveying and the use of statistics to analyse trends. Recognizing the importance of mathematics in such areas helps motivate students to learn and also provides a foundation for informed, responsible citizenship.

Teachers should have high expectations for all students. To achieve their mathematical potential, however, different students may need different kinds of support. Some boys, for example, may need additional support in developing their literacy skills in order to complete mathematical tasks effectively. For some girls, additional encouragement to envision themselves in careers involving mathematics may be beneficial. For example, teachers might consider providing strong role models in the form of female guest speakers who are mathematicians or who use mathematics in their careers.

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Literacy skills can play an important role in student success in mathematics courses. Many of the activities and tasks students undertake in mathematics courses involve the use of written, oral, and visual communication skills. For example, students use language to record their observations, to explain their reasoning when solving problems, to describe their inquiries in both informal and formal contexts, and to justify their results in small group conversations, oral presentations, and written reports. The language of mathematics includes special terminology. The study of mathematics consequently encourages students to use language with greater care and precision and enhances their ability to communicate effectively.

The Ministry of Education has facilitated the development of materials to support literacy instruction across the curriculum. Helpful advice for integrating literacy instruction in mathematics courses may be found in the following resource documents:

Think Literacy: Cross-Curricular Approaches, Grades 7–12, 2003 Think Literacy: Cross-Curricular Approaches, Grades 7–12 – Mathematics: Subject-Specific Examples, Grades 10–12, 2005

In all courses in mathematics, students will develop their ability to ask questions and to plan investigations to answer those questions and to solve related problems. Students need to learn a variety of research methods and inquiry approaches in order to carry out these investigations and to solve problems, and they need to be able to select the methods that are most appropriate for a particular inquiry. Students learn how to locate relevant information from a variety of sources, such as statistical databases, newspapers, and reports. As they advance through the grades, students will be expected to use such sources with increasing sophistication. They will also be expected to distinguish between primary and secondary sources, to determine their validity and relevance, and to use them in appropriate ways.

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Information and communication technologies (ICT) provide a range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional strategies and support students’ learning in mathematics. Teachers can use ICT tools and resources both for whole-class instruction and to design programs that meet diverse student needs. Technology can help to reduce the time spent on routine mathematical tasks, allowing students to devote more of their efforts to thinking and concept development. Useful ICT tools include simulations, multimedia resources, databases, sites that give access to large amounts of statistical data, and computer-assisted learning modules.

Applications such as databases, spreadsheets, dynamic geometry software, dynamic statistical software, graphing software, computer algebra systems (CAS), word-processing software, and presentation software can be used to support various methods of inquiry in mathematics. Technology also makes possible simulations of complex systems that can be useful for problem-solving purposes or when field studies on a particular topic are not feasible.

Information and communications technologies can be used in the classroom to connect students to other schools, at home and abroad, and to bring the global community into the local classroom.

Although the Internet is a powerful electronic learning tool, there are potential risks attached to its use. All students must be made aware of issues of Internet privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the ways in which this technology is being abused – for example, when it is used to promote hatred.

Teachers, too, will find the various ICT tools useful in their teaching practice, both for whole class instruction and for the design of curriculum units that contain varied approaches to learning to meet diverse student needs.

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Teachers can promote students’ awareness of careers involving mathematics by exploring applications of concepts and providing opportunities for career-related project work. Such activities allow students the opportunity to investigate mathematics-related careers compatible with their interests, aspirations, and abilities.

Students should be made aware that mathematical literacy and problem solving are valuable assets in an ever-widening range of jobs and careers in today’s society. The knowledge and skills students acquire in mathematics courses are useful in fields such as science, business, engineering, and computer studies; in the hospitality, recreation, and tourism industries; and in the technical trades.

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Teachers planning programs in mathematics need to be aware of the purpose and benefits of the Ontario Skills Passport (OSP).The OSP is a bilingual web-based resource that enhances the relevancy of classroom learning for students and strengthens school-work connections. The OSP provides clear descriptions of Essential Skills such as Reading Text, Writing, Computer Use, Measurement and Calculation, and Problem Solving and includes an extensive database of occupation-specific workplace tasks that illustrate how workers use these skills on the job. The Essential Skills are transferable, in that they are used in virtually all occupations. The OSP also includes descriptions of important work habits, such as working safely, being reliable, and providing excellent customer service. The OSP is designed to help employers assess and record students’ demonstration of these skills and work habits during their cooperative education placements. Students can use the OSP to identify the skills and work habits they already have, plan further skill development, and show employers what they can do.

The skills described in the OSP are the Essential Skills that the Government of Canada and other national and international agencies have identified and validated, through extensive research, as the skills needed for work, learning, and life. These Essential Skills provide the foundation for learning all other skills and enable people to evolve with their jobs and adapt to workplace change.

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Cooperative education and other workplace experiences, such as job shadowing, fieldtrips, and work experience, enable students to apply the skills they have developed in the classroom to real-life activities.

Cooperative education teachers can support students taking mathematics courses by maintaining links with community-based businesses and organizations, and with colleges and universities, to ensure students studying mathematics have access to hands-on experiences that will reinforce the knowledge and skills they have gained in school. Teachers of mathematics can support their students’ learning by providing opportunities for experiential learning that will reinforce the knowledge and skills they have gained in school.

Health and safety issues must be addressed when learning involves cooperative education and other workplace experiences. Teachers who provide support for students in workplace learning placements need to assess placements for safety and ensure students understand the importance of issues relating to health and safety in the workplace. Before taking part in workplace learning experiences, students must acquire the knowledge and skills needed for safe participation. Students must understand their rights to privacy and confidentiality as outlined in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. They have the right to function in an environment free from abuse and harassment, and they need to be aware of harassment and abuse issues in establishing boundaries for their own personal safety. They should be informed about school and community resources and school policies and reporting procedures with regard to all forms of abuse and harassment.

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Mathematics courses are well suited for inclusion in programs leading to a Specialist High-Skills Major (SHSM) or in programs designed to provide pathways to particular apprenticeship or workplace destinations. In an SHSM program, mathematics courses can be bundled with other courses to provide the academic knowledge and skills important to particular industry sectors and required for success in the workplace and postsecondary education, including apprenticeship. Mathematics courses may also be combined with cooperative education credits to provide the workplace experience required for SHSM programs and for various program pathways to apprenticeship and workplace destinations. (SHSM programs would also include sector-specific learning opportunities offered by employers, skills-training centres, colleges, and community organizations.)

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Although health and safety issues are not normally associated with mathematics, they may be important when learning involves fieldwork or investigations based on experimentation. Out-of-school fieldwork can provide an exciting and authentic dimension to students’ learning experiences. It also takes the teacher and students out of the predictable classroom environment and into unfamiliar settings. Teachers must preview and plan activities and expeditions carefully to protect students’ health and safety.

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