The Teachers' Institute is proud to facilitate two half-day professional development workshops for teachers with highly experienced mathematics education consultant Dr Jo Knox.

Each workshop focuses on a different topic and is on a different date. Teachers can purchase tickets for one or both workshops.

Workshop Two

Purposeful Manipulatives: Choosing and Using Maths Materials to Develop Mathematical Understanding

Tuesday 10 November
9am-12.30pm
The Teachers’ Institute, St Georges Bay Road, Parnell

Maths materials and manipulatives can be powerful tools for developing mathematical understanding—but only when they are used purposefully. Simply having students use materials does not guarantee deeper learning. The key is knowing which materials to use, when to use them, and how to use them to make mathematical ideas visible and meaningful. The role of materials is particularly important to consider at a time when maths teaching is becoming increasingly workbook- and textbook-driven.

In this workshop, we will explore a range of maths materials and manipulatives and experience how they can support students to build, represent, explore and communicate mathematical ideas. We will consider the role of concrete materials in developing conceptual understanding and how students can move between materials and visual representations, and towards abstract thinking.

What you’ll walk away with

Throughout the workshop, participants will have opportunities to work with materials themselves, unpack the mathematical ideas they can reveal, and consider how and when they might be used across different areas of the maths curriculum.

Audience: This workshop is designed for primary teachers up to Year 8.

About Dr Jo Knox

Dr Jo Knox is a highly experienced mathematics education consultant with a demonstrated history of working in primary education (Years 0-8).

She is the primary mathematics programme consultant for The Teachers' Institute and works independently for her company Maths Development Ltd where she provides services for the Ministry of Education and schools across New Zealand.

Upon completing her PhD, Jo completed a 12-month research fellowship with the University of Auckland and was awarded the Margaret Morton Memorial prize recognising the woman with the most potential to succeed in mathematics education. Jo has presented at national and international conferences, including as keynote presenter for the Auckland Primary Mathematics Association seminar day in 2025 and has had papers published in international journals and conference proceedings.

Jo continues to be passionate about building teacher competence and confidence in teaching maths and making maths accessible for all learners.

Contact the host of Mathematics Professional Development - With Dr Jo Knox

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