Education Afternoon
High School and University interface.
Registration for the afternoon is $30 through the registration portal.
Plenary Speaker Profiles
Chris De Haer
Lecture Mathematics Education, UWA
Learning and Working With Others
How Can We Make 1 + 1 = 3
Abstract
This reflective talk will focus on my experiences teaching secondary mathematics and working in initial teacher education. Humans, by our nature, are social creatures, and we are at our best when we learn from each other. I’ve had the privilege and opportunity to work, contribute and learn with countless wonderful colleagues and students. This has had a significant impact on my career, my teaching, and a significant impact on my teaching students. However, I am acutely aware that many do not have these opportunities. Using what I have learnt from these experiences, I examine some possible implications when these opportunities are not available and present some suggestions for how we can support our current and future mathematics teachers.
Biography
Chris de Haer has been a mathematics teacher for 25 years working in a range of schools in Perth, Western Australia, and has held numerous roles in schools as well as in professional organisations. He is now working in initial teacher education, teaching pre-service Mathematics teachers. His interests include pedagogical practices, numeracy and out of field teachers.
Scott Lindstrom
Curtin Centre Optimisation & Decision Science
What I wish every student knew about tertiary maths
Abstract
Is there a mathematician in me? What does studying higher maths look like? Where do mathematicians work? These are the questions nearly every young person has about tertiary maths. And they don’t even realize they have them. I certainly didn’t. And while I’m quite lucky to have stumbled blindly into such a wonderful and mysterious career, I’d be ever-so-delighted if more young folks actually knew their options. So let’s talk about them.
Biography
Scott crossed the pond to earn his PhD with Jonathan Borwein, aka `Doctor Pi,’ learning from his pioneering approach to computational discovery in maths. After a fellowship at Hong Kong Polytechnic, Scott came to Curtin Centre for Optimisation and Decision Science. He serves as mathematics discipline lead and supervises a diverse team of 5 research students. He enjoys making mathematics accessible through beauty, and images from his research won the annual CARMA/AustMS art competition in 2020. Other accolades include Visiting Associate Professor at Kyoto University RIMS, and Alf van der Poorten Traveling Fellow.
Anthony Morphett
School of Mathematics and Statistics, UniMelb
Modelling diseases with mathematics, and how to prepare for the zombie apocalypse
Abstract
Mathematics can be a powerful tool to help us understand real-world phenomena and to guide decision making. A good example of this is infectious disease modelling, where mathematics can predict how a disease is likely to spread and help choose ways to control it. In this presentation we’ll explore some of the mathematics of modelling disease epidemics using nothing more sophisticated than Microsoft Excel and about year 9 maths, and we’ll apply it to a (hopefully hypothetical!) zombie outbreak and see what lessons it may teach us about surviving a zombie apocalypse.
Biography
Anthony is an education-focussed senior lecturer at the University of Melbourne’s School of Mathematics and Statistics, where he teaches topics ranging from proof to mathematical modelling of diseases. In his teaching he promotes active learning and explores ways to use technology to efficiently engage and assess large cohorts.
Geoffrey Pearce
Perth Modern School
Modular Origami for Mathematical Inspiration
Abstract
Modular origami is a popular artform that involves creating elaborate 3-dimensional structures by fitting together a number of folded paper ‘modules’. It has some fascinating connections with various mathematical fields (including graph theory, group theory and geometry) which allow for interesting exploration of ideas beyond the boundaries of the maths curriculum. I aim to explain some of these connections, and will describe some ideas for using modular origami in extension or co-curricular activities for secondary or upper primary students. (Please note that this talk will focus on mathematical ideas, and – mainly for timing reasons – will not include a tutorial for making modular origami models. However I will give some suggestions for good online resources for learning how to fold modules and assemble them.)
Biography
Geoffrey Pearce works as a secondary maths teacher in Perth. He began doing modular origami for fun as a young child and later became interested in some of the underlying mathematics after completing postgraduate studies in group theory and combinatorics at UWA. This inspired him to spend many more years doing modular origami for fun, with a particular focus on exploring the symmetry properties of the models; and it also led him to discover a small number of ‘original designs’ for models made from interlocking tetrahedral frames. He has given presentations about modular origami and maths to a range of audiences, including maths teachers and mathematicians – and he especially enjoys using the subject as a way of introducing high school students to concepts in pure maths, such as graph theory and group theory.
After completing his PhD in 2013 at the University of Oxford, Chris was employed as a postdoctoral research at The University of Sydney. In 2016 he was appointed to a faculty position at Macquarie University, moving to the University of Sydney in 2023. Chris has received the J. H. Michell Medal (ANZIAM, 2023) and the Christopher Heyde Medal (Australian Academy of Science, 2024).
Suzie Harman
WA School Curriculum and Standards Authority
Changes to Senior Secondary Course in Western Australia
Abstract
Principal Consultants (Mathematics) from the WA School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) will unpack and explain the upcoming changes to Senior Secondary courses in Western Australia. Content that has been removed, content that has been added and changes to assessment and examination design will be explained. These changes are designed to create opportunities for students in Year 11 and 12 to engage with mathematics in ways that are relevant, current, and aligned with future pathways. In this session presenters will highlight how the revised syllabuses support students to select courses that match their interests, strengths, and post-school destinations.
Biography
Suzie Harman is the Principal Consultant for ATAR Mathematics at the School Curriculum and Standards Authority in Western Australia. With more than 30 years of experience as a mathematics educator, teaching across a broad range of secondary mathematics courses in both government and independent schools and as Head of Mathematics and Curriculum Manager, Suzie has built an extensive understanding of mathematics curriculum, assessment, pedagogy, and student achievement. Over the past decade, she has focused on supporting excellence in mathematics education at a system level. In her current role, Suzie leads the development and implementation of ATAR Mathematics courses and oversees assessment and moderation processes across Western Australia. She works closely with teachers, schools, and educational organisations to strengthen mathematics education and improve student outcomes statewide. Deeply committed to fostering strong mathematical understanding, Suzie is passionate about helping students develop confidence, success, and genuine enjoyment in mathematics, while supporting teachers to deliver high-quality learning experiences that inspire and challenge all learners.
Julie Cairnduff
Mathematical Association of Western Australia
Who Belongs in Mathematics? Student Voice & Future of Mathematics Teaching
Abstract
What makes an excellent mathematics teacher? While curriculum, pedagogy and assessment continue to evolve, one question remains central: how do we create classrooms where every student believes they can learn and succeed in mathematics?
This presentation explores recent Australian research examining what secondary students say they value most in their mathematics teachers and considers how these findings align with the Australian Association of Mathematics Teachers’ Towards Excellence in Teaching Mathematics framework. Together, these perspectives highlight the importance of teacher behaviours that foster belonging, build confidence, maintain high expectations and support meaningful mathematical learning.
Participants will be invited to reflect on what excellence in mathematics teaching looks like in today’s classrooms and how student voice can inform professional practice. The session will offer practical insights for teachers and school leaders seeking to strengthen engagement, develop positive mathematical identities and create learning environments in which every student has the opportunity to thrive.
Biography
Julie Cairnduff is the Executive Officer of the Mathematical Association of Western Australia (MAWA), bringing more than 25 years of experience in education as a classroom teacher, curriculum leader and school leader.
Julie has a genuine passion for mathematics education and enjoys working alongside teachers to explore practical, research-informed approaches that make a difference in the classroom. She believes that building teacher confidence and deepening mathematical understanding are key to creating positive learning experiences for students.
Throughout her career, Julie has particularly enjoyed supporting teachers and school leaders to strengthen mathematics instruction, share ideas and develop whole-school approaches to improvement. She values collaboration, professional curiosity and finding ways to make mathematics accessible and engaging for all learners.
In her role at MAWA, Julie is excited to continue connecting with educators across Western Australia, strengthening professional learning opportunities and supporting a vibrant community of mathematics educators.
Brendan Florio
Lecturer, Murdoch University
Vertical collaborative learning in the mathematics classroom
Abstract
“I hate mathematics”.
“I’m not a maths person”.
As a research mathematician thrust into high school teaching in a low socioeconomic area in 2021, these are the obstacles I had to overcome in my maths classroom. A large majority of students were self-excluding from learning as they believed they were innately incapable. How could I foster an environment of learning which is inclusive of not just the keen, participating students, but also those students who had already opted out of their own mathematical learning? How did my experience here translate into the tertiary system, where these obstacles also exist for our service teaching cohort? In this talk, I will describe my method to create a collaborative learning environment which is safe, inclusive, and accessible for all students.
Biography
Dr Brendan Florio is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia. He completed his PhD in Applied Mathematics in 2013. After postdoctoral research positions at the University of Limerick in Ireland, and CSIRO in Perth, he moved away from research and into a high school as a secondary Mathematics and Physics teacher. Brendan now brings his secondary teaching experience into the tertiary setting, recently at Murdoch University (and now at UWA).
Neena is known for her outstanding contributions to fundamental questions in affine algebraic geometric and commutative algebra, and especially for her complete solutions to the longstanding `Zariski Cancellation Problem’ for affine spaces in positive characteristic. Neena began her research career by studying global properties of certain affine varieties whose either local structure, or whose structure of fibres were given. She discovered the structure of locally Laurent polynomial algebras, a beautiful analogue of the theorem on locally polynomial algebras by Bass-Connell-Wright and Suslin, and other results on Laurent polynomial fibrations and related topics. Neena has developed general theories on a certain family of affine varieties which reveal surprising connections between deep questions on affine spaces and provide much sought-after conditions for the varieties to be affine spaces. In particular, she has demonstrated new families of linear hypersurfaces in higher-dimensional affine spaces which satisfy the Abhyankar-Sathaye Conjecture on the Epimorphism Problem. Some of her other significant discoveries include new algebraic characterisations of affine two and three spaces. New examples of non-cancellative varieties, certain K-theoretic properties of the ring of invariants of G_a-actions on affine spaces which she used to settle a question of Miyanishi, new results on the triviality of separable affine three forms, results on retractions of polynomial algebras, and results and examples around questions on finite generation of algebras arising out of Hilbert’s fourteenth problem.