Editorial.

Marshall, Linda ; Swan, Paul

Welcome to our first issue of 2012. We have noted that the Australian Curriculum: Mathematics is now listed as version 3. Take the time to visit the ACARA website and look at the Achievement Standards and Work Samples that have been added to the Curriculum. In this issue we continue our centre page series where tasks are linked to the Australian Curriculum and linked together in a series of lessons. Throughout the year, more of these linked lessons will be featured in each issue. Our guest Professor, Mike Askew, takes a close look at the four proficiencies in the Australian Curriculum and asks the question: "Is Understanding a proficiency?". You will need to read the article to find Askew's answer.

Our regular feature, "Teaching with Technology" continues on the theme of mobile technologies. Readers might remember reading part one in Issue 16 (4), late last year. If you didn't get a chance to read it last year or have forgotten what was said, we encourage you to read part 1 before reading part 2. We are sure you will be surprised at how technology may be meaningfully used to liven up mathematics lessons. The Australian Curriculum: Mathematics regularly uses the phrase "digital technologies"--we hope that this series of articles is really opening you up to the possibilities for integrating technology within mathematics lessons. Thank you Catherine and Maria.

You may notice Dr Catherine Attard's photograph and name appear twice in this issue. Her article on "Engagement in Mathematics" will appeal to many of our readers. As you read this article, note the difference between engagement and motivation and see what engaged a group of Year 6 students. Before reading the article, try listing three things that you think would be engaging in a mathematics lesson.

We cannot avoid it--NAPLAN season is in full swing. I have even heard reports of a teacher singing a 'NAPLAN song'. We believe teachers will find Eduarda Van Klinken's article on improving children's ability to solve word problems to be most thought provoking. Eduarda shows how research on solving word problems was applied with Year 3 children at a school in Brisbane. We think teachers will find this work of great interest.

Tracey Muir, a former editor of this journal, takes a closer look at Number Sense--in particular, a framework for examining basic number sense and then applies the framework to a lesson involving a Year 5/6 class. We are sure that teachers will enjoy playing the "Estimation game" featured in the article, with their students.

We think this issue is so good that all readers should be given the day off to read it! If a former Prime Minister can suggest the nation have a day off because of a sporting event, we think it is only fair that teachers be given a day off to read a mathematics journal. Well, perhaps we are running a bit ahead of ourselves! Happy reading.