Greatest Learning Moments

During this entire winter semester, I feel that I have a new found respect for mathematics and the many ways that it can actually be taught to primary and elementary students. Since our childhood years were many years ago, it was hard for me to picture teaching math without it being intimidating with limited techniques to do so. But I have gratefully learned throughout this course that you can teach math in many different ways which includes lots of hands-on learning. For me, this type of learning is meaningful for children because they enjoy using blocks or buttons while doing math rather than writing out multiplication facts and memorizing the hundreds chart. With this in mind, I believe the greatest learning experience for me was when we participated in both the math fair and peer teaching assignment. These two projects allowed us to investigate math on our own and figure out what problems we felt comfortable completing and which ones would work excellent for primary elementary students. I thoroughly enjoyed finding, creating, playing, and presenting our math fair problem “Wolf Nim” and it was nice to be able to partner up with members of my class to play our game. I liked seeing everyone’s engagement and how the game was designed around the bizarre word “nim”. Along with playing our own math fair game, I really enjoyed going around the classroom analyzing everybody else’s projects. Due to the short time frame we had, I never got to complete all the games but the ones I did do I liked and thought they would all work excellent in the classroom setting.

Like the math fair, the peer teaching assignment was also another authentic learning experience for me. Having the opportunity to see so many different ways to teach mathematics and practice math skills was very beneficial. It gave each one if us more insight into what kinds of problems we can create or find for our future students that will keep them enjoy mathematics!

My thoughts and way of thinking towards mathematics has done a complete one-eighty. Before entering this course I truly believed that this subject was going to very hard to teach to young children just because I was unaware of all the different materials that are available to educators. Math always seemed dry and boring to me, and I am very relieved that I can potentially change this outlook on mathematics to a curriculum area with fun filled activities and problems!

Exploring Mathematics

During Tuesday’s class we were introduced to the many different teacher resources available to us when teaching the subject of Mathematics. I had previous experience with the Newfoundland curriculum guides but was astounded at the amount of other tools that us a beginning educators would be provided with when we begin a full time teaching position. After seeing both the prescribed math books within my observation days, I realized how much teachers rely on these materials especially in the elementary grades. Why is it that these math books become so significant during these grades compared to the primary levels? Being exposed to each grade level I can truly believe that resorting to these math resources during elementary causes this subject area to suffer and become tiresome for students. Teaching mathematics in primary involves a SMARTboard, movement and most importantly hands-on learning. For elementary, mathematics is completed with worksheets. No wonder doing math in the higher levels was dull when I attended elementary as a child, and unfortunately it still is today. “Our task as teachers is to help children construct relationships and ideas, not to get them to ‘do pages’. We should look on the textbook as simply one of a variety of teaching resources available in the classroom, not as the object of instruction” (Van de Walle, Folk, Karp, & Bay-Williams, 2011, p. 61). Although there seems to be a great deal of elementary teachers using these resources, it is important that us as upcoming educators make note of this and expand our teaching resources for the sake of our student’s interest in mathematics.

After scanning and analyzing the resources of each grade level, I believe that there is a dramatic jump in the amount of text from grade one to grade two in terms of the actual children’s books that they are entitled to read. These books of course, are appealing to this age group but I just personally feel that going from a grade where they are just beginning their reading development to reading a book with a large amount of text, is risky. In a way, these new grade two students would be setting themselves up for failure rather than comfortably decoding and comprehending the words and concepts within these books. On this note I feel it is important that for us to understand the importance of making the proper accommodations and modifications for future students to ensure they succeed within this subject area. “In planning accommodations and modifications, the goal is to enable each child to successfully reach your learning objectives, not to change the objectives. This is how equity is achieved in the classroom”. (Van de Walle, Folk, Karp, & Bay-Williams, 2011, p. 62). I could not have said this better myself and I hope that all viewers of this blog understand the importance of both using different means of teaching and accommodating all learners!   

YouCubed!



As a first time viewer of http://youcubed.org/ , I wanted to know why this site was developed and who created it. Luckily there was some information on the founder Jo Boaler and why she was driven to create the site, but in saying that there were only a couple of sentences explaining this and a short video clip, which I found disappointing. As I moved down the web page, my initial opinion on the site began to shift and I was introduced to four different steps of approaching mathematics.

The first step was very reassuring as it stated that the paper under the heading “Big Ideas” will address the “elephant” in the room during math lessons. They addressed five myths of mathematics which I found rewarding because like many people, I feared this subject as a child and still do when it comes to teaching it. By providing us with this information at the beginning of the site, it allowed people to understand the misconceptions of math before they begin to teach it or form any opinions about that particular curriculum area. Step two “Content and tasks” demonstrated the different ways in which mathematics can be designed, assessed and most importantly how to set proper goals for our students! Step three labelled “Math and Innovation” gave a problem that students could use in the Google web browser which would allow them to become familiar with finding answers through the internet. The last step, “Tools for Parents” provided some very useful math activities designed for elementary children. Personally, as though the step states that the games are for parents, I believe that I would enjoy using these games myself during my future teachings in mathematics!

Below the four steps, was another section that gave all the latest news regarding mathematics. This would be useful to all website viewers as it may lead to a class discussion with your students or answer some of your own questions about that particular subject area. As far as questions go, I personally don’t have any but I will say that the information provided on the site made me feel hopeful that the “elephant” in the classroom will and can disappear!

What IS Mathematics anyway?

According to Wikipedia, “mathematics is the abstract science of number, quantity, and space. Mathematics may be studied in its own right ( pure mathematics ), or as it is applied to other disciplines such as physics and engineering ( applied mathematics )”. Aristotle believed that mathematics is defined as “the science of quantity”.

Throughout my research for finding a definition that I believe to be true of “mathematics”, I finally found one that was from a woman named Elaine J. Horn on the following site http://www.livescience.com/38936-mathematics.html. She states that “mathematics is the science that deals with the logic of shape, quantity and arrangement. Math is all around us, in everything we do. It is the building block for everything in our daily lives, including mobile devices, architecture (ancient and modern), art, money, engineering, and even sports”.

For me, mathematics can be performed in many different ways and at a very early age. Children can be exposed to mathematics before they even reach kindergarten which may be as simple as counting and being familiar or pronouncing their age. As a child enters into primary/elementary school, mathematics becomes more challenging and will introduce the children to many different ways of “doing” that subject area. To be more specific, in kindergarten mathematics may include identifying shapes and patterns, grade one would focus on adding and subtracting, grade two may begin place value, and even/odd numbers, and in grade three children may perform multiplication facts or line graphs. These are just a few examples of how children in primary would “do” mathematics. It is evident, that at every stage of a child’s life there are new and different ways of performing math. On a different note, mathematics can be done other ways that doesn’t always consist in school. Imagine how many times a day we are “thinking mathematically” and don’t even realize it? I personally encounter math at least three or four times a day which may include telling the time on a clock or counting the money I have in my wallet. According to Reuben Hersh who is the author of the book “What is Mathematics, Really?”, there are two different sides to thinking mathematically. He believes that math has a front and back. The front consists of formal, precise, abstract thinking and can be broken down into definitions, theorems and remarks. Each question from the front of mathematics is either answered or labelled an “open question”. At the back, mathematics is informal, tentative, and intuitive which often leads us to trying this or that to solve the problem/answering a question. His view on what “thinking mathematically” is quite interesting!

Sir Ken Robinson-Do Schools Kill Creativity?



After watching the video, I feel as though Robinson resonated some concerns of my own. After observing children throughout the last three months, I wondered myself as to why there is not much creativity being demonstrated by primary/elementary students. He stated that the areas within the "arts" are located at the bottom of the totem pole which clearly indicates why these children may not be exposed to creativity.

I feel that this video is relevant to the teachings of mathematics because:
-it opens our eyes into the importance of creativity and its significance to learning
-it gives us insight into the capacity of children's minds and their innovations
-it indicates that all children have talents and that in most cases, teachers are the ones that make them stop using it
-it claims that creativity should be viewed as being on the same level as mathematics and other subject areas
-it states that we should not encourage children to always try to get the correct answer and explains that being wrong is not the same as being creative
-it explains why we must promote creativity now with young children because as they get older they will begin losing their capacity to do so

Although I agree with Robinson in everything that he says within the video, I will state that I don't agree with some of the comments or jokes that he made regarding his sons girlfriend "Sarah". He said that the reason why he moved to Los Angeles was because of Sarah and that he is thankful that his son will never meet anyone like her again. I understand that he is trying to be humours and entertaining to his audience, but I just feel he should have done it without insulting her.

Welcome!!!!





Welcome readers to my blog! :) The purpose of this blog is to reveal my personal experiences, attitudes and thoughts on mathematics starting from primary to now university!

Math Autobiography

For me, mathematics was very much addressed throughout my years in both primary and elementary. During primary I can remember identifying shapes, adding and subtracting, skip counting and practicing even and odd numbers. While performing these tasks we often used blocks that could be pressed together or pulled apart to make different numbers. In elementary mathematics involved problem solving, estimating answers, learning how to tell time fluently and of course practicing multiplication and division. For these types of math learning's worksheets were often used and each student was given a multiplication table that could be either stored in their agendas or taped on to the desks.

The best memory I have that surrounds the subject of mathematics was during elementary. Myself and the class were just introduced to the math lesson of how to correctly tell time on a clock. This was a topic that for some reason I could not grasp. For this reason alone, I was removed from the class and placed into a resource teacher’s care, who would in time help me understand this concept. Mrs. Power (resource teacher), showed many unique qualities during our time together. She stressed how determined she was that she would have me telling time by the end of the week and never gave up even when I insisted that it was a part of mathematics that “I will never understand”. Her constant encouragement and patience with me has most defiantly affected my views about mathematics now as an adult. I know now that all children have different needs and that just because a child may not understand a certain concept in math doesn’t mean they never will. It could be as simple as providing them with some form of extra help whether it be after school one-on-one time or a resource teacher that can lead them to success.

 

It is hard for me to think back all those years ago and classify myself as either “good” or “bad” at mathematics. There were some math lessons that I thoroughly enjoyed and know that I was “good” at such as counting, subtracting, adding and identifying shapes. I can remember not being very good at multiplication, division and telling time as I previously stated.

The role of my teacher during math classes was to teach us students the different components of that subject area using diverse strategies and forms of assessment. For example, observing our behaviours, reactions and workings, providing direct instruction, giving examples, making anecdotal records of our progress etc. After analyzing the attitudes and teachings of mathematics by both my primary and elementary teachers, I feel as though they were not enthusiastic about that particular subject area. I can also support this statement from my personal experience with Mrs. Power. Comparing her attitude towards mathematics with these teachers also gives me a clear indication that math wasn’t their favorite area to teach.

Like some areas of math in primary and elementary, I also struggled with math during my high school years. Grade ten was most defiantly the hardest year of math for me which caused me to have a full time tutor. As I entered grade eleven, math was beginning to take a positive turn and I began to actually grasp and understand it. At this most my math tutoring sessions went from full time to part time. When I reached grade twelve the only extra help I needed was before my exams. It was astonishing to see how far my math capabilities went from needing full time help to barely any in just three short years. This shift allowed me to take both math 1090 and 1000 at Memorial University.

 After reviewing my life and my involvements with math over the years, I believe that I use math very rarely. Why? Well I feel as though math is seen as something that should be quick to do which was never how I approached it. When I perform any math equation or problem I like to take my time and not be rushed or feel pressured. Unfortunately this has caused me to resort to my calculator or completely avoiding it altogether.

If you had asked me how I felt about mathematics back in 2009 or 2010 which was right after I had taken both math 1090 and 1000, I would have answered “great!” because at that point in my life I was feelings confident about my math skills. But because I have not practiced it in quite some time, my feelings about the subject area has altered in a negative direction and I have lost this sureness over the last couple of years. I am hoping that after some practice and positive feedback throughout this course, my attitude on mathematics will change for the better!