What We Learned
This week in my math class we
tackled the challenging issues of addition and subtraction. When I was taught
math in elementary school the method of carrying numbers or borrowing was used
to help the student with addition and subtraction. This way taught the students
what to do, but not why or how they were doing the math. In class I was taught
multiple strategies that teach the students addition and subtraction but also
allow them to chose what method that they understand the best. The methods
learned in class were: partial addition, compensation addition, constant
addition, partial subtraction, compensation subtraction and constant
subtraction. The students use these methods to understand the math but also
remember what they are taught so that it will be of use to them in the future.
The education on the addition and subtraction strategies are useful to me as it
presents multiple ways in which to teach students. It also opened my mind to
the idea that math can be done in a variety of ways while still arriving at the
same final result. Having multiple ways to find an answer showed me that
students will learn in a variety of ways and to be accepting of all of them.
The Best Part!
My
favourite part of math class this week was student interaction. I did not
previously realize the importance that a good math problem can have for the
students. Below is a snapshot that was taken in class that describes the
different aspects of a good problem that gets students involved. The conversation around what makes a good
problem made me realize that if students are not connected to the problem then
they are less likely to be engaged with the math that is being taught. The use
of good math problems and the interaction of students became more evident to myself when the learning activity
presentations were ongoing. All three presenters during class time create good
math problems for the class to solve and looking around the room at this time
showed me how involved my peers and myself were with the question at hand. The
interaction of the class proved to me how important it is to create student interaction in order to teach math.
Improvement
Through
this week I feel the biggest improvement I made was the open mind-set towards
the new ways to teach math. When first entering math I believed that there was
only one way for it to be taught and that it was uninteresting to me. Through
this week as well as the previous I feel I have opened my mind to different
approaches to math and the problems that are presented. By having this
different mindset, I was able to enjoy the class and learn different techniques
of teaching a fun and engaging math lesson. For future classes I hope to
continue having an open mind to the new math lessons and learn valuable
information that I will be able to take into my teaching career.
I don't know about you but learning all those different addition and subtraction techniques really increased my confidence for possibly teaching math in the future. I wish we had all those options when we were going through school!
ReplyDeleteI was also very intrigued by the 'what makes a good problem' part of class. I really loved learning about open problems through the first few classes but I didn't fully understand the concept until we talked it through as a class this week. Do you think doing this activity will help you create your original problems in the coming weeks?
I also really enjoyed the discussion about the different aspects of a good math problem! One aspect from the list that really stuck out to me is ensuring that the problem has a wide base so that every student can get started on it. I remember that for certain more challenging math problems in high school, I felt completely stuck and so disheartened when I ended the given time period with a blank paper in front of me because I did not know where to start and felt the question was too overwhelming. It has been great to see how open-ended questions allow every student to at least get started with some ideas of how to solve the problem.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about the importance of being open-minded. I have always done addition one way, but it would not be fair for me to expect all of my students to do addition the same way as me. As a teacher, I need to respect my students and understand that they may have different ways of doing a problem that work better for them. This week was a great reminder of the need to be open-minded as this is how we grow and become better teachers!
Hi Christian,
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your post, I couldn’t help but see myself back in elementary school. The method of carrying numbers and borrowing was the central method of addition and subtraction when I was taught math. The snapshot of “What makes a good problem” seems to be infused into this math course and for a good reason. I too enjoyed the presentations during class and found it extremely effective to have groups of students work on a math problem together. Certainly an approach teachers should take while teaching math!