This week in math
class we opened with an activity that has to be one of my most liked thus far.
It was a very ‘Minds on’ activity that got us working in a larger group then
just with our table mates. “I have…. Who has…,” can be an activity that is used
in a number of different subjects that really gets all students actively
engaged in classroom discussion. During the activity I personally followed
along as we each moved from question to answer, I trued to answer the question
in my head before the student with the car stood up. I wanted to test my
knowledge and see if I remembered the lesson from last week on geometry. I can
imagine more students also tried to do the same thing as myself. Key points to
take away from this activity is to ensure the questions are at the right level
of challenge as an opening activity and that they are easy and quick to answer,
to ensure the flow of this particular activity.
This week we explored
measurement and in particular area and perimeter. I found this week to be one
of my more challenging weeks, because measurement was a unit I struggled with
during elementary school. A big take away from this week was how much
measurement was Inquiry-based math, because having students keep track of their
work as they work through different problem solving based questions will be key
to successfully finding answers. The picture taken below is work that my
partner and I explored to try and find a possible answer to the question being
asked.
Having us keep the answers we tried to solve for the
correct answer helped us create a process of elimination and like Patricia said
in class “get us closer to solving the answer.” This specific method would be
very beneficial in a number of different math lessons when we teachers ask our
students a variety of problem-based questions that lead to more then one
solution.
Knowledge is Power,
and when we as educators discover different resources and tools it will help
our students learning experience and can help students learn math and not just
memorize how it can be done. Reliable sources help build the toolbox of
knowledge and resources as a teacher. Each subject has it’s own toolbox and in
Math having it filled with as many practical and real-life scenario tools it
can help bring validity to my teaching habits. This week’s readings added
resources and tools to help teach measurement, such as the different manipulative
that can be used to compare and analyze shapes and objects part of the lesson.
Measurement is a very practical unit in mathematics;
“Measurement
concepts and skills are directly applicable to the world in which students
live. Many of these concepts are also developed in other subject areas, such as
science, social studies, and physical education.”
It applies to student’s
lives in instances such as cooking, comparing heights, finding relationships
between objects, building, etc. It also applies to a number of different
subjects outlines in the curriculum above. Learning and being able to solve
measurement problems can help apply similar knowledge to a science project that
allows works with measurements and in physical education, one unit in
particular track & field.
One thing I am
learning about becoming a math educator is that I will always be learning how
to be one! Mathematics is emphasized hugely in school for students and plays
such a crucial role in a student’s life outside the classroom. It is a very
practical learning subject that is involved in our everyday lives. Creating
lesson plans that build on one another is vital for students to learn and build
on the knowledge from each lesson itself. As en educator doing the math work before
hand so I have a number of ways to solve problems is important and having a growth
mindset will help tremendously. Math is no longer about one answer, but rather exploring
a variety of solutions to one question. Using a variety of different learning
tools will also help in a classroom that has students with different learning
styles, it all starts with getting to know my students and their learning
abilities. I can imagine there is much more to becoming a math teacher and as I
continue through school and start teaching I will only grow as an educator in
Mathematics.
Hello Patricia,
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the "I have... Who has..." game during the Minds-On part of this week's lecture. As you said, I also followed along and tried to answer the questions in my head as each person read their clue. It was a great activity for refreshing our memory about what we discussed and read last week and for preparing our minds for the tasks ahead. I thought it was great that Pat gave us time to be confident with our terms before we began the game so that we could feel more comfortable during the game. I also love that this game promotes teamwork and an inclusive and supportive learning environment as students help one another out when they are unsure of an answer. As teachers, it is important that we facilitate a learning environment where students don't fear making mistakes.
Hello Carla,
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed the “I have…who has….” minds on activity. I loved the idea that the game can be interchangeable with any theme and the difficulty degree. I like how you tried to answer the questions in your head. I also like how you mentioned how measurement is a very practical unit and gave us various applicable examples including track and field. I would have never put sports and math together until reading your post.
I really enjoyed reading your comment on how math is no longer about one answer questions but about exploring with a variety of methods, tools, skills and most importantly an open mind.
Great job on this weeks post!
Hey Patricia,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your blog and how you mentioned the take away from doing the minds on activity we did. Testing your own knowledge while this game is going on is a great way to review what you already know or may have forgotten. I too was trying to answer all the questions (mainly because I was waiting for my turn and didn't know when it was going to pop up). I also appreciate your take away from the area and perimeter question we worked on in class as you mentioned it was a harder unit to grasp when you were younger but now using the process of elimination you were able to be successful at finding a possible answer. Also it is great to see that how you personally were not a fan of math but through the classes each week you grow more an appreciation for the subject and are using a growth mindset to make connections that relate to you!
Awesome read!
Hey Patricia,
ReplyDeleteI found it very easy to connect to you post this week, I too consider measurement as one of the main areas in math that I struggled with when I was younger. I agree with your notion that including topics that the students deal with in every day life is a way to keep them engaged and improve their learning. I feel like I have also realized that the learning will not stop for me after these required math courses we take, that to be an effective math teacher is only done by continuing to learn about math, that I will never really stop learning about math.
Great job!