Week 2..Remembering Algorithms

This past week in Mathematics took me back to when we followed algorithm's to do simple math problems (ie. addition and subtraction). What was so mind-blowing was how we did those math problems with the algorithm's like 'borrowing from your neighbour to subtract' and adding from right to left and learning each number as a single place value and as opposed to t's actual place value. If I could explain my mind in last week's class it would be "mind-blown" and my reason for it is simple because it was.

When I first learned mathematics these are the tricks that stuck with me till this day and I remembered it because we were told to remember and memorize how we solved for simple math, but this week we were taught why we do it in certain fashion. For example adding simple math with it's place value's can help students understand and speak in terms of place values. I can admit that I am not one who confidently know's her place values and I can imagine if I had more practice understanding it and doing my addition with place values would help me tremendously. I believe how we got taught simple math was easy and convenient without much understanding and talking about it.

A key point I enjoyed from Dr.Deborah Loewenberg's video is 'solving problems in more than one way.' When doing math growing up I always found one answer and thought one answer was the only way you can do math. When I needed guidance to solve answers I was guided down the path the teacher wanted to me to go down and when I did not understand where they were going I got frustrated and only viewed the answer as having one possible way to solve. But we need to listen to our students and as the teacher I think we need to be more prepared to help foster the students development in their way of understanding problems.

Looking forward to having my mind-blown again in Mathematics this week!

Welcome to Math class...that is nothing like math class

Hey everyone!!

So what your starting to read is my blog. My blog will talk about how my knowledge for learning and understanding math will help change the way students learn and understand math. I created the title of a blog for an inspiration for me, changing my outlook from only being confident in wha I am good in to being optimistic and challenging to expand my knowledge and understanding in mathematics. We all remember our math experience and how it may have been some of our worse classes. I personally enjoyed math I thought I was decent at it and then well Elevate your Math happened and it brought my my confidence right down. Then first day Mathematics in Teacher's College came and we had to solve solutions with 4's to equal a total number and then my feelings for math continued to part with how I use to feel about it growing up. But since that first exercise I've felt a different way about it, I'm being more optimistic and learning something new since that 4's problem solving problem. This is what the problem looked like...

But I've never turned my back to learning and that is what I will do with Mathematics. My goals in this class is to learn and explore problem solving to mathematics in a new light, I want to learn how to make it fun and enjoyable for kids to learn valuable mathematic skills and be able to implement them into their daily lives. My goal as an educator is to leave an impact on my students lives and inspiring them to achieve their dreams when they but their minds and heart to it. I have a more positive outlook on mathematics now and I look forward to learning something new each class. 

I hope you stick around and read about my journey though my blog and get inspired to continue learning, because having your mind blown away gives you an appreciation for learning. 

via GIPHY