As I look back over my math posts from the quarter there is one obvious theme across all of my posts- manipulatives. I guess that's what stuck out in my mind most prominently after class. It is not surprising to me really because I am a tactile learner myself. Working with manipulatives in class taught me new ways to think about teaching (and learning) math in the higher grades. I always had the misconception that manipulatives were only useful in the lower grades where students are learning to add and subtract, etc. the idea that you can use manipulatives to teach algebra kind of blew my mind, I'm not gonna lie. There are so many options out there for teachers to use and there are ways to do it without spending a lot of money. If you do have a lot of money or access to technology there are so many cool websites and applications that offer virtual manipulatives and opportunities for students to expand their thinking. I feel like one of the most valuable things I got from this class was a reaffirmation of the fact that you don't know what you don't know and now that I know how much is out there and how many different ways there are to teach math I feel like I have a foundation from which I can explore the unknown and see what all is out there. Before this class I wouldn't have even known where to begin and the task would have been so daunting I would have balked at taking it on. Now I have the start of a toolkit of valuable resources that I can continue to build upon. That's what I learned this quarter.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
More math
1. What did I learn?
This week in math I learned a couple of interesting things. We did an activity where we measured a square with different objects (a coin, a cellphone, a ruler, and post-its) and then graphed the measurements. At first this kind of blew our minds because we've always been told that you have to have a standard unit of measurement when constructing a graph. We had a hard time just graphing the numbers when we knew they all represented different things. In the end the graph represented a linear relationship between the numbers and we found out that this is because the relationships or ratios remain consistent no matter what you use to measure the square.
Another thing we learned about what was a great website called Wolfram/Alpha which is a computational engine that you can put an equation into and it will solve it and show the steps taken. It is a great resource that I can't wait to play around with.
2. What do I have questions about?/3. What are the implications for classroom practice?
I have plenty of questions about Wolfram/Alpha and the implications for it's use in classroom practice. Is it cheating if students use it to do their homework? I think it could be very useful but I also see a lot of ways it could be abused.
This week in math I learned a couple of interesting things. We did an activity where we measured a square with different objects (a coin, a cellphone, a ruler, and post-its) and then graphed the measurements. At first this kind of blew our minds because we've always been told that you have to have a standard unit of measurement when constructing a graph. We had a hard time just graphing the numbers when we knew they all represented different things. In the end the graph represented a linear relationship between the numbers and we found out that this is because the relationships or ratios remain consistent no matter what you use to measure the square.
Another thing we learned about what was a great website called Wolfram/Alpha which is a computational engine that you can put an equation into and it will solve it and show the steps taken. It is a great resource that I can't wait to play around with.
2. What do I have questions about?/3. What are the implications for classroom practice?
I have plenty of questions about Wolfram/Alpha and the implications for it's use in classroom practice. Is it cheating if students use it to do their homework? I think it could be very useful but I also see a lot of ways it could be abused.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Virtual manipulatives
1. What did I learn?
This week we got to play with math software and it was surprisingly enjoyable. I really didn't want to stop until I solved all the puzzles (which made paying attention during instruction a bit of a challenge). I had the opportunity to explore virtual manipulatives while completing the tech assignment but it never ceases to amaze me how much it out there. The one thing I'm noticing about the virtual manipulatives I've explored so far is that they are fairly rudimentary. I haven't seen a really fancy, flashy program as of yet. Perhaps this is something not necessary for the purpose but we have become so accustomed to fancy, eye-catching graphics I fear some of these may be overlooked as crude or dated? Then again I suppose that's not really the point. Even the simple program we were working with was enjoyable and challenging for me so it would certainly be beneficial to implement in a secondary classroom.
2. What do I have questions about?
What other programs are out there? What does the research have to say about the successes/shortcomings of implementing math software in the classroom? Also is it really the same as having an actual 3-D object in your hand that you can hold and move?
3. What are the implications for classroom practice?
I honestly can't see this being utilized during a lesson involving any sort of lecture. I had such a hard time putting down the mouse and paying attention when the professor was talking, I can't imagine trying to manage it with a bunch of adolescents.
This week we got to play with math software and it was surprisingly enjoyable. I really didn't want to stop until I solved all the puzzles (which made paying attention during instruction a bit of a challenge). I had the opportunity to explore virtual manipulatives while completing the tech assignment but it never ceases to amaze me how much it out there. The one thing I'm noticing about the virtual manipulatives I've explored so far is that they are fairly rudimentary. I haven't seen a really fancy, flashy program as of yet. Perhaps this is something not necessary for the purpose but we have become so accustomed to fancy, eye-catching graphics I fear some of these may be overlooked as crude or dated? Then again I suppose that's not really the point. Even the simple program we were working with was enjoyable and challenging for me so it would certainly be beneficial to implement in a secondary classroom.
2. What do I have questions about?
What other programs are out there? What does the research have to say about the successes/shortcomings of implementing math software in the classroom? Also is it really the same as having an actual 3-D object in your hand that you can hold and move?
3. What are the implications for classroom practice?
I honestly can't see this being utilized during a lesson involving any sort of lecture. I had such a hard time putting down the mouse and paying attention when the professor was talking, I can't imagine trying to manage it with a bunch of adolescents.
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