Blog Post 3: EDBE 8P29 (September 30th, 2016)

Good Day Bloggers!

Personal/Class Objectives: 

For this week, it is my objective for this blog post to present my responses to questions, ideas and information presented this week in the course EDBE 8P29 at Brock University!

This week in class, we were reconnecting with number sense and operation. The first order of operations (yes that was a pun) was to connect ideas for whole number operations; resources for mathematical processes meaning and procedural fluency for whole number operations.

                                                         Number Sense

Class Assessment: 

In class, our first task was to come up with simple mathematical equations that equated to the number 1-20 by using four numbers and whatever mathematical equations we could come up with. Using as many formulas we could think of, we were tasked to come up with 20 different means of concluding with numbers 1-20. One of the basic examples was 5+5+5+5 for 20.

Our second task was to solve five questions as a class, presented to us on the projector. These questions were given with a twist (for example how do you divide zero by six), where the answer cannot be calculated, as you cannot divide zero things into six groups). The purpose of these questions (I believe) were to show us that even as teacher candidates we may not even be aware of the simplest number sense questions, and to get us thinking about educating number sense into our own classrooms. We were first addressed these questions in groups, then asked to solve these questions in pairs.

Presentations: 

The third tasking was given to the presenters of the week to present their ten minute presentations to the class about various portions of the Grades 1-8 Ontario Math Curriculum. The three chosen presenters were very informative about the use of number sense and operation, providing many examples to illustrate how to teach this portion of the math curriculum to students at the elementary level.

Review and Reflection: 

Reviewing the contents of the lesson this week structures my professional ongoing self-reflection by providing me with ideas to generate into my own classroom setting when I myself am a teacher. This lesson provides an example of structure that could be beneficial in my future classroom; it has an enticing first task to keep students 'bought in' to number sense and operation lessons, a stimulant second task to unite the classroom by exploring various number sense questions, as well as a third task to provide the students with the ability to reflect and teach their peers about the topic.

Blog Post 2: EDBE 8P29 (September 23rd, 2016)

Good Day Fellow Bloggers! 

In this week's blog, we will be exploring mathematics in education in an attempt to answer many questions teachers may have in regards to teaching mathematics! This blog is duo-purposed: to both reflect on common questions in mathematics for educators, and to report my own personal focus in mathematics curriculum in the next few weeks as well as draw connections between the readings. 

Before I begin my reflection on various questions about mathematics in the educational setting, I believe that it is important to reflect my own experiences of this week - that being in my first practicum, specifically in my grade eight mathematics class. This experience was a very insightful experience for me, as before this, I have never participated in a math class in any other position than through the eyes of a student. During the class taught by my advisory teacher, I was able to learn various teaching methods specific to mathematics for this age group, and I had a great time learning from the students. With this experience, I am able to provide some answer to the questions many educators have about mathematics.

Is There a Negative Opinion About Mathematics? 

Unfortunately, I feel as though there is indeed a negative opinion of mathematics for both students and teachers alike. Many are students are intimidated by the subject and they feel uncertain about what appears to be a different language. As a result, when these students become teachers, most of them are still attempting to find some common ground of understanding, but feel intimidated by a subject that most feel they are not proficient in. However, I believe this negative opinion is in a transformation mode, as students are beginning to be taught how to organize their ideas, reason with them, as well as understand mathematical processes regardless of the question instead of simply memorizing as has been the norm in the past. As such, while there is still a negative opinion of mathematics, student and teacher opinion alike has been growing more confident in these last few years with the use of alternative methods to educate and learn.

- Small, M. (2013) 3 rd Edition. Making Math Meaningful to Canadian Students, K-8. 3 rd Edition, Toronto, Nelson. 

Garelick, Barry. (January 30, 2012). [Online image]. Retrieved from
http://www.educationnews.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/math_education.jpg

How Do You Feel about Mathematics?

While I enjoy mathematics, sometimes I can find the subject a bit intimidating. Math is a subject of wonder; there are so many different formulas, expressions, and ideas which create another language. Some people might describe themselves as terrible at math, while others might say that they believe they are rather proficient at it. I believe I fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. With saying, I feel fairly comfortable in many mathematical practices, although there is much more I require to learn about the subject. 

What Makes a Good Mathematics Student/ What Makes an Excellent Mathematics Teacher?

I believe these two questions to be (to a degree) interrelated, in that being a great student/teacher of mathematics does not simply require you to be proficient at memorization, it requires a much deeper understanding of the subject. Our math education textbook in chapters two and three really underline the necessity of truly understanding the subject to be excelling mathematic students and teachers alike. Chapter two describes mathematical processes that should be developed no matter what content is being taught (such as problem solving, communication, and reasoning). Chapter three describes the various assessments teachers should use for their students; stating that the type of assessment used should reflect the purpose for gathering the data. The relation between the two chapters (in extension the similarity between proficient teacher's/ student's) is that assessment comes in all forms, but that the methods used stay the same. The knowledge of this makes both a good mathematics student and teacher. 

What Strategies Will I Use To Teach Mathematics in a J/I Classroom?

In the J/I classroom specifically, the strategies I intend to use include: allowing students to have fun, participate in interactive activities that promote learning through full-class participation quiz's that allow  students to work in groups to determine an answer in a jeopardy-like setting, but also ensuring understanding of the subject through student-friendly means. I also would like to incorporate some traditional strategies such as individual homework sheets, but allow an interactive period for students to learn from one another, developing a sense of 'everyone can be proficient at a subject', to motivate students across learning boundaries. 

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/elementary/math18curr.pd

What I hope to learn from this course is to be able to assist fellow teachers and students in  accomplishing the complexities of mathematics by creating a more stimulative learning atmosphere within the curriculum. I for one have learned at astonishing rates when I was actually have fun with the lesson. Even if the subject was not my forte, it can be taught in an engaging manner. With several well-placed teaching strategies, the students of today's mathematics curriculum can overcome the difficulties previous generations have had in this field. 

Introduction to MATH in the Practice of Education!

Good Day Bloggers!

   My name is Jacob, and I am Teacher Candidate at Brock University. I am a relatively new blogger looking to enhance my skills in the technological region for the purpose of enriching the student education of this generation! I believe that virtual tools such as blogging can be essential to learning success in the classroom today as many students are much more prone to learning using visual aids. However, simply inputing technology into the student environment is not enough; the integration of technology into the previously traditional curriculum is necessary for students to find a continuous amount of successes. Lessons that can be virtually analyzed by students (perhaps in the form of gamification) could change overall class input; thus making the educational space a stimulating experience that students can enjoy. 



The Purpose(s)!
   
   This blog has a multi-purposed agenda. First, it is a tool that can be used to enhance understanding in the students of today, while simultaneously allowing to interact on a professional level with fellow education peers and professors. Second, it allows me to engage in technological thinking; drawing on creativity and expression to articulate educational views. While this is a new concept for me, I am hoping that it will be both beneficial to me, as well as to my future students. 



My Aspirations for EDBE 8P29!

   Positive student engagement is critical for any course, especially in Mathematics. As many studies show that students are often discouraged by math, it is important for teacher to use various ways to plan, teach and assess student understanding in a way that creates positive experiences for future students. This is my true aspiration for EDBE 8P29. I wish to learn different methods of teaching mathematics that truly engages students, to promote positive views of mathematics, and encourages success beyond the classroom setting. For that, I aspire to relieve students from simply learning mathematical knowledge and allow for elaboration and 'true learning' rather than simple memorization of fact. Specifically for EDBE 8P29, I wish to learn a wide array of mathematical learning and assessing ideas specific to J/I student's. I also wish to learn more about myself as a mathematics learner, as I believe that great teachers cannot aspire to teach students with success without learning about themselves as learners. 


Embrace Change to Curriculum!