and the journey continues......
September 10, 2017
Welcome back everyone!
So here we are in year 2 of JI math.... last year was an interesting year with regards to math and it helped me understand that one of the best ways to teach the subject is to make it fun through playing math games. In this way, students will become more engaged and won't even realize that they are learning!
Our first math class this year continued with the theme of a growth mindset. We were introduced to a game called "Game about Squares, found here, gameaboutsquares.com :
This game is a fun and interactive online game. It is played by moving the coloured blocks to their belonging dots. It's not as easy as it sounds, however. The player needs to use their problem solving and critical thinking skills to pass each level. This is a great game to use in the classroom. The teacher can see how each student attempts to solve problems. It is a great way to find out what type of learner we are. Some of us need complete silence to work at solving problems and others need to verbalize out loud their strategy at solving problems. I found out that I need to concentrate and I do that better in complete silence. I made it to level 17 when I tried playing at home, whereas, in the classroom, I only reached level 6!
This week, we also had the opportunity to watch several videos in our Math Mindset Module. Unfortunately, the myths and stereotypes mentioned in the videos have all been heard before. However, things are changing, as we see more and more women become engineers and physicists, for example. More women are taking subjects that were once male-dominated, such as math and science in university. This is great to see! As teachers, it is important to teach both girls and boys to believe in themselves and understand that each and everyone of us has the innate ability to do well in math. Also, we should see mistakes as an opportunity to learn and not as defeat. Research actually states that when we make mistakes our brains grow!
This year, my goal is to continue to have a growth mindset in math. I will keep an open mind as I continue on my math journey and proactively search for new math strategies and methods to integrate in my placements so that my students will be engaged and confident in math class. Looking forward to next week's math lesson.......
"The world of mathematics opens up a world that you never imagined when you take advantage of the possibilities it opens to you, whether it be seeing the beauty in things or opening up more lifelong opportunities" - Unknown
Welcome back everyone!
So here we are in year 2 of JI math.... last year was an interesting year with regards to math and it helped me understand that one of the best ways to teach the subject is to make it fun through playing math games. In this way, students will become more engaged and won't even realize that they are learning!
Our first math class this year continued with the theme of a growth mindset. We were introduced to a game called "Game about Squares, found here, gameaboutsquares.com :
 |
| Retrieved from www.informationvine.com/All+About+Squares |
This game is a fun and interactive online game. It is played by moving the coloured blocks to their belonging dots. It's not as easy as it sounds, however. The player needs to use their problem solving and critical thinking skills to pass each level. This is a great game to use in the classroom. The teacher can see how each student attempts to solve problems. It is a great way to find out what type of learner we are. Some of us need complete silence to work at solving problems and others need to verbalize out loud their strategy at solving problems. I found out that I need to concentrate and I do that better in complete silence. I made it to level 17 when I tried playing at home, whereas, in the classroom, I only reached level 6!
This week, we also had the opportunity to watch several videos in our Math Mindset Module. Unfortunately, the myths and stereotypes mentioned in the videos have all been heard before. However, things are changing, as we see more and more women become engineers and physicists, for example. More women are taking subjects that were once male-dominated, such as math and science in university. This is great to see! As teachers, it is important to teach both girls and boys to believe in themselves and understand that each and everyone of us has the innate ability to do well in math. Also, we should see mistakes as an opportunity to learn and not as defeat. Research actually states that when we make mistakes our brains grow!
 |
| Retrieved from, https://image.slidesharecdn.com |
"The world of mathematics opens up a world that you never imagined when you take advantage of the possibilities it opens to you, whether it be seeing the beauty in things or opening up more lifelong opportunities" - Unknown
Hi Adriana! Last year was a great year learning all these new exciting teaching strategies. One of the most important aspects we learned is that if students are engaged and have a positive learning experience, they will succeed in what they are learning. As you previously mentioned, this notion was reinforced through the modules we have watched this week. It is of the upmost importance that students are given the opportunity to reach their full potential. All individuals are born with the innate capabilities of learning math. Therefore, it is of great importance that as teachers we provide positive learning experiences for students that result in an active learning environment; smashing any math myths that the media tries to display.
ReplyDeleteHi Adriana,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the connections you made to the online game. I have to agree that it started out simple and I would have never realized that a few simple squares can turn into a complex game. However, it is important to realize that not all students are alike and that some can work in loud environments whereas others would need complete silence. Its important to acknowledge these matters early into the year and make sure that as educators we differentiate the learning to support all our students.
Happy playing!
Daniel.
Hi Adriana! I love how you mentioned the myths and how these are starting to shift directions. I too have noticed a shift in females taking on more math and science related courses to teach. This provides a great example to females that they are just as strong in these subjects as males. In 2017, I also believe there is a strong focus on gender equality so it is important to stress to our students that anyone is capable to learn math. I believe encouraging students to have this mentality will make a difference in how they learn as believe in themselves will keep them away from giving up on challenges and instead push themselves to try something, make mistakes, and learn from them.
ReplyDeleteGreat start for your blog, Adriana. You have analyzed some of the class activities and applied these to teaching math. You also wove in the math mindset module. Going forward you might also apply the readings to these experiences and also the webinars (once they start) and even how your learning is impacting your unit planning.
ReplyDelete