My Greatest Learning

What was your greatest 'learning' this semester with regard to teaching children mathematics? How has your thinking shifted?

Reflecting

In order to be able to answer this question effectively, I find myself reflecting on my previous math blogs, observing how my opinions and expectations about math have changed throughout the course of this semester. One thing that stands out to me is an excerpt from my very first math blog: "As of right now, I am on a need to know basis with mathematics. I believe that my past experiences, especially in the younger grades, has left a sour taste in my mouth that isn't easily replaced." I am truly amazed at just how much this perception has changed from then to now. 

My Greatest Learning

My greatest learning has been that I know a lot more about mathematics than I thought I did. Coming into this class I was beyond anxious and didn't know what to expect, thinking I knew absolutely nothing about teaching math, or learning math for that matter, based on my past experiences. Throughout the course of the semester, I have learned that I haven't been giving myself enough credit. I can teach math, and I can learn math...as I have realized through the activities we have participated in in class. 

Where Do I Go From Here?

I realized that I have the ability to make a difference and make sure the same thing doesn't happen to my students. I wouldn't want them to walk away from their elementary years with a bad taste in their mouths about math...I want them to walk away loving math and leaving the stigma behind. I want my students to realize that math is not all about equations and worksheets, it can, and should be fun and exciting. Most of all, I want to be a teacher who is confident in her abilities to teach math, and I truly believe this class, and you, Mary, have set me on the right path. Thank-you for restoring my confidence in my own ability and making this semester an enjoyable one.

Math Resources

During Tuesday's class, we had the opportunity to go from table to table, looking at each grade level's mathematics resources. Our group started off with grade one, where there was an abundance of resources which included a curriculum guide, a huge teacher's guide, and multiple big lap books with corresponding smaller books. I really liked the resources for this grade level, as the teacher's guide was very thorough and easy to follow and the books were fun and engaging. When we moved to grade two, the only difference I noticed was that the lettering in the small books was noticeably bigger and the word choice was more difficult than that of grade one. Also, there were no lap books available for grade two.

Notable Differences

I noticed a big difference in the resources between grades two and three. Once we got to the grade three table, there were no lap books or smaller books, just a curriculum guide and a big teacher's guide. The language used was obviously more sophisticated and the lettering a lot bigger than the younger grades, but the pictures were still colored and engaging for the students. The major differences I saw were in the elementary grades. There was no longer any color in the images, there seemed to be little difference in difficulty level throughout the curriculum, and the difficulty levels were not consistent throughout--the students may be shading in a portion of a pie chart in one section, then dividing by 100's in the next section.

What Surprised Me?

The main difference I was surprised by was definitely the fact that the "fun" element of color and engaging activities sort of dwindled away in the elementary grade resources. This makes me think that this can be a contributing factor as to why many students prefer the arts over mathematics, especially those in the elementary grades. There must be a way for us to keep the sophistication and difficulty level of mathematics in the elementary grades without compromising the fun and engaging elements that the students enjoy.

A Mathematical Revolution

What is YouCubed?

YouCubed is claimed to be a new movement that will revolutionize math teaching, as well as math learning. According to the website, YouCubed provides free and affordable math resources for the K-12 grades. It also provides professional development for teachers and parents. The reasoning behind this mathematical revolution is that there are better ways to teach math that can lead to empowerment rather than failure. YouCubed is a way for mathematics to be made enjoyable and allow students to see how math can help them in their lives. The ideas behind this project are developed by researchers and educators based on both research as well as experience. The leading lady behind this project is Jo Boaler, a Stanford University math specialist who is the driving force behind math change.

How Does it Work?

Once the YouCubed site is up and running fully, it will feature short videos that will be teaching how to build self-confidenct children who enjoy and are curious about mathematics. It plans to be able to increase understanding of the important math concepts and feature math problems used in today's innovative companies. Along with this, YouCubed will provide ideas and resources for helping children at home, not just in the school setting. Once the site is fully functional, it will be filled with games, videos, tasks, materials, and many other resources for parents and educators. Some of the resources that are shown as an example on the website so far include a full page of K-5 games, videos, as well as a few very intriguing articles written by Jo Boaler herself.

Is This a Mathematical Revolution?

Being a student who always had trouble catching up in math throughout primary and elementary school, I truly believe this is a spectacular project. I always found math to be my least favorite subject for the simple fact that I was always made to feel stupid if I didn't produce the right answer in the right amount of time. Upon researching this project, one thing that stood out to me was Jo Boaler's article Unlocking Children's Math Potential: 5 Research Results to Transform Math Learning. In this article, Boaler addresses many issues I myself struggled with as a student, such as those mentioned above. Boaler offers suggestions for these issues, saying that it is important that we do not limit students' achievement or put the focus on speed in math classrooms. Boaler argues that putting time limits on mathematics causes anxiety and stress, which I definitely believe to be true, based on my own experiences. Boaler also makes a few interesting suggestions in her article Twelve Steps to Increase Your Child's Math Achievement And Make Math Fun, such as to stay away from sharing stories of math failure, encouraging children to work on challenging problems, as well as to ensure to the students that making mistakes is okay.

My Thoughts

My initial thought before looking too much into this project was that it would be just another attempt at making math fun, without actually taking into consideration the perspective of a student. However, I was certainly wrong. Unlike many attempts I have seen from my previous math teachers to make the content more stimulating and easy to learn, I truly believe this method has potential to be a revolution in the world of mathematics. The first thing I liked about the YouCubed webpage was that it was extremely easy to navigate. Rather than having multiple pages with an extensive list of links to other pages, it was simply one webpage with all the resources, such as articles and videos, laid out for you. When I am unsure about how to do something, youtube is my go-to website, as I am a visual learner--I learn by watching others do. Because YouCubed has that element of visual learning, I believe it is a great resource for anyone who learns best this way. Because I always had less than stellar experiences with math, I do have a touch of anxiety or worry when it comes to teaching it in my own classroom one day. Even during my observation days, I try to steer clear of helping the students with their math work for fear of steering them in the wrong direction. However, with resources such as YouCubed available in such a clear and user-friendly way, I am more confident that I will have what it takes to teach mathematics one day. I am excited for YouCubed to take off and become the revolution I believe it can be.

If you haven't checked out YouCubed yet, I highly recommend having a look! :)
YouCubed

What is Mathematics?

What IS Mathematics Anyway?

January 22nd, 2014

What is math? This is a question that I can honestly say I have not thought about until now. When I questioned my own knowledge about math, I found that I truly do not know much about it at all. According to Wikipedia, "Mathematics is the abstract study of topics such as quantity (numbers) structure, space, and change. There is a range of views among mathematicians and philosophers as to the exact scope and definition of mathematics." I think there is a lot of debate about what is classified as being math. Math could be about addition and subtraction, multiplication and division, exponents, fractions, and many other elements. The list of mathematical terms and ideas is extensive, but I believe what constitutes mathematics depends on each individual's perspective.

What does it mean to do mathematics?

My understanding of what it means to do mathematics is essentially to solve a problem. In my experiences with math in both primar/elementary as well as high school, doing math consisted of an endless amount of worksheets, times table memorization, and stressful tests. At the time, and up until this point, I always thought that is what mathematics is all about. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that I am not the only one who has this assumption about math. Upon researching what math is and what it means to do mathematics, I realized that I have been doing math my entire life without ever really noticing. Doing math can be something as simple as counting money, counting calories, measuring when cooking, and even viewing weather trends. It is extraordinary when we think about how much we rely on math in our everyday lives, but most people say we never use mathematics once we graduate high school. 

If you are "thinking mathematically," what might be going on?

Before doing any research at all on this question, my initial thought was that when we think mathematically, we are using the many elements of math we learned throughout our education in order to solve a problem. The problem may be conscious or subconscious, simple or abstract. Upon thinking it through further and gathering information from the internet, I realize that thinking mathematically does not necessarily have to incorporate the traditional aspects of math such as addition or multiplication. For instance, a problem could arise where a teacher has made a grading error on your paper, but you don't know how to approach them about it. What is the right way to address the situation? How will the teacher react? Handling this type of every day situation may not seem mathematical, but in reality, it consists of weighing out opportunities and thinking about how to solve a problem.

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

January 21st, 2014

This video shows Sir Ken Robinson's inspirational TED Talk from 2006. In this video, Robinson discusses the structure of the educational system today and argues that in order for the next generation of children to thrive, inevitably some changes need to be made.

Why not the Arts?
Robinson makes an interesting point when he says that as educators, we are setting children up for an unknown future. I found this to be a particularly interesting idea. We are using education as a tool for a future that we have no concept about. How can we be sure we are steering these children in the right direction if we have no idea where the direction is leading? The future is certainly unpredictable. One part of Robinson's presentation that resonated with me was when he said that children have extraordinary capacities for innovation, and they all have talents that we squander quite ruthlessly. This statement struck a cord with me because although I am not oblivious to the fact that the opportunities for creativity in the classroom could and should be increased, I hadn't thought of it as squandering a child's talent until viewing this video. Obviously, a major way for a child to embrace their talents is through creative opportunities. Robinson states that creativity is equally as important in education as literacy and therefore we should treat it with the same status. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Another part of Robinson's presentation that I found strange was the fact that he said the education hierarchy all over the world is the same--mathematics and language on top, and the arts on the bottom. Although I knew this was the case in Canada, I hadn't given much thought to how the education system is structured in other parts of the world. I find it interesting, and quite sad really, that other countries' educational systems are not much better.

What is Wrong, Really?
One part of Robinson's presentation that really hit the nail on the head, so to speak, is when he spoke about making mistakes and being wrong. As Robinson said, the great thing about children is that they are not afraid of being wrong. Unfortunately, in the education system, being wrong and making a mistake is looked down upon and is essentially the worst thing you can do. What this does to children is instills fear in them, making them believe that it is better not to make a guess or think abstractly for fear of being wrong. This, to me, is a complete shame. As Robinson stated, "If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll never come up with anything original." Unfortunately, what is happening is that we are essentially educating children out of their creativity. Another thing I found interesting was the story about a young girl who couldn't sit still and was told she had something wrong with her, perhaps ADHD, but in reality she was the type of person who did her best thinking when she was dancing. This girl turned out to be very successful because fortunately someone discovered her talent and allowed her to embrace it, while someone else may have "given her medicine and told her to calm down." This is absolutely eye-opening for me, as I now wonder how many children out there are misdiagnosed or misunderstood for the same reason this little girl was, when really the only thing they need is to be able to embrace their talent rather than have it squandered.

Why Teach It?
I believe this is an important video for us, as future educators to see. Robinson makes a lot of valid points concerning creativity and the educational system. It is important for us to begin to question ways we can incorporate creativity into our classroom through mathematics, as well as other subject areas. We have to find ways to cherish our childrens' talents, embrace them, and build on them. As educators, we may not be able to change the educational hierarchy, but we can make a difference. 

"All children are born artists, the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up. I believe this passionately that we don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it...or rather we get educated out of it...Our task is to educate their whole being so they can face this future. By the way, we may not see this future, but they will. And our job is to help them make something of it." -Ken Robinson

Math Autobiography

Math Autobiography

January 15th, 2014

Throughout my years in primary and elementary school, there was not much excitement surrounding mathematics in the classroom. Math in my classroom looked extremely dull, consisting of the teacher standing at the blackboard, writing numbers on the board without explanation while us students sat at our desks with our textbooks open. There were never any introductory activities or group tasks, it was always simply "open your text books to page...and complete numbers..." When we were asked to place ourselves on a spectrum from 1-10 regarding how we feel about math I was standing at about a 3. The reason for this is simply because I never had the opportunity to get excited about math. For me, math was always about copying numbers from a text book to an exercise book and working through the equations to find an answer. We were never given the chance to use math in a more abstract way or the chance to apply it to real-life situations.

Mathematical Memories
I truly do not have any good memories surrounding mathematics in my primary and elementary years. The first time I started to enjoy math was when I began my final year in high school. I honestly believe that part of the reason for this is that the teachers I had were not enthusiastic about math, and it certainly showed in the way they taught mathematics. I did have one very bad experience with math in grade six, when after struggling for half the year to keep my grades up, I spent two weeks studying as much as I could for the last test, which was the only form of assessment we ever had in mathematics. As usual, I found the test very hard, but I truly thought I knew enough to come out of it with a passing grade. As I approached the teacher's desk to hand it in, he smugly grinned at me and said, "I don't think there's any need to even look at that, do you? Considering your marks have been 60% the whole year I don't expect them to change now." To me, it seemed like all the hard work I had put into studying for this test, whether I passed or not, was useless.

 This experience definitely affected the way I looked at mathematics throughout junior high and most of my time in senior high, until I fell into a classroom where the teacher was extremely passionate about math and truly knew how to engage her students. We learned math through discussions, applying theories and ideas to true-to-life events, and using a SMART board for interactive learning. I went on to take two introductory math courses in university and actually flourished in my class for the first time. Again, I believe this was because the teacher had an interest in math and knew how to engage the class in discussions. After these two introductory courses, however, I did not take any other math courses. 

How I Use Math
I wouldn't really say that I have used mathematics in obviously major ways in my life, but it is definitely essential to have an understanding of math. There are certain aspects of math, such as simple addition, subtraction, multiplication and division which are essential in day to day life. For instance, we need math to be able to distinguish between time, schedules, and even something as simple as counting calories. Mind you, I haven't found a use for the Pythagorean Theorem in my everyday life just yet...maybe someday. 

My Current Mathematical Relationship

As of right now, I am on a need to know basis with mathematics. I believe that my past experiences, especially in the younger grades, has left a sour taste in my mouth that isn't easily replaced. I truly hope this can change, as I would hate for my students to some day come out of my class with a bad experience like I did. I hope to be able to be enthused about math so that in turn, my students are enthused and eager to learn. I want my students to be able to stand in a university classroom, placing themselves at a 10 rather than a 3 on the spectrum. I wish to be able to learn from my own teachers' mistakes and be the teacher they never were.

Welcome

Hey all! 

Welcome to my blog! :) 

I have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm trying my best to navigate this page. Forgive my obvious inability to use technology.

I'm Hilary and I am currently in my second semester of my professional year in the education faculty. I am thoroughly enjoying working with my wonderful classmates and taking this journey with each one of them. I have made the decision to do my internship at Harlow in England next fall, and I have decided to pursue a degree in special education :) Other than that, there is nothing interesting about me. 

I hope this blog will allow me to express my thoughts and ideas about mathematics and education freely, and hopefully allow me to become comfortable with the idea of teaching math in my future.