Personally it felt great to learn that so many other people had the same experiences with math that I had as a student. I hated math, was bad at it and was afraid of it. I got through school with the help of a math tutor. I don't think I really understood place value until I took a graduate class on teaching math to elementary students and while reading the text book had an Eureka! moment. As an adult I am better at it and much less afraid, but still carry some anxiety with me.
I did the mindmap but don't see how to attach it here...
I also struggled with Maths at school and never really understood why I had to calculate logarithms and quadratic equations. To me it was just following a formula to get an answer that I then had no idea if it was right or wrong.
So thinking about maths and how we can make it relevant and engaging for children is something I am very conscious of and try to bring in examples of maths applications in real life or use real life examples/children's questions to stimulate inquiry.
Making the PYP Happen states that PYP schools ensure that the learning is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant.
In the reading 'A Mathematics Lament' by Paul Lockhart, he states 'The saddest part of all this "reform" are the attempts to "make math interesting" and "relevant to kids' lives." You don't need to make math interesting - it's already more interesting than we can handle! And the glory of it is its complete irrelevance to our lives. That's why it's so fun!'
Should we be aiming to make maths relevant? Should our focus be on encouraging students to play with maths for enjoyment, whether it's useful/relevant or not? How do the themes of relevance and enjoyment come together in our classrooms?
A key message concerns mathematical identity. Our relationship with mathematics is formed by the cultural context in which we are active. The stereotypes based on race, gender or even character type (i.e language strengths vs mathematical strengths) can determine how we identify with mathematics and becomes embedded in what makes us who we are. How we see ourselves as mathematical beings, then further determines the extent in which we engage with mathematics and our confidence to do so.
Society and culture also determines how mathematics is taught and learned in schools. The way a culture sees and teaches maths is also based upon its identity with maths. This can been recognised today in stereotypes such as: all Chinese are good at maths! Additionally, the curriculum and pedagogy around the teaching and learning of maths is determined by the social values and norms of a particular culture. The way maths is taught, thus further enhances a particular identity. Lockhart outlines this very clearly in his article, which outlines just how narrow and limiting the "Western" understanding of maths may be. By looking at maths from a broader and more diverse perspective, we may be able to change our understanding of what mathematics teaching and learning could be. We are challenged to find a new and more creative identity for maths teaching as well as create a new identity for ourselves as being mathematical minded.
I was considered "good at math" in school, however, when I look back at why I was good at it, it is only because I could follow the steps taught to solve math problems. I never really understood what I would actually use much of the math for and therefore, I really forgot much of the math I learned. In my reflection for the course I said that "I learned" that teachers need to make sure that they are in no way stereotyping children as being a group that is good or bad at maths, when actually this is common sense to me. In my limited experience as a teacher, but my extensive life experience, I haven't found any stereotypical groups that are good or bad at maths. What I hope to improve on this year is ensuring that I am actively engaging children in meaningful and relevant problem solving so they are interested in the learning, ie. real life situations. Presenting children with open-ended questions that can be solved in different ways and may even have more than 1 answer. I'm sure we all know that maths is not just about memorising facts and solving equations. However, if you are able to show children how knowing certain facts can help them to solve relevant problems more efficiently, they may feel better about memorising certain facts such as number bonds or times tables. This should in no way be the focus though, and children should never be made to feel "stupid" for any reason, especially not because they haven't memorised maths facts! I feel we have the perfect opportunity in our school to engage children in collaborative thinking and learning, and that our learner profile attitudes reinforce the points made in these sessions about having a growth mindset and I am grateful for that.
The information from this session is changing my thinking about my own abilities and my students abilities in mathematics. As a student, I had a fixed mindset. I did not think I was good at math and, more importantly, I didn't think I could get better at math. Maybe it's because my family didn't have the "math gene" or the scarring experience that was sixth grade math.
I realize that these types of anxieties, fears, and mindsets start at an early age and could be affecting even our EY students. I have become more cognizant of changing my interactions with students to reflect and support a healthy growth mindset for all students. If we want to change the way children see themselves as learners, I think we need to change the way we praise and interact with them. Praise should be focused on students’ journey as learners, not the completion of an activity. As Jo Boaler stated in session 2, if students are in a culture that thinks they can do well, they will. -Louisa
I was constantly asking why are we learning this? When will we ever use this in the "real world?".
As a teacher I have learnt the importance of making maths real and relevant to a child's life. Also taking small steps and ensuring children are confident with the strategies they are using to solve problems. Taking the fear out of maths and making it an enjoyable experience/challenge for all children is an aim for me as a teacher.
Personally it felt great to learn that so many other people had the same experiences with math that I had as a student. I hated math, was bad at it and was afraid of it. I got through school with the help of a math tutor. I don't think I really understood place value until I took a graduate class on teaching math to elementary students and while reading the text book had an Eureka! moment. As an adult I am better at it and much less afraid, but still carry some anxiety with me.
ReplyDeleteI did the mindmap but don't see how to attach it here...
I've created a new blog post so I could add in a diagram. I'm happy to delete it and copy the text here as a comment instead if wanted.
ReplyDeleteI also struggled with Maths at school and never really understood why I had to calculate logarithms and quadratic equations. To me it was just following a formula to get an answer that I then had no idea if it was right or wrong.
ReplyDeleteSo thinking about maths and how we can make it relevant and engaging for children is something I am very conscious of and try to bring in examples of maths applications in real life or use real life examples/children's questions to stimulate inquiry.
Looking forward to the next session.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteMaking the PYP Happen states that PYP schools ensure that the learning is engaging, relevant, challenging and significant.
ReplyDeleteIn the reading 'A Mathematics Lament' by Paul Lockhart, he states 'The saddest part of all this "reform" are the attempts to "make math interesting" and "relevant to kids' lives." You don't need to make math interesting - it's already more interesting than we can handle! And the glory of it is its complete irrelevance to our lives. That's why it's so fun!'
Should we be aiming to make maths relevant? Should our focus be on encouraging students to play with maths for enjoyment, whether it's useful/relevant or not? How do the themes of relevance and enjoyment come together in our classrooms?
A key message concerns mathematical identity. Our relationship with mathematics is formed by the cultural context in which we are active. The stereotypes based on race, gender or even character type (i.e language strengths vs mathematical strengths) can determine how we identify with mathematics and becomes embedded in what makes us who we are. How we see ourselves as mathematical beings, then further determines the extent in which we engage with mathematics and our confidence to do so.
ReplyDeleteSociety and culture also determines how mathematics is taught and learned in schools. The way a culture sees and teaches maths is also based upon its identity with maths. This can been recognised today in stereotypes such as: all Chinese are good at maths! Additionally, the curriculum and pedagogy around the teaching and learning of maths is determined by the social values and norms of a particular culture. The way maths is taught, thus further enhances a particular identity. Lockhart outlines this very clearly in his article, which outlines just how narrow and limiting the "Western" understanding of maths may be. By looking at maths from a broader and more diverse perspective, we may be able to change our understanding of what mathematics teaching and learning could be. We are challenged to find a new and more creative identity for maths teaching as well as create a new identity for ourselves as being mathematical minded.
I was considered "good at math" in school, however, when I look back at why I was good at it, it is only because I could follow the steps taught to solve math problems. I never really understood what I would actually use much of the math for and therefore, I really forgot much of the math I learned. In my reflection for the course I said that "I learned" that teachers need to make sure that they are in no way stereotyping children as being a group that is good or bad at maths, when actually this is common sense to me. In my limited experience as a teacher, but my extensive life experience, I haven't found any stereotypical groups that are good or bad at maths. What I hope to improve on this year is ensuring that I am actively engaging children in meaningful and relevant problem solving so they are interested in the learning, ie. real life situations. Presenting children with open-ended questions that can be solved in different ways and may even have more than 1 answer. I'm sure we all know that maths is not just about memorising facts and solving equations. However, if you are able to show children how knowing certain facts can help them to solve relevant problems more efficiently, they may feel better about memorising certain facts such as number bonds or times tables. This should in no way be the focus though, and children should never be made to feel "stupid" for any reason, especially not because they haven't memorised maths facts! I feel we have the perfect opportunity in our school to engage children in collaborative thinking and learning, and that our learner profile attitudes reinforce the points made in these sessions about having a growth mindset and I am grateful for that.
ReplyDeleteThe information from this session is changing my thinking about my own abilities and my students abilities in mathematics. As a student, I had a fixed mindset. I did not think I was good at math and, more importantly, I didn't think I could get better at math. Maybe it's because my family didn't have the "math gene" or the scarring experience that was sixth grade math.
ReplyDeleteI realize that these types of anxieties, fears, and mindsets start at an early age and could be affecting even our EY students. I have become more cognizant of changing my interactions with students to reflect and support a healthy growth mindset for all students. If we want to change the way children see themselves as learners, I think we need to change the way we praise and interact with them. Praise should be focused on students’ journey as learners, not the completion of an activity. As Jo Boaler stated in session 2, if students are in a culture that thinks they can do well, they will.
-Louisa
I was constantly asking why are we learning this? When will we ever use this in the "real world?".
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher I have learnt the importance of making maths real and relevant to a child's life. Also taking small steps and ensuring children are confident with the strategies they are using to solve problems. Taking the fear out of maths and making it an enjoyable experience/challenge for all children is an aim for me as a teacher.