Fun with Math

This is how I do math with my four-year-old son.

I lie down on my back.
My son climbs onto me.
He stands on my hands,
my elbows are on the ground--
balance!

"What's 0 + 1?" I ask.
"One," he answers.
I lift him up a notch.

"What's 1 + 1?" I ask.
"Two," he smiles.
I raise my arms another bit.

"What's 2 + 1?" I ask.
"Three," he giggles.
I lift him a little higher.
He whoops.

"What's 3 + 1?" I ask.
"Four!" he shouts.
"Quite," I caution,
"or we won't make it to ten."
He settles.

"What's 4 + 1?" I ask.
"Five."
He's concentrating now.
"5 + 1? 6 + 1?"
He wobbles a little
as I lift him incrementally.

By the time we get to "9 + 1?"
I'm getting a good workout
and he's at the top:
"Ten!" he shouts.
Any minute now
he's going to start dancing up there.

"One more," I say. "Are you ready?"
The bonus question is:
"What's 10 + 1?"
At "Eleven"
I let him fall backwards
and he does a neat little
sommersault dismount.

Math is fun!!

Cool Math site

I thought this was applicable for all those people out there like me who said (in a whinny voice)
"Where am I EVER going to use this???"

http://www.youcandomaths.com.au/

The video is ... well... just awesome!

About Rubrics

I found this website good for getting a larger view of "rubrics" and their use in education:
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/ALPS/thinking/docs/rubricar.htm

BC Principles of Learning

- learning requires the active participation of the student
- people learn in a variety of ways and at different rates
- learning is both an individual and a group process

from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/resourcedocs/k12educationplan/k12program/k12prog_02.htm

I "heart" Math

I never thought I would say that (and the results of my test may not reflect that - sorry I missed class!) but I took "Math for Elementary Teachers" this summer and had an amazing experience. Finally there was someone who made it make sense - not in getting a particular answer, but in how to approach Math. I had Sarada Herke as an instructor and the "lightbulb moment" for me was in how she got us to see Math as a "language" and not just a bunch of number/digits. She would often "translate" math into english and for someone who used to think "I'm not good at Math" this was something to which I could relate. I may not "get it" right away, but now there was a path to getting there. My math learning in school was very much rote so when trying to help my son in the past it was like I was trying to search the databank back there in my memory rather than understanding how it works/how to translate it. By the end of the class (3 weeks was too short for me!), I wanted to proudly wear an I "heart" Math t-shirt even if I only got a c+ - the enthusiasm for "getting there" was firmly planted and hopefully I'll be able to instill that in my future students!

Math...eeeeeek!

Hello,

Ok...so I'm maybe a little let on getting on here, but better late than never!

Math has always been a subject that I have dreaded ever since day one. I am very much of a visual learner and I guess the approaches taken by my teachers when I went through middle school did not involve much visual learning. Much of the exercises where a set of questions on a page that we had to solve with the right answer (of which there was only one) and get to that answer with the right process (of which there was only one)! As I got older, my grades in Math continued to plumbet, and this is not because I wasn't a good student. I received A's throughout middle school and high school in all subjects, but Math. As I mentionned in class, I was taught that there was only one answer and one way of getting there. All this changed for me when I found out that I was required to take two intro Math classes in university in order to meet the requirements of the PDP program. Well, needless to say: I was terrified! Would you believe me if I told you that I passed both classes with an A+ and and A. I know, I know...it seems a little ridiculous coming from someone that received a mercy pass in her grade 12 Math class in order to graduate, but it's true. I was put in a class with an instructor that took a completely different approach to teaching the subject. All of a sudden there was more than one good answer, more than one way of getting there and when I asked if I was right on something she would ask me things like, "What do you think?" The nerve of this women!! What a difference it made though, I then, for the first time, felt confident in what I was doing and felt good about my abilities in Math. Do I dare say it...I think I might have actually liked Math!!

Been given the opportunity to reflect on my own work and given guidance on other possibilities opened my eyes to the potential that I had in this subject. If it wasn't for this professor I think that I would have probably enter this class with the same attitude I have always entered Math classes with, that being annoyed, frustrated, and bored. I am happy to say today that Math is now one of my favorite subjects and is one that I have indicated that I would like to teach to middle school children with the goal of making them feel like they can acheive too!

I look forward to learning new teaching technics and learning processes that I can utilize and pass on in order to acheive that goal.

Problem Solving

I thoroughly enjoyed reading both Aimee's blog and Kelly's. Both talk about engagement and ultimately problem solving as opposed to rote memorization. Has anyone heard of the term....."Rote Learning" Tell me what that means please, somebody, anybody!!!!!!!!!
This is a good time to mention and talk about the very important BC Principles of Learning......has anyone stumbled across them.....if not, try to stumble and find them.....very important.....often on interview questions by principles....should know them before going into the schools!!!!!!!!!