tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4746027850336066537.post4551023067591461328..comments2024-03-21T03:54:48.886-04:00Comments on The Elementary Math Maniac: Jelly Bean MathThe Math Maniachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06177173988483052908noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4746027850336066537.post-62815314164771464812016-05-01T22:34:04.669-04:002016-05-01T22:34:04.669-04:00I like how this blog discusses the importance of n...I like how this blog discusses the importance of not teaching students the standard algorithm right away when learning different operations. This is important because it will help students understand place value much better if they are not taught the standard algorithm. I think this is apparent when students that I have worked with are able to solve problems more quickly in their heads than I can. One reason that teaching the standard algorithms is not helpful for students is that they think about the numbers in the problem without realizing their place value. For instance, in the problem 54+ 25, I would think of it as adding 4 plus 5 to get 9 and then 5 plus 2 to get 7 for an answer of 79. However, when students are using strategies they see 50 plus 20 because they understand the place value. One teaching strategy that should be used daily in a math classroom to help students learn new strategies and help build a positive classroom community is to use number talks. During number talks, the teacher writes a problem on the board, and the students solve the problem in their heads. The students show that they have an answer by putting their hands on their chests. The teacher will call on a student to share their answer and then see if anyone else got a different answer. Often if a student has a wrong answer, they will quickly realize that they did the problem wrong, and it will be empowering to the student to correct their mistake. Then students will share how they solved the problem until no one used any different strategies. This is helpful for students because they are all learning new ways to solve problems. All students need to have more than one way to solve problems because not all problems will work as well with all strategies. It is important for teachers to remember that students are not wrong if they solve a problem differently than you taught the problem or differently than you would solve the problem. <br />I also enjoy how this blog discussed how we believe that the ability to do math in innate. This is an important barrier for teachers to tear down because students need to know that everyone is able to do math. It is also important that teachers use praise that supports growth mindsets and not fixed mindsets. Jo Boaler, a professor from Stanford, has done a lot of research on growth and fixed mindsets. She believes that teachers need to praise students for their effort instead of saying that they are smart when they get a problem correct. She believes that teachers need to send the message to students that everyone can do it. She also says that mistakes make our brains grow. How wonderful would it be for teachers to say to students that their brains are growing when they make a mistake instead of getting frustrated that the student did not get the problem correct? Jo Boaler also points out that we must get passed the stereotype that boys are better at math because it leads to missed opportunities for girls in math. <br />The fraction math lesson was also really helpful for students because the students were not taught the standard algorithm. They also got to experience fractions in an engaging and hands-on way which is fun for the students. The teacher would easily be able to pre-assess what students knew before starting a fraction unit with these stations. This activity also helped students overcome some of the common misconceptions with fractions such as, that fractions with a bigger denominator are bigger. The students also noticed that the fractions changed sizes when the whole changed which is a big concept for students to learn when using fractions. <br /><br /> <br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com