I know many people who grow up hating math simply because think
they do not understand it—they have given up and because they gave up at such a
young age, it is ingrained in their head that math is difficult and that they
will never understand it. We know that there is a need to express math in a
more concrete manner where students can visualize and connect the steps of
problems one at a time. They need help retaining the steps and understanding
the concepts to move on. I strive to become a mathematics teacher to change the
way mathematics is taught and perceived.
It has become easier to teach and learn with new technologies like
the Smartboard, online programs, and Geometer’s Sketchpad, where students get a
clear-cut visual of the processes they must take to accurately work out these
math problems. According to the article, "The students have better and sounder knowledge of the concepts of mathematics. The animations are so powerful; bisecting an angle becomes a really visual experience." Math has become more fun and innovative because
student’s are able to experiment and explore with these technologies.
Teachers are given power. This power will open the mind of our
students and change their “math is hard” mindset to “math is fun.” We must make
good use of what is available to us and our students.
I think an important aspect to math comprehension, more than making it tangible, is giving it purpose. More times than not a student decides math is a pointless subject because they can't find any use for it in the real world. I failed an intro math course I had to fulfill, and in the semester I retook it I also took Development of Math for my GenEd. It was a conflicting semester because every tuesday morning I had Development of Math and learned so much about the uses of math. I really began to enjoy math and its real world use. But then on tuesday nights I'd go to my intro math class, and I'd hate it. Math theory is something that I find extremely interesting, but the application of math is something I just don't have the head for. But, this is also happening to me after 22 years of living and after finishing mandatory high school classes. I think if I had a development of math class in middle school and learned more about the purposes of math sooner, I definitely could have gotten more into it, and maybe would have enjoyed it. Will making math fun make it enjoyable? Sure, but once students are at home doing work or taking a test and they aren't using smart boards or interactive learning guides, they may find themselves frustrated and begin to not care because they just don't see the purpose. Both aspects of math really has to be addressed.
ReplyDeleteAgain you make a great point, Greg.
DeleteBecause the purpose of math isn't addressed at a young age, students do not know why they are doing certain processes or learning certain theorems. I an understand how it can be frustrating to a child who is being demanded work that he cannot understand or apply in the world around him. Finding the way to bridge that gap in every math class is a difficult thing to do and mathematical proofs absolutely do not cut it. Also you are correct in saying that the students enjoy their time in school with the interactive smartboard but cannot take it home and will get frustrated when they can no longer visualize what they learned in the classroom. What can we do about that? Well, we can provide manipulatives for them to take home and learn with and that provides some variety of objects used to teach a lesson. These are especially good to use in a geometry class.
Ariel,
ReplyDeleteYour opening points remind me very much of our READ 411 class. Allow me to quote you, "they have given up and because they gave up at such a young age, it is ingrained in their head that math is difficult and that they will never understand it." We are learning so much about dependent reading behaviors in that class and I think you nailed one of the reasons why people hate reading, they convinced themselves at a young age that reading is hard and that they can't do it, especially when comparing themselves to more independent readers. This appears to go hand in hand with math and pretty much any other content area.
Great connection, Kevin.
DeleteBeing able to admit that one does not like something at a young age without really trying to find a purpose is one of the main characteristics that define a dependent reading behavior. I can put myself in that situation and tell you why I do not really like reading is because at a young age, I convinced myself that I hated it. I refused to give reading a chance and therefore was never enthusiastic about it. I was not exposed to stories that I found interesting and therefore found no purpose in the stories that I was forced to read.
Ariel,
ReplyDeleteI really liked your post and I have to say I can relate similar stories to English. All too often, I hear students saying they don't like to read and that's why they hate their English class. My goal as a teacher is to change those feelings and present literature and grammar in a way that is fun and exciting. Incorporating technology into our lessons will allow us to do that. You are right when you wrote that teachers have the power. Good luck making math fun!