Fractions, Integers, What’s Next???
Well, another couple weeks into 8P29 and more math information has been flowing. The last couple of sections focused on fractions, decimals, and integers—more number sense and numeration. I was interested in the different tools and manipulatives we can use to teach and represent fractions. Candy and chocolate is a good tool but can be messy for younger grades so it would definitely need to be considered carefully and thoroughly. I also ran my learning activity during one of the sessions. Completing this task was fun but a bit challenging. I wanted to create an activity that was engaging and fun but also very connected to the curriculum. It was very helpful using our textbook—Making Math Meaningful—to help spark ideas for an actual activity. There were so many sample activities discussed throughout the chapter for fractions and decimals, and even ones that you could implement both concepts into one activity. This I thought was very important because in math a lot of concepts are interconnected and it is important for students to understand that and be able to recognize how they work together. I was also very nervous to run an activity in front of my peers. I was anxious about if they were going to enjoy the activity, if it was enjoyable, and if they would consider using my activity in their own classroom. Overall, I think it went pretty well.
We also had our problem-solving activity to complete. This was a very interesting activity, and it was very fun to actually observe my volunteers completing their math questions. I really felt like I was in teacher mode. I appreciated that we were asked to complete our questions two different ways which helped reinforce that math is complex and there are always multiple strategies to finding the solution. Especially with math, students can think differently and strategize very differently. It is also important for us to teach students that they can arrive at the right answer in multiple ways, and it is okay to use a variety of those techniques to come to the correct solution. Although I was quite nervous to complete the questions since it has been quite a while since I have done any related math to EQAO, it was refreshing and not as scary as I expected. I also felt like it got my brain working in math mode for the rest of this course.
Fractions and Integers can sometimes be a difficult concept for students to fully grasp. I think providing them with games could be a helpful tool for leading students to a better understanding. Pizza Pandas is a good example of a fraction game that uses both visuals and competition for students to review fractions. Grade or No Grade is also a good game for multiplying and dividing integers for the intermediate section. Thinking of my own experience with these mathematical concepts, I would have greatly appreciated having a game as a way to practice and reinforce the concepts. I believe any tool we can give students to help them, whether it is a lot or a little, is beneficial. A YouTube channel called Math Antics provides tons of videos explaining different math concepts. Sometimes it can be beneficial to hear a lesson or concept from someone else in a different way, aside from your teacher. I have linked here a video from them on integers. Thanks!
Sources Viewed: Making Math Meaningful Chapters 12, 13 & 15
YouTube Channel: Math Antics
We also had our problem-solving activity to complete. This was a very interesting activity, and it was very fun to actually observe my volunteers completing their math questions. I really felt like I was in teacher mode. I appreciated that we were asked to complete our questions two different ways which helped reinforce that math is complex and there are always multiple strategies to finding the solution. Especially with math, students can think differently and strategize very differently. It is also important for us to teach students that they can arrive at the right answer in multiple ways, and it is okay to use a variety of those techniques to come to the correct solution. Although I was quite nervous to complete the questions since it has been quite a while since I have done any related math to EQAO, it was refreshing and not as scary as I expected. I also felt like it got my brain working in math mode for the rest of this course.
Fractions and Integers can sometimes be a difficult concept for students to fully grasp. I think providing them with games could be a helpful tool for leading students to a better understanding. Pizza Pandas is a good example of a fraction game that uses both visuals and competition for students to review fractions. Grade or No Grade is also a good game for multiplying and dividing integers for the intermediate section. Thinking of my own experience with these mathematical concepts, I would have greatly appreciated having a game as a way to practice and reinforce the concepts. I believe any tool we can give students to help them, whether it is a lot or a little, is beneficial. A YouTube channel called Math Antics provides tons of videos explaining different math concepts. Sometimes it can be beneficial to hear a lesson or concept from someone else in a different way, aside from your teacher. I have linked here a video from them on integers. Thanks!
Sources Viewed: Making Math Meaningful Chapters 12, 13 & 15
YouTube Channel: Math Antics
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