Final Post

My Vision of math in the classroom:

In the classroom, I imagine students will have a combination of hands-on exploratory lessons as well as the more "boring" and rote lessons used mainly for assessment and practice. By hands on, I mean lessons and activities the students can explore that are open ended but carefully designed to yield specific outcomes around a particular math topic or concept. I do believe worksheets are important and there is some value in children having the opportunity to practice the method of the concept they are learning (i.e. addition and subtraction worksheets). However, in my classroom I hope to use the more hands on activities to teach a concept and allow the children to fully understand different points of the same concept (build a foundation) and then use the worksheets to solidify their knowledge.

The Role of Math Instruction

Unfortunately, I expect that due to the emphasis on literacy in the classroom, other subjects may not have the time that is really needed to fully flesh out a concept. However, as I talked about above, in my classroom I would like to use interactive and open ended teaching when first beginning a lesson or concept. Giving the children materials to explore, allowing them time to ask questions with each other and the teacher, and also posing questions to guide their exploration. By using this interaction, the children will not only be more attentive and interested in what they are learning, but I also believe they will have a more in-depth understanding of the concept. After the children have had the chance to explore and complete a variety of high level tasks, I would use first assess using anecdotes taken during the interactive lessons. What kinds of things are the children saying? What vocabulary are they using? Are they on task? Where did they need support or guidance? Were their explorations leading them to the same conclusions I expected? I will then use my observations to adjust my teaching and further assessment. Children would have worksheets or assignments that emphasized the strategy they were learning. This allows the children to become familiar and comfortable with  directly answering questions related to a specific concept as well as becoming comfortable completing mathematical formulas and algorithms. At the end of a unit, I would try to do a combination assessment of written "worksheets" to assess their ability to complete a formula (27-18=?) and also higher level tasks. This combination will allow me to assess if they understand the general concept (higher level task) and if they are able to use their understanding and apply it to formulas (worksheets).

Final Post

I apologize for this being late, I could not find the password to the email I had linked to the blog post.

In my classroom I want to incorporate small math tasks into different times during the day. I want to show my students that math is important and is used in everything. From how we do lunch roll call to time. Math is a part of it and I think when I can give them connections to the real world, in hopes for them to strive in understanding math. I want a lot of hands on tasks where the students can visually see the mathematics happening.   I think that helps me out when doing math and it believe that by giving them visuals as one way to learn is so important. One main day that I am ecstatic for is the hundredth day of school. I want my students to be as excited as I am about it and that day will be packed with so much math! Counting, addition, multiplication, subtraction anything that can get us to one hundred! 

If I get students in higher grades I want to create larger math tasks in practical math skills that they will need in the real world, things like writing checks, adding up the amount of things they are buying, planning with numbers. I think that all students need to know the practical math skills they need, but along with that, there is and can be more pushed and worked through.I want to work and create larger math tasks by using new technology as well. If I could get the students engaged in math through iPads, smartboards, and computer games, I don’t see any reason why I cannot make these games challenge the students to think deeper. I want my students to see math realistically and understand why they need it.

Last post Casey Droste

I really feel that math is an important subject and should be integrated throughout the school year.  I think that most schools share this view and it is not too hard to fight for a strong math curriculum.  I think that I want to see ways in incorporate math throughout the day in other subject areas as well.  Math instruction at the lower level needs to be strong and create a very good base for students to build on.  I currently work with 6th graders who have problems doing 4 x 3 and 8-5 without using their fingers or writing it out.  I think it is important to make math class more than just a boring routine, I want my students to enjoy this learning and come to see why it is important for them to know and work hard to understand the math concepts we cover.

Although I hate on my worksheet driven class a lot I still think that worksheets can be a helpful tool for math instruction I just think it will be important to make sure they are demanding high level thinking.  I think class activities that do not feel like work will help students to see the fun in math and learn without realizing it.  For example setting up a mock grocery store and have students calculate their basket or how much change they will need is fun, practical, and a great way to learn.  I plan to be in lower elementary but I think that there are still ways to make upper elementary math fun as well.  I think that creating a classroom with an open learning environment that can help students with all different learning styles and allows for mistakes as well as self correction and peer help is something I hope to have.

Final Post!! :)

“Based on the vision you elaborated last week, what role will math instruction play in your classroom and why?  Specifically, what are the mathematical instructional techniques or methods that fit with your vision?  Be as specific as possible.  These can include assessment, planning, or interactive teaching.” 
            Based on my vision that I talked about last week, I really want math to play a role where students have a chance to explore math. I think this really means finding higher level tasks and planning in advanced specific numbers to use. Even if I have a specific curriculum that I am expected to cover, I will tweak some of the worksheets and problems, in order to give make the tasks more meaningful. This may require more time on my part, in either selecting numbers that fulfill the idea that I am trying to get across that day, or by developing tasks into higher level tasks.
             Besides choosing worthwhile numbers and making the tasks higher level for the students to explore, I want to use the CGI method with my class! I don't want to be the teacher that models on the overhead and tells the students to copy down what she did and to do it that way, and only that way. I want to create an environment where students explore what works best for them and where there isn't just one way to solve a problem or task. This might require me to give up some of my control to the students, but I am okay with that. I think in the long run, students will get more excited to try to find ways to solve the tasks that they are given. Although I know I will need to balance this method with also explicitly teaching when necessary, I think it can be done.
              I also mentioned in my vision that I want math to be enjoyable and for the teaching to be interactive. I think that this means more than coming up with fun games or being the most creative. With some of the tasks we did in 402, they weren't anything fancy, yet it was fun trying to figure out how to solve them. I really think by planning math tasks that your students can get excited about, whether you focus it on some of the interests of your students, or plan a task that gets students out of their seats and moving around, it will be much more beneficial than when they are stuck at their seats feeling bored or lost. My goal really is to make my math instruction well rounded in my class. Although worksheets are sometime avoidable, the numbers I use in these worksheets can make all the difference to the students learning. At the same time, however, I will strive to sprinkle in tasks that are more hands on for students, so that variation is there. I am really excited to continue to learn about what types of math instruction work well in the classroom, so that I can add even more to what I want math to look like in my future class!

LAST BLOG!!!! yaho0o0o0o

In my last blog post, I stated that I wanted to provide my students with authentic examples in my mathematics instruction.  I propose that, when students are given a purpose to the work they are doing/foresee a real-world reasoning for the work, they will become extremely motivated to complete their assignments and thus, learn.  With that said, I plan to challenge their ideals by requiring critical thinking when working on math tasks.  For example, even when the students are doing the necessary paper and pencil problems requiring them to solve addition, subtraction, multiplication or division problems, I will ask them to write a situation in their life when they have (or think they will) use(d) this sort of problem to come about a solution. Sometimes students become discouraged because they feel like math is so limiting and boring, but when I will require my students to go above and beyond the black and white solutions to problems, and apply these processes to their lives outside of school, they hopefully will discover that math is interesting and fun!

Another concept I mentioned in my last blog post was that I will strive to string together math with all my other subjects/lessons of the day.  The ideals above are perfect examples of this plan; my students' linguistic abilities can be assessed at the same time as their mathematics (two birds with one stone, eh?).  In order to make certain students are following this procedures I described in the last paragraph, I will assess their work in two parts. For instance, if students only answer the math problems, but do not complete the writing and critical thinking portion of the assignment, they will receive half-credit until the latter portion is finished.  Not only will this inspire critical thought and assess two subject areas at the same time, it will also minimize cheating.  No longer will students be able to copy each others' homework; they must create their own, complete responses. ((They may hate me at the time...but thank me later...?))

Lastly, in my previous post, I mentioned that I wanted my students to be 'great students', meaning they assess their own accomplishments and are aware of their strengths and areas in which they need to improve.  I think this will require open communication between each student and me, so end of the week reflections will become a major component of my teaching.  In addition, I would like mathematics to be interactive in ways that allow students to work in groups/with partners.  I will most likely create a lot of math 'challenges' in which students are split-up into teams and compete with one another.  I think this will make learning math 'fun' because most kids get rather excited when there is a competition.

Final Blog Post 4/23/13

The role that math will play in my classroom will be a daily one. I think that math is very important and after being placed in a fourth grade classroom where a majority of the students still don't know their multiplication facts towards the end of the year, I am motivated to incorporate it into my classroom as a large role, especially because I plan on teaching lower elementary.

It is difficult to say specifically what methods and instructional techniques I plan to use, especially because I do not feel that I am educated enough in this area to know right now. There are a few methods that I've learned about and seen in the classroom, but I think my own will develop with time. In my previous blog, I mentioned that I am interested in interactive teaching and integrating technology into my lessons. As of right now my vision of planning and assessing math include a SMART Board. 

Through this past year I have learned so much about how to integrate technology into the classroom, especially through CEP 416, and have learned that you can use the SMART Board to your advantage to teach any subject. Lessons can be easily planned and taught using the Board, and assessments, individual or group, can be done using the Board as well. Now this is my vision for my perfect future classroom, but I can't be sure of what resources will be available to me throughout my first few years of teaching. If I do not have access to these resources, I still plan on teaching interactively. 

Final Blog Post

“Based on the vision you elaborated last week, what role will math instruction play in your classroom and why?  Specifically, what are the mathematical instructional techniques or methods that fit with your vision?  Be as specific as possible.  These can include assessment, planning, or interactive teaching.” 

Math instruction will be a key component during my day-to-day  instruction.  I think it will be important to integrate math as much as possible on a daily basis. For me, math was one of the harder subjects for me when I was growing up.  I was constantly working hard to make sure I understood what was going on, so I could stay up to date on what we were learning.  I think a lot of students have a similar struggle with math, so it will be important to make sure students are understanding what they are doing.  Whether that means taking more time to go over a task and pushing everything back, then I will do it.  It will be important for my students to have as many resources as they need to be successful math learners. Interactive and hands-on math lessons will be important; I want the students to feel like they are in control of their learning.  This will allow them to explore math on their own and encourage them to be involved with math at their own willingness.