Math is for Everyone!
I saw this cartoon and thought of my students in my math class. The students in my class are always complaining that math is the hardest subject and you have to have a mathematical mind to even do the questions in the course. So I asked them why they feel like it is so difficult and there simple explanation was "it's never the same sir! There are so many question to know." Then it hit me they were trying to memorize what to do without fully understanding the why, we do what we are doing and fully understanding the concept that was being taught. So from that point on I started to focus on the why, not skipping any simple steps in solving for equations. Getting my students to develop steps for understanding how to go about solving anything from a linear system to a word problem within the course. I wanted them to learn to think about what they learned and apply the knowledge that they got in class. I wanted them to know anyone could do math if they work hard and tried their best. I didn't want them to think that it was a clever scheme meant to trick them. So after I was done my lessons I would give the students a question based on that days class and have them answer it. I would not just have them calculate the question but I had them write out the steps they took in words to solve it. Then I had them get into groups of two and all they could do was read the steps to the other person to see if that other person understood what they did. This forced them to think about what they were doing rather then just doing it. When they were in those small groups they really had to communicate their thought process to each other. I repeated this with my class for a week. At the end of the week I found that they were understanding the why better then they did at the beginning of the week. Has anyone else ever tried a similar method? How well did it work for you?
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ReplyDeleteFantastic idea! A key component in deeper learning is for a student to be able to communicate their understanding which down the line will be able to help them strengthen their recall of information instead of simply relying on memorizing information (which I'll admit, at some point I did that in math class because the concepts to understand really started adding up). The issue with memorizing is that students do not truly end up understanding the material, and down the line when all the concepts come together on a test or assignment, they become lost because they don't recognize the question they "memorized" when they were "studying". For more great ways for students to truly retain concepts, check out the Learning Scientists for ideas to have students practice retrieval daily! http://www.learningscientists.org/downloadable-materials/
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea! I always believed in leading by examples in math class. Having students have an idea of where to begin and then let them expand on it so that it is a process of learning. Students need to feel comfortable with math in order to excel!
ReplyDeleteThe idea of explaining your thought process (not only to yourself but to another student as well) is an amazing way to ensure that each learner can make thorough sense of their own work. These are the first steps in metacognition. Knowing why you did something the way you did and how it influenced the result is just as important as arriving at the correct answer. Once students develop an appreciation for the WHY they will acquire a deeper understanding.
ReplyDeleteI believe that you introduced a very effective method to promote true learning - by asking the students to explain themselves, you are forcing them to make connections, catch potential mistakes, and organize their thoughts. Truly impressive.
I could not agree more! I think that explaining why we do things is really the final step to consolidation. A practice that I have started is having students explain why/how they solved a problem in a particular way. I often have them record a flipgrid of themselves solving a problem and walking me through it. I preview the videos to make sure they are accurate before approving them to be seen publicly by other members of the class. There are so many benefits to this. 1)other students can watch the video and have it explained to them by someone other than me. Sometimes, this helps them hear things in a new way. 2) As a teacher, I can get a sense of who really understands well without having to give a test of any kind.
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