Math Examples Matching Students Interests Lead to Greater Success.

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to supply in a kidslink classroom.  It was a grade 5 class with 6 boys.  Upon my arrival I saw a note on the desk from the teacher explaining what to expect from my day.  The one note on their said the boys love the math project that they are working on.  Kids loving math? You don't hear this statement too often so it really peeked my interest.  The students were working on a baseball project, where they would pick one baseball team and they would follow it.  They would have to figure out players batting averages, on base percentage, balls and strike ratios and many more.  When it came time for math I was pretty excited to see this project in action.  I told the students it was time for math and I was met with some groans and boos.  I thought to myself that this was strange considering the teachers note.  I said to the students "Your teacher told me that you loved math, is this not true?" They responded with their hatred for the subject. I thought to myself, oh well the day must go on.  I asked the students to take out their baseball projects and they looked confused.  One student asked "I thought you said we were going to work on math? Our baseball project aren't math."  I then realized that the students did not see these project as learning projects, they were just having fun keeping stats on their favourite baseball teams.  The teacher had made learning fractions, ratios, multiplication and division fun for her students by connecting her lesson to the students interest.

This made me think back to an experience with one of my relatives.  He really struggled with math all through elementary and secondary school.  It got to the point where he almost did not make it into the college program he wanted because of his math marks.  He was able to get into the program and that's where he math grades made a dramatic turn around.  He ended up having one of the top math marks in his class.  I asked him what the difference was between his college program and high school.  He told me the biggest change was that the examples given related to his field which he was really interested in and which he understood well.  I thought to myself, that can't be the only change.  Being interested in the examples could not have that big of an impact.

My experience in the teaching profession has told me that this is really the case.  If the student is interested and engaged with the examples given they will have greater success.  We as educators need to be able to pick up on our students interests and incorporate them as much as we can into our classrooms.

Game Shows

I got some inspiration while reading the post on board games, because something that can also be used in the classroom as examples of using mathematic skills are game shows.

Let's see:

The Price is Right - there are many different mini-games in the price is right that involves probability, estimating, pricing items out, and logical reasoning out a problem.
Deal or No Deal - probability at it's finest. You could go through the whole game and simulate how probability changes (increases) as you eliminate each briefcase.

Wheel of Fortune - what is the letter that is most likely to make you money? what are some strategies to approaching each category/words being guessed? Look at the wheel, what is the probability of landing on bankrupt or $1 Million? And, considering the final spin, where they give you the 5 most common letters (RSTLNE)
Who Wants to Be a Millionaire - multiple choice questions - talking about probabilities
Bingo / Lottery - although maybe not age appropriate for younger kids (since they can't gamble) they have all probably played it before
Lingo - Lingo features two teams of two contestants who are given the first letter of a five-letter mystery word and five chances to identify it correctly. The team with the highest number of points earns the chance to correctly identify as many words as they can in two minutes (where in this picture: Red means the letter is correct, a yellow ball means that the letter is beside where they had placed it, and blue means wrong)



Shall we go a little bit older?
Let's Make a Deal - the infamous Monty Hall problem (which has already been discussed in this class)
Press Your Luck (also known as Whammy!) - where contestants collect "spins" by answering trivia, and then spin on the electronic board to win prizes or money, or could land on a whammy and lose everything. Three whammy's and you're out of the game (if I remember correctly)
Family Feud (although this is still one of the most popular game shows still around, I put it in the older category because of it's roots with Richard Dawson as its host) - the show surveys 100 people with questions and reports its findings - families battle to answer questions for points, and the final round has two people from one family answering questions and giving the best possible answer within 60 seconds (2nd person cannot repeat).
Card Sharks - using one deck of card, contestants decide if the next card is higher or lower (there's more to it, but that would be the probability aspect of it!)
Match Game - A panel of celebrities would answer a "fill in the blank" statement and a contestant would fill it in, hoping that celebrities might have used the same answer. For each match, one point was earned. In the second round, only those that did not match in the first round would answer (therefore, someone who was behind in the first round could catch up). Winner went on to the final round.


And many more....

So while some of these are more trivia related, you can bring in the concept of mathematics through the chances participants have in actually winning and different stages of the different games. I have always been infatuated with games shows (especially GSN) and whenever I got the chance (cable at the cottage and at my father's house included the channel GSN!!!!), I would be sitting there enjoying the risks people were taking in order to win or get more money (greedy greedy!).

Oh the fun memories I have. Using game shows in the classroom would also increase engagement, because everyone likes to have fun! However, make sure it is not too competitive and that your students know it is just for fun!

Math SAVES the day!

This weekend there was a Criminal Minds marathon on, and I was glued to the television. I did take some time to enjoy the warm weather, but otherwise I was in front of my television with my computer on my lap working away at different tasks I had to complete and needed to work on. All the characters on the show are fascinating, but the most fascinating is Reid who has an eidetic memory and is a great asset to the FBI team who profiles serial killers in order to find them. 

The episode in particular that caught my attention was one that included the reference of the Fibonacci sequence. Back in my undergrad, I worked for a leadership spring camp at Brock University (called Youth University). We did many things with students in grades 5-8 for the 2 ½ days they were visiting with us, including high ropes, rock climbing, leadership games/activities, nature walks, etc. One thing in particular that I recall doing (6-8 weeks in a row, 2 camp sessions per week) was making a necklace on our nature walk (usually on the first or second day) representing the Fibonacci sequence through the colours we chose to put on. (For example, there would be one blue bead, then one red bead, then two yellow beads, then three purple beads, then five green beads, etc. to make up the Fibonacci sequence).

What is the Fibonacci sequence you ask? Well, if you don’t know, the Fibonacci sequence is a set of numbers that starts at 1, with each subsequent number is the sum of the previous two.

So, we start at 1, and the number before it is 0. Creating the sum 0+1=1 to get the next number; so the first two numbers are 1,1. Then you add, 1+1 to get 2; and if we add 2 the sequence you get: 1,1,2. Then you add, 1+2=3 so we add 3 to the sequence to get 1,1,2,3. Add 2+3=5 to get 1,1,2,3,5; and add 3+5=8 to get 1,1,2,3,5,8 …etc.

Here’s the sequence with no words and you might get it a bit better (if you don’t already):

1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144…(I think you get the point now…)

Anyway, the point of this whole blog, is the fact that something that we teach in middle or high school CAN really be used in real life. Even something as abstract as the Fibonacci sequence and that it can show up in the simplest of things (sitting and watching a television show, for example). Even if your mind isn’t doing the mathematical equations while watching television, you are aware of it and able to connect with the content that much more. (I even posted a picture of Pascal's Hex (or triangle) which has elements of the Fibonacci sequence in it during my last blog post and didn’t even notice it – although recognized the ‘pattern’ as I called it – because I haven’t reviewed the concept in a long time!)

I think students need to see the relevance of what they learn as an incentive to learn. I know that I sometimes have a hard time sitting in a class where I don’t find relevance to it, so I know the importance of providing students with that incentive to learn – and answering that “why are we learning this” question…and not by answering with the simple answer of “because you have to” or “because I’m told to teach this”. Everything has a purpose!

To close this off, I wanted to let you know that because of Reid’s discovery and use of the Fibonacci sequence, the FIB team were able to crack the case and save some people’s lives (as well as their own)!! Yay for math that saves the day!

How math is like going to the Dentist.

It feels like almost every student that enters math class does it like they are being forced to under the threat of death or disembodiment.  Most have one thing in common…they all believe that they cannot do math before they even give it a go.  If I had a dollar for every student who said “Oh I can’t do math I suck at it,” I wouldn’t still be teaching.

I can’t seem to get my head around why students hate math.  I’ve always loved math and looked forward to being on the math team… (By the way I know that I am a bit of geek and I’m fine with that).  The only way that I can seem to get my geeky brain around the concept of people hating something is to relate it to something I am more familiar with…so here it goes….

At the beginning of the school year, I feel like coming to my math room is akin to being forced to go to the dreaded dentist.  You know, the one where they are going to drill your teeth because you haven’t flossed like you promised them you would the last time that you were in the dentist chair.  You know the chair… the big padded one where they might as well be strapping you in while the dentist is interrogating you with the bright light in your face, all the while holding the large giant metal hook instrument.   Now before I go on I would like to make one thing clear…  I am not standing at the front of my class holding a sharp instrument while teaching, but I am sure that those of my students who have never had success before in math may see my math textbook and protractor in the same way. 

I get it a bit because, like keeping up on flossing, you have to keep up on your math work to understand the next concept.  There is no quick fix the day or two before your dental visit that can make up for your lack of effort before going to the dentist and the same goes for a math test.  That is one of the problems that we are now facing in today’s society. The Quick fix…Most of our students can get instantaneous answers through their smart phones which come equipped, not only with calculators, but any conceivable app and gadget that they can think of.     

Just as we have to teach ourselves not to fear the dentist, we have to teach our students not to fear being wrong in math class.   The best way that we learn is through trial and error.  If you don’t brush well…. you will get a cavity, which leads to pains when the dentist drills your teeth.  The same goes for math problems.   We need students to go through the process of how to solve problems so that they can continue to solve problems later on in life.  It’s not about having the right answer but on how they got the answer.  Anyone can look up a problem on the internet, but determining how to solve it and applying that knowledge is the key.  What they don’t realise is that math requires them to use their brains to solve problems.  Not just what 1 + 1 is but actual problems about how should I attempt to answer something...or what information is needed and how do I go about to get the information.     

It is no use if you just give in and accept that there will be pain and on that note I have to go floss and brush my teeth now….(Appointment is at 3:45 tomorrow so wish me luck).