Keywords: Connections, ,
Ref: Gentz1
Author(s): Ehlers, Vernon J.; Drew, David E.
Date: 1999
Title: Education and mobility
Journal or Publisher: Issues in Science and Technology
Volume, Issue, Pages: v16, i1, p8
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-4-2000
The focus of this article is to make a connection between mathematics, science, and technology. It became evident to the writer that there was a lack of connection between math, science and real world application. Thus, he wanted to find a way to cross the gap that appears to be so evident between K-12 students and the workforce. His main idea is simply to bring together scientists, associations, teachers, textbook publishers, and curriculum authors in order to establish a consensus that would create an optimal scope for teaching math and science.
Providing more hands-on activities in the classroom will better prepare the students for what is to come. Teachers need to not only be educated in their field, but also in the professional field. Teachers also need to keep up with technology, preparing the students for the world that they will enter.
The second half of the article talks about what aptitude tests have shown in regard to U.S. students' abilities in math and science. Education has not declined over the past forty years, but rather students have been performing that poorly on aptitude tests for that many years. The writer feels that this may be due to low expectations. A study was done where students who did poorly in calculus were placed in an experiment. These students were then given more difficult calculus problems to work on within groups instead of doing easier problems as one might expect. The result was astounding. The students who initially performed poorly in calculus turned out to be the top students. This suggests that performance has a lot to do with expectation. The writer feels that there is great need for dynamic teachers, and the lack of dynamic teachers is part of the reason students are sc
How do I feel about this article? I like some parts of this article, and some parts I don't. I like the idea of bringing in technology and professionals to help out with math and science, but there is a lot that goes into this. It seems as though we are jumping the gun. I always thought that large classrooms and poor teachers had a lot to do with poor education. Once we fix those problems, then we can move on to changing curriculum. First things first though.
Dynamic teachers? I like that idea. I can be a dynamic teacher. It is
easier to be a dynamic teacher in front of high school students than in
front of college students. I look forward to working with high school
students, and getting excited about my job.
Keywords: Technology, ,
Ref: Gentz2
Author(s): Hoffman, Kenneth M.; Steen, Lynn Arthur
Date: 1989
Title: Making Math Education Effective
Journal or Publisher: Technology Review
Volume, Issue, Pages: v92 n8 p22(2)
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-4-2000
This article focuses on teaching math almost as a language. It suggests that math is a language and few know how to speak it. The common notion about mathematics is that it is merely a way to find the correct answer. So, what do we do about this? The article suggests that instead of spending so much time on arithmetic, we can focus more on patterns and relationships of mathematics. It suggests that statistics and geometry are more important than what America now makes them out to be. The article complains about these details for some time, and then closes by saying that the future of our technological society is at stake if we don't improve our mathematics.
I think this article makes a very irrelevant claim. Our society has been keeping up with technology for the past forty years, and we have been performing poorly in math for forty years. I don't think that the future of technology can be placed in the hands of teachers. That's not fair. Also, the day I spend less time on arithmetic, relying on the calculator instead, is the day I quit teaching. I think that we are over looking how important arithmetic is. How do we measure logical thinking, recognizing patterns within numbers, and problem solving skills.
Technology will survive, that is one thing that is quite obvious. We
place so much emphasis on technology, it would be impossible for it to
fade away. Education will suffer though, that is one thing that is also
quite obvious. We don't emphasize education enough. Just look, we want
to replace arithmetic with calculators. See, we are putting technology in
front of education. That clearly shows where our priorities are. Why
aren't students performing like we would like them to? Probably because
the environment they grow up in sucks. You get teachers in the field who
believe in the students and want to make a difference, dynamic teachers,
teachers with high expectations, then your test scores will increase. You
take away some of the social pressures and give students a home
environment where they feel secure, then your test scores will go up more.
You get students to want to
Keywords: Issues, ,
Ref: Gentz3
Author(s): Cassidy, Robert
Date: 1991
Title: Let's declare 1991 'The Year of Science & Math
Education.'
Journal or Publisher: R & D
Volume, Issue, Pages: v33 n1 p15(1)
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-4-2000
This article is quite disturbing actually. It is a very short article, but gives some eye-opening facts. It says that only 7% of seventeen year olds have enough knowledge to do well in college science courses. IN 13 industrial nations, the US ranks 9th in physics, 11th in chemistry, and last in biology. Classrooms spend $35 per pupil. Two-thirds of high school math teachers are underqualified, and four-fifths of science teachers should not be allowed to teach in the classroom. Last of all, the US spends $5 per public school employee.
The rest of the article talks about how the magazine will be printing
articles that will deal with these concerns. But how does one respond to
statistics like this? I don't know. All I can think of is find out what
the top nations are doing that makes their education so great, and
implement it into our educational system. After seeing numbers like this,
everyone must at least take the time to look at our educational system and
consider some possible changes.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, ,
Ref: Gentz4
Author(s): Baron, Talila
Date: 1994
Title: Focus on science and math
Journal or Publisher: The Business Journal
Volume, Issue, Pages: v12 n17 pS10(1)
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-4-2000
The focus of this article is Hewlett-Packard's relationship with educational programs. The first part of the article talks about how Hewlett-Packard has used its earnings and technology to give the educational system tools that will help improve the education received by students. They feel that graphing calculators have played the largest role in helping students out with their education. Having the ability to see the graph develop allows the student to remember the graph longer. I would argue that if the student drew the graph themselves, they would remember it even longer, but that isn't the point of the article. The article definitely gives me the impression that Hewlett-Packard cares about education and does what they can to provide.
The last part of the article is what I found most interesting. It talks about hands-on education for K-6. This hands-on education program was developed by the National Science Resources Center, the Smithsonian Institution, and the National Academy of Sciences. The most significant aspect of it is that it gives teachers direct access to scientists, people who know what students need to know in order to be successful in the "real world." The teachers can use the scientists to help shape curriculum and provide creative projects to implement in the classroom.
If I had a scientist handy, or a group of people that covered a
significant portion of the work force that uses a lot of math and science,
I would really like to discuss with them and figure out some ways to
improve the education. I think that they would have a lot of insight that
would benefit me. I like this idea, and hope that I can use it within my
classroom. Obviously, in order to do that, I need a list of jobs that
directly relate to math. Once I have that, it is just a matter of
tracking down the people.
Keywords: Geometry, ,
Ref: Gentz5
Author(s): Dwarkentine, David
Date: 2000
Title: Gestures in Geometry
Journal or Publisher: The Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 93, no 4, p267-268
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article is quite short, but gives some very interesting options for reinforcing geometric concepts. The options are focused around hand signals that represent different geometrical terms. These terms may include: angle bisector, complementary angles, dihedral angle, line of symmetry, linear pair, parallel lines, ray, rectangle, right angle, and vertical angle.
Combining hand signals with verbal response and direct instruction help break a possible language barrier. It allows for students to use different learning styles in order to remember important concepts. It also, adds a nice touch of variety to the classroom.
The students responded very well to the use of hand gestures in the classroom. Not all of them found it particularly useful, but no negative comments were made about them. Students generally found that hand signals either helped the learning process did nothing at all. Some wished that they were used more often.
I like the idea of hand signals, but I am not so sure how effective it
would be. To use them with struggling students in order to reinforce
important concepts would probably be most beneficial. But using hand
signals with gifted students may appear kind of stupid and insulting to
their intelligence.
Keywords: Algebra, Teaching Strategies,
Ref: Gentz6
Author(s): Feigenbaum, Ruth
Date: 2000
Title: Algebra for Students with Learning Disabilities
Journal or Publisher: The Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 93, no 4, p270-274
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-200
Students with learning disabilities are accommodated in many different fashions. Some of these include tutoring, untimed testing, note-takers, and readers. Some of these have been used with success. But when it comes to algebra, many students with learning disabilities are never given a real chance. Counselors often tell students with LD's that they will not need algebra because they will not pursue a college education, it will be too difficult, or basic arithmetic with operations will better suit them. This is unfortunate, since many students with LD's must pursue a college education due to the emphasis that our society puts on college education.
When one looks at students with LD's, it is apparent that most of them have more difficulty with basic arithmetic than with algebra concepts. Thus, the challenge then is to structure a class such that they will be able to properly learn algebra. Some of the characteristics of this classroom are as follow: classes will meet for no more than one hour at a time due to short attention spans. Activities should be done on the chalkboard so as to give students with graphomotor problems room to write. There should be discussion in groups with activities, and class sizes no larger than twenty. Peer tutors may come in to help, untimed testing will be given, and there may be additional class meetings in order to provide more time to work one on one with students who need the help. Students should also be given copies of lecture notes.
The common attitude about students with learning disabilities is that they
should be mainstreamed at all costs. However, students in these types of
algebra classes feel more secure and comfortable. They do not feel like
dummies, but rather feel like a student who is in the same boat as
nineteen other students. It helps to create a supportive environment. I,
personally, am impressed with the structure of this algebra class. If the
resources are available to me, I would like to structure a class almost
identical to this one.
Keywords: Activities, Games,
Ref: Gentz7
Author(s): Gaglione, Jeffery T.
Date: 2000
Title: Sharing Teaching Ideas: Relay Review
Journal or Publisher: The Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 93, no 4, p282-283
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
The teaching idea shared in this article is a game that is used during math classes that involves group work and activities. The idea is called "relay review," It is designed such that each group of students receives a set of index cards, each of which contains a mathematical problem. Each group also receives a baton made out of paper, color coated to their team. The review begins, and each participant must write the problem on the board, and then answer it correctly, with the help of their teammates. However, the teammates must remain seated when helping the person at the chalkboard.
I like this idea. Although it may not be the most effective way to review
math, it is a fun activity that allows students to work together in
problem-solving exercises. I also like this activity because it is very
versatile. You can make many changes within it to accommodate your
specific classroom, and you have many options to make it more fun.
Keywords: Must Select At Least One, Research,
Ref: Gentz8
Author(s): Hiebert, James
Date: 2000
Title: What Can We Expect from Research
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 7, p436-437
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article talks about the value of research in the field of mathematics education and its applications. Some people abuse research and interpret it to mean things that it doesn't. Some people refuse to use research at all. However, there is a balance here that uses research in a proper manner, that does, in fact, give very reliable information.
Research may be used to inform us about different issues, but ultimately, the decision comes down to what society values most. For example, a common view is that students should have opportunities to invent their own methods and problem-solving techniques. Now, research can tell you some interesting things about students who invent their own methods and problem-solving techniques, but research cannot tell you whether or not this is the best approach for you students. Just as our body is too complicated for us to determine the exact course of life that will be most healthy for us, so also our minds and learning processes are so complicated that research simply cannot tell us exactly what is the best curriculum or activity for students in a mathematics course.
The author suggests that there are three guidelines for teaching in the
classroom: students learn best what they have an opportunity to learn,
students need opportunities to engage directly in the kind of mathematics
that they are to learn, and instruction can successfully promote deep
conceptual understanding. I guess I agree with the view on research, you
need to treat research in the proper context. I also agree with the
guideline for the classroom, for the most part. But it is hard to comment
any further on these issues, since I have not really had the chance to
explore them with students, but I presume that it is a very good view.
Keywords: Activities, Geometry,
Ref: Gentz9
Author(s): Potts, Kathleen K.
Date: 2000
Title: Milk0Lug Mosaic: Creating a Mthematical Dove of
Peace
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 7 p438-441
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article discusses class activities that can be used in order to enhance mathematical learning. In this case, students were given a design in the form of a dove that they were to make out of colored milk-jugs in order commemorate a Noble Peace Prize Award presented back in 1947. The project involved third, fourth, and fifth graders. It enabled classes to work together and make mathematical connections on different levels. Without going into detail regarding the project, I will tell you what concepts were involved in the project. Students were able to apply knowledge and skills in data collection and graphing. They were also able to use measurement, estimation, computation, mean, range, probability, and other mathematical concepts that were involved in different scenarios of problem-solving application.
I like the idea of creating different projects that will help students
apply their math to real life situations. A project like this required a
variety of mathematics and helped cross a gap in age difference. My only
concern is that a project like this may take a lot of time away from
classroom learning. That is why, I suppose, it is necessary to always
have the mathematics involved, ready to be applied and discussed at all
times. I look forward to using projects like this from time to time that
will undoubtedly facilitate great mathematical learning.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, ,
Ref: Gentz10
Author(s): Frakes, Cyndi; Kline, Kate
Date: 2000
Title: Teaching Young Mathematicians: The Challenges and
Rewards
Journal or Publisher: The Mathematics Teacher
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 6, p376-377
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-200
What is a teacher's role in developing mathematicians? Really, what is it, especially at the kindergarten level? This article investigates the different approaches that teachers might take to enhance mathematical learning at a young age. The article talks convincingly about many teachers who have a fear of mathematics and who are not really able to do math, much less qualified to teach math. For teachers who do know how to do math, they often lead students to the right answers, asking very low-ended questions, not really giving the student the opportunity to explore or display his or her possibilities of being a great mathematician at a young age.
After careful examination and assessment of their own teaching, and discussion with other teachers in regards to teaching styles, approaches, and curriculum, teachers find that the possibilities of teaching math in a much more conceptual and beneficial manner are quite great. Instead of teachers leading their students to the right answer, they ask them vague, open ended questions like, "What do you see on the graph? How do you know that? Are you sure? How can we figure this out?" These questions lead to a greater possibility for discovery learning.
I completely agree with this article. Leading students to the right
answer and not letting them discover things on their own will ultimately
keep students at the same level, restraining gifted students from
realizing their abilities. Each and every teacher needs to be aware of
how much of the work the students are doing, and how much of the work the
teacher is doing.
Keywords: Teaching Strategies, Manipulatives,
Ref: Gentz11
Author(s): Moldavan, Carla C.
Date: 2000
Title: Observing the Power of Matt, the Mathematician
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 6, p372-374
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This was a rather short article written by the mother of a child named Matt. The mother wanted to discuss some of the mathematical observations that Matt had made over the course of the past few years. Matt had demonstrated the ability and interests to recognize one-to-one correspondence, inquire about area, volume, and proportion, reduce fractions, find the mean, solve basic algebra computations, recognize some geometrical relationships of great importance. These observations clearly displayed that Matt was very interested and capable of handling mathematics beyond his age.
The mother goes on to give implications to math teachers: 1. Ask parents whether they have observed their children applying skills in everyday settings. 2. Use examples of everyday settings. 3. Envision your students as capable of much more than you ever dreamed. 4. Listen carefully when your students are explaining their observations. 5. Be grateful for inquiring minds. 6. Allow assessment to be "a convergence of evidence from a variety of sources"(NCTM 1995, 19).
I agree. I like these implications. All seem to be very logical, and
very sound. This article further exemplifies the fact that the
conceptualization of mathematics is found in many different forms, and we
need to do our best to be aware of them.
Keywords: Activities, ,
Ref: Gentz12
Author(s): Thomas, Cynthia S.
Date: 2000
Title: 100 Activities for the 100th Day
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 5, p276-278
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article is basically a list of 100 mathematical activities, and a detailed description of five of those activities. The article does get rather monotonous, thus, I will comment on 3 of the activities.
One activity involved 100 students laying down, head to toe, on the sidewalk outside the school. Students had to figure out how to divide up the number of times each person had to lie down in order to make 42 students into 100 students. Students would then go down the sidewalk, making their guess as to where the line would end. After marking each 10th person interval, the students stood at the end of the line, looking at how long the distance was made by 100 people.
The second activity involved a scale and a compass to make a 100 mile radius around their city in Montana. The students would then count the number of towns in the radius, estimate the population in the 100 mile radius, and then estimate the time it would take to walk the 100 mile radius. In order to do this, each student had to find his or her average walking speed, and then go about computing the problem.
The third activity was seeing if you could eat 100 things. Some people brought chocolate chips, peanuts, or marshmallows. Nevertheless, everyone had an interesting story of how they came across 100 items of food, and everyone understood how big the number 100 was.
I like the idea of using these activities. I realize that most of them
are for kids of a younger age, but reading about them sparks ideas of my
own for high school students. Efficient activities will allow for better
understanding.
Keywords: Geometry, Teaching Strategies,
Ref: Gentz13
Author(s): Laheer, Richard; Curtis, Carmen L.
Date: 2000
Title: Why Are Some Solids Perfect
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 5, p324-326
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article is a very short article that discusses an activity you might use in order to better understand platonic solids in your classroom. Instead of telling your students what solids are platonic, give them an activity that will facilitate discovery learning, so that they will be able to see for themselves what solids are platonic, and even more importantly, what characterizes platonic solids. The activity was very simple. You just give the students two platonic solids, tell them that there are three more, and ask them to identify those solids and define a platonic solid.
The article reveals some of the discussion among the teacher and the
classmates. You can tell that the students are working towards making a
conjecture, which is something that we normally wait until high school or
college to do. I like this idea, and will probably use it someday in a
geometry class. However, there is one aspect that I don't like. Only a
few students seems to be talking and submitting possible conjectures.
Thus, I would divide the students up into groups to give everyone a chance
to speak.
Keywords: Connections, Assessment, Communication
Ref: Gentz14
Author(s): Covington, Judith L.
Date: 2000
Title: Bridging the Gap
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 2, p98-100
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This is quite possibly the most interesting article that I have read yet. I would recommend that everyone read it. It is a short article discussing the big picture of mathematics, and how few teachers really have a scope of mathematics as a big picture. In order to make this a more realistic possibility, the Mathematics Association of America and the American Mathematical Society have put together a program that helps elementary teachers, secondary teachers, and college faculty come together and relate experiences that will help enhance students education. College faculty will come a spend a day with elementary teachers, and vise versa. The participants realize how math is taught differently compared to when they were taught, and what they need to prepare their students for.
The overall reaction was very positive. College faculty realize that they
have the luxury of focusing only on mathematics, whereas elementary
teachers must focus on so much more. Elementary teachers were surprised
to see that college faculty were dealing with the similar issues, such as
curriculum and discovery learning. It is quite easy to get involved in a
program like this, and I feel it is very important. A program like this
gives us the advantage of seeing mathematics as an overall picture. It is
important to see the continuity of mathematics as it is presented k-12,
and at the college level, especially if you want to make significant
changes in how it is being presented. Great article. Read it!!!
Keywords: Activities, Curriculum, Teaching Strategies
Ref: Gentz15
Author(s): O'Brien, Thomas C.; Moss, Ann C.
Date: 2000
Title: On the Keeping of Several Things in Mind
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 2, p118-122
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article was written in light of a professor's new textbook. The professor began sitting in on a fifth grade classroom and evaluating his textbook on the basis of what he felt the students should be learning. He was very surprised to see how much the textbook needed to be altered. He included some of his alterations in forms of the following lessons.
The first lesson was in the form of the typical farm animal problem. If there is a farm with parakeets and cows, and there are 20 heads and 64 legs, then how many cows and parakeets are there? There are four typical responses from students. The first answer involves a math computation that has absolutely no relevance to the original problem. The second involves a simple math computation, 20/2=10. Thus, 10 cows and 10 parakeets. However, this has absolutely no relation to the fact that there are 64 legs. The third answer keeps the legs and the heads in mind, but computes it in unusual ways. The fourth response is the correct response done by using pictures. Those who drew a picture had a great rate for success.
The second lesson was to make a problem very similar to the first. Again, there were four results, implying many of the same things as above. The third lesson involved a problem with inconsistent data. Again, there were four responses, implying many of the same things as above.
What does this tell us? It obviously tells us that drawing pictures
really helps with problem solving. It also tells us that doing arithmetic
does not always assure us that it can be readily applied. Finally, if
students have difficulty keeping more than one variable in mind, then in
all subjects, not just mathematics, multivariable situations should be
kept in mind.
Keywords: Connections, Manipulatives,
Ref: Gentz16
Author(s): Clay, Ellen L.
Date: 1999
Title: Using Mathematics to Build an Understanding of the
United States
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 2, p123-127
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This short article discusses in interdisciplinary approach to mathematics. The article suggests that throughout the years, schools have engaged in interdisciplinary lessons. However, mathematics always gets the short end and is left out. But this lesson provides a way to incorporate mathematics into U.S. History.
The first assignment given was to research the state according to population. Once information on all of the states in regard to population had been obtained, the data was put into the form of a bar graph. During this exercise, students had to find an efficient way to represent large, varying numbers on a graph. They then had to estimate the population and plot the information.
The second assignment was to research the state according to land area. Similarly, the information was graphed. Then the teacher asked the students to make a correlation between the area and the population. Surprisingly, there was no correlation. However, asking the students to find one and write a short paper on it worked out very well.
I really like this idea. It is wonderful to incorporate math with other
fields. And this article goes to show that if you can incorporate math
with history, you can probably do it with anything. The only problem may
be incorporating other fields of math other than stats and data
collection. But, I am sure that if you are creative enough, you could
probably do it.
Keywords: Activities, Connections, Activities
Ref: Gentz17
Author(s): Kliman, Marlene
Date: 1999
Title: Parents and Children Doing Mathematics at Home
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 3, p140-146
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article discusses how parents might help integrate mathematics into a home environment. The first rule of thumb is that parents have to be willing to implement mathematics and have to be able to understand the mathematics. The second idea is to keep in mind opportune times in which you can incorporate math.
One way to incorporate math is while you are reading stories or watching the news. You can talk about the numbers involved in each. You can also talk about the problems that people are faced in stories or the news. Discuss problem solving techniques that one might use in order to overcome the dilemma.
Another way to incorporate math is to do it outdoors. Talk about distances, proportions, or anything that can be incorporated into nature. You can also talk about math while you are traveling. Discuss distance, miles gallon, estimation, rates, change, etc
Talk about math in the context of household chores. You can sort laundry, count your earnings, make predictions, form hypothesis for problems, draw conclusions, etc
Okay, I think that the point is clear, and this article was actually
pretty boring. I like the idea of getting parents interested in math, or
something of the sort. It will really help the kids focus and do better.
But really, some of these ideas for incorporating math into the home are
really unrealistic. I mean, I consider myself a math geek, and so do most
other people, but not even I think about math that much.
Keywords: Connections, Activities, Teaching Strategies
Ref: Gentz18
Author(s): Smith, Nancy L.; Babione, Carolyn; Johns Vick,
Beverly
Date: 1999
Title: Dumpling Soup: Exploring Kitchens, Cultures, and
Mathematics
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 3, p148-152
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
The focus of this article is to expose children to literature of different cultures. When one does that, he or she should choose literature based on the following criteria: 1. The illustrations are not stereotypes or oversimplifications. 2. The story lines include minorities and females solving problems. 3. The text fosters genuine insight into lifestyles. 4. The relationships depict minorities and females share equal status. 5. The heroes serve the interests of minority groups. 6. The positive role models can be identified. 7. The authors and illustrators are qualified to deal with the subject matter. 8. The author's perspective presents other world views. 9. The text is free from loaded words with offensive overtones. 10. The copyright date indicated relevance to the rapid changes in society. (Derman-Sparks and the Anti-Bias Curriculum Task Force 1989, 143
The teacher, and author of this article, then chose a story that was multicultural acceptable, and incorporated mathematics into it. She taught patterns, measurement, estimation, area, fractions, graphing, and probability. Within the context of learning mathematics, children also learned about Asian traditions, as well as cultures in their own classroom.
Children learned about patterns by bringing kitchen utensils into the classroom, and making sounds with them in forms of patterns. Students used estimation in context of the story. The story involved cooking, and so students brought in an estimation of ingredients they felt was needed to fill a measuring cup. They learned to work with different measurements like teaspoon, tablespoon, cup, pint, quart, and gallon. Students learned the idea of fractions by sharing their ingredients with their friends, such that every friend had the same amount. In a very similar manner, students were subjected to concepts of graphing and probability.
I like this idea, especially at a young age. It gives variety and
excitement to a classroom, which is hard to come by at times. I think
that this could very easily be done at a high school level, just raise the
reading level, and use your imagination and creativity to make a
mathematical connection. At the very least, it is always easy to make an
algebraic connection.
Keywords: Statistics, Activities, Connections
Ref: Gentz19
Author(s): Basile, Carole G.
Date: 1999
Title: Collecting Data Outdoors: Making Connections to the
Real World
Journal or Publisher: Teaching Children Mathematics
Volume, Issue, Pages: vol 6, no 1, p8-12
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This article gives a great perspective on how to incorporate real life experiences into your math classrooms. First, decide what you enjoy to do most with students and what they enjoy to do. In this case, it happens to be taking walks outside, or in the woods. Now, how do you incorporate math into walking outdoors? The author chooses to use data collection because it is an activity in which children can make connections between math, in a variety of areas, with the real world.
When children become data collectors, they tend to look for patterns and use their reasoning skills, drawing conclusions about the data they have gathered and the connections that can be made. Collecting data also helps enhance their ability to think about numbers, size, shape, and patterns. It simulates how mathematicians use math to solve real world problems. In this activity, students sorted data according to animals they saw, animals they heard, and animals they saw and heard. This gives students an understanding of the different ways data can be organized.
When the students returned to the classroom, the teacher posed questions to them that helped trigger higher level thinking. These questions were, What kinds of animals do you think we could find in our school yard? What do you want to know about them? How can we keep track of what we see and what we hear without getting them mixed up? How will we remember what we saw and what we heard? What else is the same or different about some of the animals we saw? If we were to make a new chart with only the animals we saw, and we had to put some in one column and some in the other column, how could we do that so that all the animals in one column would have something the same? Which side has more animals? Why do you think we saw more animals than we heard? If we collected these data at night, what do you think the results might be? If we wanted to draw a picture of our data to show
It is quite obvious to see how many areas of study an activity like this
can cover. It is an excellent idea, and something that every teacher
should try to make a part of their classroom. One must be very careful so
as to use their time efficiently. An activity like this does have
potential to use a lot of time, but it also has potential to be a great
activity filled with learning and understanding. I like the idea and will
surely use it someday.
Keywords: Issues, Research, Standards
Ref: Gentz20
Author(s): Drew, Duchesne Paul
Date: 2000
Title: Minnesota Should Stress Math, Analysts Say
Journal or Publisher: Star Tribune
Volume, Issue, Pages: Sunday, April 9, 2000, Section B
Reviewer: Gentz
Date of Review: 4-22-2000
This newspaper article is very similar to the things that we have been talking about for a while. It seems that over the years, English has been getting more of the focus. But now, as we see math scores very poor on basic skills tests, it is evident that we need to focus more on math than we have in the past.
The article then talks about someone's classroom, and how she is integrating the "Connected Math" into her classroom. Students seem to enjoy her class more than others because she uses more activities than lecture. This gives students more opportunity to learn for themselves and use discovery learning. It is not the traditional style of teaching, and students seem to respond to it much more. Although there is less memorizing and recalling facts about math, there is more practical application, getting students involved in real world problems.
I like this idea. Sure, the "Connected Math" is going to be used everywhere very soon, I am sure. I think it is great, but I don't think that the traditional way is as bad as what everyone is making it out to be. I think that a certain amount of memorization and algebraic manipulation is very good. I just think that it was abused and over-used. But having a balance of both, in my opinion, would be best.