When working on fractions during the past week in math methods course I enjoyed working with the different manipulatives to help me understand the material (fraction bars, pattern blocks, and Cuisenaire rods). When I was in school our learning of fractions came from worksheets and taking apart a pizza to see what fraction was left. It never involved the different activities we are doing in college.
The worksheet we did have to do in class involved working with Cuisenaire rods to find the answer, it was a little bit of a struggle at first to figure out the rods since they are not labeled, but than it helped me think more about the different fractions and how they are related. So I think by the instructor us rods that were not labeled we had to find out for ourselves how much each rod was worth.
This will be a great way for students to experiment and “do math”. They will not be given the answer by having labeled parts, they will have to take the time to figure each measurement on their own. I use to think that providing labeled parts to students would help them because that is what is normally seen in classrooms.
Our unpacking the standard was also related to fractions so by reading the text, doing class activities, and researching fractions I think I have a better idea of how to teach fractions to the students in my future classroom.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
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