Personal Concerns and Next Steps

Some personal concerns that i have are that I am unable to think out side the box. I have always learned a certain way to mathematical formulas and how to problem solve. I was never really given opportunities to be challenged and find different solutions. Another concern of mine is that it is so hard for me to take tests and comprehend and make connections while studying that it could eventually hurt me in the long run. Some steps that i can take into account when i am studying is to try and make those connections to real life situtations, and maybe start studying a couple weeks before the text, rather than a couple days before. It is just very hard to study so far in ahead, when we are required to do some much homework in all of my other classes. I am not complaining, but sometimes school gets a little overwhelming and i seem to fall behind in all of my studies. Some other steps i can take in order to improve would be to give myself challenges and make my self solve problems using different strategies.

Summary & Synthesis

The impact of the recent experiences throughout the Tuesday and Thursday blogs have really opened up my eyes to thinking "outside" the box. Many math classes encountered today in elementary school have made way into the old thinking of how math is run. Through this math class I am in, I have had a tremendous impact on the fact that as teachers we need to guide our students into their own thinking and help them to model and demonstrate their prior knowledge in order to build upon their new experiences in math. The thinking in itself in these classes makes known that there are MANY different strategies and skills used to be able to solve ONE problem. This is effective to the classroom because it allows students to pick and choose and experiement with all in order to find out which problem-solving tactic works for them. This is a wonderful idea, because it focuses on the independent child, and their individual needs! The issues that are brought up in the classroom, with the research encountered through Japan and other countries of the region, look at math a completely different way. The U.S. lacks in math and needs certain progress. This class helps explore dicussions through models, student to student interaction, student to teacher interaction, geoboards and many manipulations that will help us to better understand the methods of teaching math.

New Insights and their Implications

I think that the most important thing that I learned during this first half of a semester is how to teach mathematics in a more reformed way by taking a constructivist approach. By looking that the TIMSS data, I learned that we do need to take a different approach in mathematical instruction in the United States. But knowing a change is necessary and knowing how to make that change are two different things. That is where the constructivist approach comes in. From what I have learned about constructivism during class and from the readings, I believe that this approach is a good step toward reformed mathematical instruction. By allowing students to construct their own knowledge we will be allowing them to again a deeper understanding of the concepts. Also, a classroom following the constructivist approach will have better focus and coherence. I feel that if I am able to implement a constructivist environment for my students to learn in, I will be doing my part in the reformation of mathematical instruction. I feel that the learning that takes place during a lesson built with a constructivist approach mirrors that type of learning we want our students to be having based on the results of the TIMSS study.