New Insights and Their Implications

In this class I have learned a lot of new information that has benefited myself. I have learned new concepts I did not know before. Learning how to use different manipulatives helps with learning and making a visual can help conceptualize the concepts. Doing the LPU it forced me to really think about how to do the problems. In the order to explain it to someone else I really had to think about the process I was completing. I also learned well from watching other classmates do other problems on the board. Doing the extra research for the LPU showed me what we are learning in class is being done in other books and that it is important to change the style of math teaching that is happening in the classroom. Starting with an already known concept and adding on to the concept is the best way to teach students a new math concept. Not only starting with an already known concept, but even starting with a simpler problem helps students understand a concept and find the algorithm them self. I know i have gained more of a conceptual knowledge about concepts about topics i was just taught the formula and just had to go do a worksheet. Starting with a concrete example to a more symbolic meaning is the best way to teach students math. Students need to have a visual and other ways to justify their answer then just the basic old formal or rule to complete a math problem. I know with the division of fractions, I had no idea why we inverted and multiplied. In high school I took the upper math class and I really did not know why we were learning all of the math because we had no real world connection. I could figure out an easier way to look at the problem, so I could solve the problem. I was also able to explain the process to my classmates, but I had no idea why we were doing what we were doing. Students need to get the conceptual understanding and be able to apply it to real world situations to under stand the importance of math concepts.