New Insights and Their Implications

Today in class we talked about standards. I was shocked to look at South Dakota's state standards and compare them to the national standards. From the scaling activity we did in class, we found specific detailed national standards that supported our activity, but when we looked at the state standards, it was very difficult to find one that matched and if we did it had to be stretched out or further explained. By looking at these standards, it made me realize that there is more to be covered then just what the state of South Dakota is asking. This was a great activity and I believe it would be very beneficial to students in upper middle school, but when looking at the South Dakota state standards, I am not sure this activity would have fit in. It was a very good discussion in class, and interesting to hear what other students had to say. If I was a teacher in South Dakota, I would probably not have done this activity because the state standards are to be met, and that's what the students will be tested on. Also learning from the scale activity, it was a great way to work with our peers. We had the actual blocks and had to design the shapes. It was very interactive, even though it was frustrating at times, but we learn from each other. After the activity was done, the scale factors were then explained. At first I was a little confused, but after today I have a better idea on how to explain and figuring out how to enlarge the scale factors to find area and perimeter.