Summary and Synthesis- Blog #2

This Math Methods course has definitely caused me to think about teaching math in a new light. I have been struggling with quite a few of the concepts that we are learning, and this may be because I am used to math teachers in the past walking me and my class through all the steps that need to be taken to complete a problem. In this class we are learning through accessing our prior knowledge and using critical thinking skills to solve problems without the instructor as the facilitator. I had a hard time with finding the area's of the shapes on the geoboard, and after I asked for help I am much more confident with the concept. I have learned that I need to think outside the box and focus on what I need to be doing to solve the problem in front of me and not get overwhelmed, because that is when I run into trouble. This new way of teaching and learning has been a stuggle for me but I am able to see the positive effects that will result. If students are finding their own methods for problems and going through the entire thought processes, like we are in this class, they will be more likely to retain that information and make their learning more meaningful. This class is a struggle for me but each day I am learning in new ways and I am hoping that it will have positive effects on my future teaching of mathematics.