Blog 1: New Insights and Their Implications

To begin thinking about math in a new and more efficient manner, especially the ways in which it is taught, is challenging to say the least. I believe that the last few class periods of this semester have really begun to push me to try and become more positive towards the field of mathematics. Also, I have attempted to open myself up to considering different ways of teaching the content which can be especially difficult because of the more traditional ways in which I was taught as an elementary student. The instructor and the ideas/activities he has presented the class have stretched us to consider problem solving and other staple concepts of math to a much greater depth than what is currently being taught many students of the United States even today. As the country lags behind in math scores on the international spectrum, teachers and federal officials alike are concerned about the lack of progress America has been making in the classroom. It will be our job as future educators to make a difference, which, as stated before, will be a challenge in and of itself because of our lack of background knowledge in the ways in which we are expected to teach math.