New Insights and Their Implications

In this course so far, I have learned more about teaching mathematics to young children. The textbook has emphasized on teaching through problem solving. This means not just giving the students a formula and telling them what numbers to plug into it. Instead, the students try their own methods or strategies for solving problems. The instructor has also stressed this and how students can greatly help one another and think of different methods for figuring out or solving the same problem. I also have new insights on how students can help one another. I never really thought of how when students use different strategies from one another to figure a problem out, it could greatly benefit other students to hear about the different methods. Students can learn many different things from each other that can help them understand problems more. Teaching through problem solving might be difficult at first or at different times. My classmates have also mentioned how this way of teaching is different from what they are used to. I have also learned through class, that we all do not solve problems out exactly the same way. I have a new insight on how children learn math and plugging in numbers into a formula might not always be the best way for them to learn something. Over the past couple of weeks, I have learned some new ways for teaching math. It can always be helpful for students to learn from one another and listen to what each other has to say. It is helpful for students to try things out on their own and not always just follow a teacher's way of doing something or solving a problem. This might help them in the future with solving and understanding mathematics.