Hello again!
During this week's math class, we had a really interesting math presentation on fractions. During this presentation, our two colleagues taught us ("elementary school students") on how to solve fractions. I usually have difficulty with fractions but I found the lesson to be both engaging and enjoyable.
The two presenters gave the students one handout - which was personalized with their names on it and had a math problem that was about them - and a manipulative of counting blocks. Each block represented a dollar value and it was up to us, the students, to determine how much money we had.
I found this presentation to be very insightful. It taught me how important it is to integrate a math manipulative into the lesson. By doing so, it makes the lesson more engaging - especially for visual learners. In addition to this, it's important to make the actual word problem more enjoyable. The presenters achieved this by creating a word problem that was about the teachers, rather than a random character named Sally or Mike. This made the lesson more humorous.
This presentation allowed me to enjoy math. Comparing to my experience in elementary school, math was strictly instructional and using a math manipulative in class was considered a treat. In this case, it's something that should be used in every single lesson to promote consistent engagement.
Following the presentation, our professor taught us a really fun method of teaching fractions. She gave us a pack of cards with fractions and shapes. We were to evenly distribute the cards around the table and play a game of "War." To win the game, you must put down a card (without looking) at the same time as your opponent. Whoever has the larger fraction wins.
Being someone who is really competitive in games (at least ones that don't require physical activity!), I found this game to be highly, highly engaging and enjoyable. My tablemates and I were playing quite competitively without realizing that we were learning in the process.
An important lesson that the math class has taught me is that it's possible to incorporate a fun game in your math lesson and still teach. I hope to use this method when I become a teacher.
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