Math is everywhere

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I remember sitting in the classroom getting distracted and disengaged with what I was learning in math. The same question ran through my head during each lesson - When would I ever need to use this in real life?

I am sure many of us have questioned the lessons being taught to us because we simply could not recognize its uses in the real world. Students will wonder - When would I use fractions? Why do I need to learn how to calculate the volume of a cone? What do I benefit from learning how to solve using long division?

As educators, it is our job to show students the benefits of learning math and how it is actually used in our everyday lives! According to Imagine Math, there are 6 ways we use math everyday.

1. Math helps you build things: Consider this - would you ever build something without knowing how much material you need for it to work? Absolutely not. Those who create need math to understand what the best estimate is and how to achieve this.

2. Math is in the grocery store: To get the most out of a grocery store, people need to consider their budget, how much they are saving (percentage discounts), and weighing products. I am sure many, if not, all, of you have seen deals involving percentages such as "Buy One, Get One 50% Off." Without any knowledge of math, this would seem like the most fantastic deal. Using math, you could see that you're really just lured into buying two products for a measly 25% off.

3. Math makes baking fun: Not only does it make baking fun, it also makes the outcome of baking more desirable and, well, edible. Bakers must understand the measurement of each ingredient required, ratios, and baking time needed to make the food cooked and ready to eat.

4. Math takes the risk out of travel: A traveler needs to understand the best route to get from Point A to Point B. He/She can mark their point of interest and find the easiest and most affordable way to get there. This will consider the distance required to reach the destination and the amount of gas needed.

5. Math helps you save money: By understanding math, people can learn to save their money better. This involves creating realistic budgets and calculating interest over time. By using math in the financial aspect of life, people can become less stressed and frustrated with their financial situation.

6. Math lets you manage time: This can involve writing down to-do lists for the day and prioritizing tasks that are more urgent. In addition to this, we use math everyday during class, work, and extra-curricular. I'm sure many people are counting down the minutes until their shift is over.

This list created by Imagine Math allows peoples to view math in a totally different perspective. It forces us to recognize the benefits of math outside the classroom. As educators, we need to promote this outlook on math so students can find more meaning in their learning.

Blended Learning

Welcome back, friends.

Do you ever compare the way you teach to how you were taught? I do. I could list a number of ways education has changed in the classroom - the ways students are seated, areas of the classroom, but, most importantly, the integration of blended learning.

Blended learning has changed the way students learn. It's extraordinary how much of a difference it makes in student learning. The blending learning approach combines online digital media with the traditional classroom methods. According to eLearning Industry, the blended approach "ensures that not only is the learner engaged more and driving his/her individual learning experience to some degree, but also since different learners have different learning styles, a blended approach is more likely to cater to those varying needs." Besides this, blended learning allows for instant feedback, the ability to quickly assess a student's performance and needs, and create easily accessible assessment pieces.

In my opinion, blended learning brings learning beyond the classroom because it makes lessons a) more memorable and b) accessible in the home. There are a number of resources for educators to explore to bring blended learning into the classroom.

The first resource I want to explore is Kahoot! This online resources allows educators to quiz and review lesson content in the classroom. Educators can simply create a quiz along with a series of multiple choice answers, and then create a "game code" for students to access via an electronic device whether it be their cell phones, tablets, or laptops. Students are required to sign in with a name so it is easier for teachers to assess their knowledge and understanding of the topic.

The second resource is called ThingLink. This application takes the Word Wall to a whole new level. Educators can create an account to create interactive word wall diagrams. When accessed, students can click on a photo or text and media will appear. This can include videos, images, text, or audio files. It allows for students to access a word wall that is interactive and student-friendly.

This final resource is called Padlet. It allows for educators to create an interactive corkboard where students can contribute to discussion anonymously. The website allows for students and educators to post images, videos, and text where viewers can respond in a comment box. The great thing about Padlet is the fact that the submissions are live.

Math can be rich!

Hello friends,

In this week's blog post, I will be talking about how important it is to make math meaningful. During this week's lesson, we were taught how to create rich math tasks that allow students to be fully engaged and find meaning in the activities.

After doing some exploration on the handy-dandy Internet, I found a great resource that explains what it means when students do rich tasks. According to an article found on Enriching Mathematics called, What is a Mathematical Rich Task? a rich task:

• opens up mathematics
• transforms the subject from a collection of memorized procedures and facts into a living, connected whole
• results in a learner process far more engaging, interesting, and powerful which is likely to "lead to a lasting assimilation  of the material for use in both further mathematical study and the wider context of applications"

The source further explores why it is important to use mathematical rich tasks in the classroom. The list includes, but is not limited to:

• allows students to work at a range of levels
• allows students to extend knowledge or apply knowledge in new contexts
• allows students to broaden their problem-solving skills.

I did some exploring and found an excellent resource that provides educators with interesting and engaging math tasks to share with students. Educational Designer provides one example where students are asked to solve a series of math problems involving addition, multiplication, and division.

Supermarket Carts

The diagram shows 12 supermarket carts that have been "nested" together. They also show that the length of a single supermarket cart is 96cm and that each cart sticks out 30cm beyond the previous one in line.

1. How long will a row of 2 carts be? 3 carts? 12 carts?

2. Create a rule that will tell you the length of storage space needed when all you know is the number of supermarket carts to be stored.

3. Now work out the number of carts that can fit in a space of 5m long.

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This activity demonstrates that there are a series of steps required to solve each math problem. I believe one of the reasons why this is a rich task is because it asks the students to create a rule that will explain how they will solve a problem. In addition to this, it allows the students to think beyond the first task of solving the length of carts. This relates to the characteristics of rich math tasks requiring students to think in a range of levels and expanding their problem solving skills. This activity can be expanded by asking students to share their methods of solving the problem and see how different each response it. Students may different ways to solve and the second task of creating a rule gives students the opportunity to share the numerous ways one can solve a problem.

I suck at math but it's okay.

“Your best teacher is your last mistake” - Ralph Nader

Welcome back, my friends. This week I learned something that should be heavily implemented in the classroom. It is something that I feel not many teachers understand as something that is positive. It’s an unpopular saying and it goes along the words, “MISTAKES ARE IMPORTANT!”

If you’re unsure of this saying, I highly recommend the video below. In the video, Jo Boaler states that the brain grows from making mistakes. It is important to allow students to make these mistakes since it actually allows them to grow as learners. In fact, when a human being makes a mistake, their brain grows. These mistakes allow for deeper thinking - students can think back to their problem and break it down to find the solution

In addition to this, mistakes allow students to challenge themselves in a good way. Students can continue to practice math. By repeating steps and going back to one's mistakes, a student can find multiple ways to solve a math problem. It promotes a questioning attitude, problem solving skills, and critical thinking. When a student gets a question wrong, they will backtrack and try to understand what went wrong and then find a solution to get the correct answer. All in all, mistakes are seen as "brain exercises." We need them to grow and further develop our skills.

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After learning about this mindset, I started to explore some online resources to find out how an educator can implement this mindset into the classroom. According to Thinking Through Math’s “Mistakes Are Okay!”, all it takes is a growth mindset and good mentoring.

The rule is to normalize mistakes in the classroom. It is absolutely crucial for students to learn that everyone makes mistakes. Students should use mistakes as an opportunity to learn rather than an opportunity to regret and dwell on. In order to normalize mistakes, teachers should give students an adequate amount of time to solve math problems. Being under pressure, while also stressed, may hurt the students. In addition to providing more time, the source suggests that teachers should continuously remind students that it’s okay if they struggle with math.

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Besides learning more about having a growth mindset, we learned about using typical gaming objects and turning it into a math game. Many teacher candidates used board games but my partner and I used a fun math trick using 3 dice and then asked students to use math to figure out how the trick was done. It's a great trick to show the students and allows students to collaborate with each other and find different ways to solve the math problem.

Step 1: Roll dice on flat surface.

Step 2: Stack Dice.

Step 3: This step is the actual trick. In this situation, the students cannot see 5 total faces (underneath the white dice, and the top and bottom of both the red and blue dice). These 5 faces, including the one that is visual should always equal 21 (this is your secret!). Tell your students that the faces they cannot see equals 20 (to get this answer, subtract the top face from 21).

It is your students' job to find out how you got this answer. The best method is to distribute a set of 3 dice to each table/pair so they can try it out for themselves!

Great news! Math can be exciting!

Hello friends!

Welcome back to my math blog. During this week’s class, we started with another card trick. However, there was something different about this card trick. We were told from the start that the deck was rigged but we were challenged to solve how to rig it to get the results you want. Confused at first, my table group got together and tried different techniques to solve it. Turns out, it’s the magic of math.

I found this trick to be quite fascinating because it proves that math is everywhere especially in situations where we least expect it. This week’s class taught me how to make mathematics fun for students in a way that is very unique and exciting.

After doing some research, I found some great resources for teachers to use in order to make the subject more fun for their students.

The first one I’d like to discuss is Oxford’s Learning 6 Easy Ways to Make Math Fun For Kids. This would be a great source for teachers to understand the basics of making math fun for students.

Step One: Make it a game.
Kids are drawn to exciting games, especially those that are hands-on. Turning math into a game can have its benefits since it increases student engagement and healthy competition.

Step Two: Puts screens to work for you.
This is guaranteed to make the subject more fun for kids since today’s youth is obsessed with technology and all the new devices available!

Step Three: Show them the relevance.
Show kids how math can be useful in real life. For example, they can find math useful when in a financial situation (shopping, saving, etc.).

Step Four: Watch your words.
Personally, I find this step to be the most important. Use this step to encourage students to want to learn math. This directly relates to having a growth mindset for your students - encourage them to take on challenges.

Step Five: Access one of the best resources you have - your child’s teacher!
This step requires teachers to collaborate with others and bounce back ideas. You may also suggest ideas to a student’s parent in order to reinforce math in the home environment.

Step Six: Connect math and language.
Make math cross-curricular, especially for students who are more drawn to the arts. An example would be to read a book that talks about math.

Another resource that I found really useful is Mr. Elementary Math’s 30 Ways to Make Math FUN for Elementary Kids. In this resource he makes some suggestions like:

• Make it hands-on
• Use picture books
• Encourage math talk
• Make it about the kids
• Get up and move
• Add cheers
• Celebrate special math events

And there’s so much more. I highly recommend this resource for teachers to explore.

After exploring these resources, I feel like my mindset on math has slowly transformed into the growth mindset. I find myself to be more confident in teaching the subject and open to the challenge of making math exciting for the students. I hope to use these resources and implement it in the classroom.

Being used to the traditional classroom, I found math to be dry and lacklustre. I believe if my teachers had made it to be more hands-on and relatable, I may have potentially excelled in the subject. My past experience with math drives my need to teach math in a way that will always result in a smile. I hope my fellow teacher candidates will feel the same after this math course.

1 + 1 = 3, right?

The first session of our math class was something that was quite interesting and out-of-the-box. Our teacher requested for us to gather around a table and watch a demonstration of a card trick. Amazed and bewildered by the card trick, the entire class began to ask questions on how it was done.

We were then asked to separate into groups and try to figure out how the trick was done using our prior math knowledge. To be honest, the only word that popped into my head was “probability.” After trying the trick a few times, I got frustrated and gave up without thinking carefully of what my teacher said during the trick.

Similar to last year’s math class, the number one reason as to why neither of us could figure out the trick was because we were over-thinking everything. It ended up not being quite related to math itself but listening to instructions very carefully and then thinking about how one can get the same result. The card deck ended up actually being rigged - it challenged us to think about how one can solve a problem.

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The web modules that were assigned this week gave us, teacher candidates, to view math in a different perspective. We did not learn about how one can teach math, but, instead, how we can view math ourselves in order to teach it confidently and allow one’s students to feel confident.

The first module involved a few people (including students) briefly discussing their views on math. I found it to be relatable, but, at the same time, I found it to be quite sad since they appeared to feel incompetent when it came to the subject.

Just about every single person in the video feels something extremely negative about the subject. They say that they don’t like numbers, it makes them feel stupid, or, simply, they just hate it. I feel as though this mindset needs to be changed and transformed into something much more positive. Math should be seen as something that is challenging yet exciting at the same time. I remember learning math in elementary school - it was challenging and only challenging. After learning some math in last year’s class in such unique ways, I found it to be entertaining and easy to learn.

In addition to this negativity, it appears that media has deeply perpetuated the idea that math is “lame”, “nerdy”, or “boring.” As a teacher, we need to avoid this negative mindset of the subject and demonstrate to students that the subject can be something amazing.

One of the last videos of the math modules was one that discussed the myths about math. I found this video to be the most interesting and relatable video thus far. It talks about (surprise) myths about learning math and debunks them. Some famous myths include:

• Some people are just born to excel in math
• Math cannot be learned at a later age. It must be taught at a young age

I remember being younger and truly believing that people are born to excel in the mathematics and sciences while others are born to excel in the arts. With this mindset, I found myself struggling with math and slowly giving up on it.

This is something that teachers need to remove from the classroom and their minds. We must realize that ANYONE can learn math. However, it is our job to do so and do it in a way that will guarantee student success.