Post on 11-Jan-2016
description
Why Math Education is Changing…
…and how we as parents can help our children improve!
Math ≠ Magic
Too often, we as adults are amazed by how numbers can be manipulated.
Even when the answer is explained, we might see how each individual step is done, but we are at a loss how anyone saw the path from start to finish.
How did we learn math?
How much did we retain?
post secondary
K-12
The rest of our life…
How did we like math?
Have students changed?
A Shifting Focus
From To
Teacher – absolute authority Teacher – caring coach
Knowledge/skill based Application and problem based
Lecture centred Inquiry centred
Exam heavy Variety of assessments
Two sources Multiple sources
Student responsibly Multiple stakeholders
Audio-visual Audio-visual-spatial-kinesthetic
Example 1: Ratios
1:3 = 2:__
Old way…
Example 1: Ratios
How many ears do you have?How many fingers do you have?
How do they compare?Is that the same for everyone at the table?What is the ratio of ears to fingers for the
whole table? the whole room?How does that compare to your personal
ratio?
New way…
Example 2:Buying a Ball Cap
How much does a ball cap cost?Approximately $30
How can you pay for it?Allowance, job, gift money…
Why does it cost that amount?Brainstorm: materials, labor, equipment, design,
logo rights, profit to manufacturer, store upkeep… cost of each per cap?
Parent Support for Math
Teachers all over the world are letting go of their tight fisted grasp over the “absolute authority” in education… and you will have to as well. Its hard, trust me!
Key strategies:• Positive responses• Asking questions
• Games and Challenges
Strategy 1:Positive responses
This is hard. I don’t know how to do it.Response: Let’s find out together!
That isn’t how my teacher did it.Response: Cool – lets see if it works, then we can try to find out how the teacher did it.
Strategy 1:Positive responses
ChallengeThis is stupid. I’ll never need this.
Response: Sure you will… {come up with application} –OR- Maybe not, but…
Strategy 2:Why and When?
When they are doing their homework, ask “Why?” and “How?” and “When?” ….even if they understand.• Why did you pick that? • Why does that work?• How did you know to try that?• How else could you get to the answer?• When could you use this in real life?• When does this work? When does it not
work?
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Who is closer?• Parent and child each pick a number (ex. 18 and 24)
• Each gets to guess what the result would be if they are
multiplied together (ex. 18x24)
• The child gets to check on a calculator and determine
who is closer
SKILLS: Estimation, mental math, number comparison
Get me from A to B• Parent picks a point somewhere in the room
• The child gives precise directions for the parent to get to that point
• Ex. Take 4 steps forward, turn 90 degrees to the right, take 3 steps.
• As the child gets better, have them give 2 or 3 directions at a time
SKILLS: Relational thinking, estimation, communication
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Running total shopping game• As you are doing your grocery shopping, the child keeps a
running total of the cost
• In the beginning, you may round the costs to the nearest dollar.
As they get better, have them decide whether/how to round
• If the child is within a certain range of the actual value, they get
a treat
SKILLS: Mental math, estimation, rounding
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Which is better value?• As you are doing your grocery shopping, whenever a choice
between products and sizes comes up, ask your child to help
with the decision
• Key factors to get them to consider is cost, amount and
quality. For the amount, they should consider value as well as
risk of spoiling!
SKILLS: Mental math, estimation, rounding
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
How far and how long?• When walking or driving, have your child estimate the time
it will take to get to your destination based on the distance
• When driving, pick a far off object and have the child
estimate the distance (check using odometer) and the time
it will take to get there.
SKILLS: Spatial and temporal awareness, estimation
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Extend the pattern• Create a pattern (shapes, colours, sounds,
movements)
• Have your child extend the pattern, and then describe
how the pattern works
SKILLS: Pattern recognition, extension, communication
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Coin challenge• Have a number of different coins in a pouch
• Knowing the value and number of coins, the child
brainstorms the possible combinations of coins
• The parent can give hints to help narrow the selection
(ex. There are twice as many dimes as quarters)
SKILLS: Money math, relations, problem solving
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Powers of Observation• The child is told to concentrate on observing everything that
happens in a location (restaurant, grocery line, etc.) for a
given amount of time, and then closes their eyes
• The parent asks questions about location and description of
items in the room, what people were saying, when events
happened
SKILLS: Spatial and temporal awareness, memory, patterns
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Broken calculator• The student is given an arithmetic problem to solve with a
calculator, with the stipulation that a button is “broken”
(can’t be used). Difficulty can be tailored to student ability
easily.
• Ex. 18 x 23 but the number 8 is broken. (student could do
20 – 2, get 18, then multiply by 23)
SKILLS: Order of operations, calculation, problem solving
Strategy 3:Games and Challenges
Selected Resources
• http://www.mathplayground.com
• http://www.math-play.com/
• http://www.smarttutor.com/free-resources/
• https://www.khanacademy.org/
• http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNum
2012.pdf
• http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/math/
• http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/
• http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/
• http://www.mathstories.com/strategies.htm