Two Extra Days...

Hey there.

Participants in both classes have agreed that holding the Math Fair on Thursday, October 6th will work, and this will give everyone more time to do this assignment well.

Please remember that part of this assignment is figuring out and playing with the problem with your partner. Make sure you have chosen one that you like, or that you feel good about.

(That is why I have given you a choice of problems so you can get one you actually like).

On Tuesday we will be doing some mathematics together that looks at problems that are open ended, have multiple entry points, focus on some interesting mathematics, and the problem will be in context.

See you then... and read chapter three!

Math Fair!

On October 4th we will be having our math fair during class. On Tuesday (Sept 27) we will be discussing this in-class activity, and what expectations will be. I want to expose you to the SNAP Math Fair that come from the University of Alberta.

On the SNAP Math Fair website there is the following brief overview:

"SNAP Math fair is not like a traditional science fair. Although there is a superficial resemblance, it differs in its structure and its scope. Like a science fair, the math fair has tabletop displays presided over by students, but the similarity does not extend much beyond this.

A SNAP math fair is:

Student-centred,

Non-competitive, 

All-inclusive, and 

Problem-based.

The purpose of a SNAP math fair is to provide a meaningful problem-solving experience for all students. These four guidelines make the math fair appeal to all students at all levels. We believe that once you have tried a SNAP math fair, you will incorporate it as part of your regular math curriculum."

You and your partner will choose one problem from the following problems on the Galileo Network Math Fair Problems Page. You will be responsible for learning as much as you can about this one problem, and then during the math fair you will provide others in our class with the opportunity to solve the problem.

In the comments section below this post, you will need to type:

1. Both people's names (First and Last names)
2. The name of the problem you will be responsible for,
3. If you are in the First Class (9 am) or Second Class (10:30). It will be first come, first choice with the problems. We do not want any problems repeated in the same section.

You will also need to check the teacher's page for the Math Fair problems, because some of the problems are more geared for secondary, and for the purposes of our class, I only want you to provide problems geared towards K-6. It will also help you see what area of mathematics your problem takes up and you may notice your problem listed in a few mathematical categories since the problem may encompass more than one area of mathematics.

Here is a rubric courtesy of the Galileo Educational Network that you can use to guide your work, and to use with your own students when YOU do math fairs at your school in the near future.

Click here to see a few images from our Math Fairs last fall.

What is Mathematics?

What assumptions do you hold about mathematics? In class we will spend time thinking, talking, and challenging what mathematics might be, and the impact that traditional definitions have on us as learners. Using Lakoff and Nunez's notion of the mythology that surrounds math, (what they refer to as 'the romance of mathematics' from their book Where Mathematics Comes From) we will look at traditional notions of mathematics and bump it up against a reconceptualized view. Figuring out our own positioning towards mathematics is critical to becoming a reflective teacher of mathematics. What part of the romance do you believe? How does what you think about mathematics affect how you teach it?

What, for you, are the big ideas in mathematics? How, if at all, have your beliefs about mathematics shifted? What is it that you will need to know, to read, to figure out, to study to gain a better understanding of the nature of mathematics as something that might be a living discipline, a human activity?

Reuben Hersh is an American mathematician who has written extensively about mathematics. He takes up his ideas from What is Mathematics, Really? in the following interview that I would like you to read: What Kind of Thing Is a Number? A Talk with Reuben Hersh Be sure to click on THE TALK at the bottom of the page to read the entire interview. He delves into his view of mathematics, the teaching of mathematics, and how our stance towards mathematics impacts how and what we teach.

Please also work your way through Chapters 1 and 2, if you have not yet done so to help you with your thinking. Looking forward to hearing your ideas in class!

Math Curse!

I hope you enjoyed Math Curse, the award winning children's picture book by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith and published by Viking.

There is so much you can do with this book, as we discussed in class. The fun begins when Mrs. Fibonacci tells the class, "You know, you can think of almost everything as a math problem...."

ISBN-10: 0670861944
ISBN-13: 978-0670861941

Tomorrow's Class and Readings

It's Monday, the sun is shining, and there is no Hurricane Maria devastation to keep us distracted from our work, thankfully.  On Friday many of you had your first observation day school experience. For most of you that was cut short due to the Hurricane possibility, but hopefully you were able to spend some time with teachers and children. We will begin tomorrow's class with a sharing of what you experienced, focusing on mathematics where possible.

Our class tomorrow will also focus on the mathematics that is in schools and how it has shaped what you think mathematics actually is.

I encourage you to read Chapters One and Two from our course text (third edition) by Thursday. 

Also, I will be adding an online reading for Thursday after tomorrow's class.

Hope your week is off to a great start. See you Tuesday morning!

Do Schools Kill Creativity?

Do Schools Kill Creativity?


Sir Ken Robinson makes an entertaining and profoundly moving case for creating an education system that nurtures creativity, rather than undermining it. He challenges the way we look at education and children.

So what does this mean for you, as a future primary/elementary teacher, with regards to teaching and in particular with regards to teaching mathematics to children?

Looking forward to discussing this with you.

Math Autobiography

Please reflect on your own learning of mathematics in school. This is your Math Autobiography.

Rationale: Many people have difficulty remembering their mathematics education in primary/elementary grades. In order to begin to study the teaching of mathematics to children it is important to revisit your own education in mathematics. it is necessary to reflect on your assumptions, emotions, and nostalgia surrounding your experiences and to critically examine them. Consider the following:

• What did mathematics in your classroom look like (kindergarten-grade 6)? Be descriptive.

• What is your best and/or worst memory surrounding mathematics in primary and elementary? How has this affected your views about mathematics now as an adult?

• Were you "good" or "not good" at math? How did you know this?

• What was the role of the teacher in your math classes? How do you think they felt about mathematics?

• What did assessment look like?

• Tell briefly about math in high school.

• What math courses did you take in university?

• Did you take any math electives?

• Do/did you engage with mathematics in your life in major ways?

• How do you feel about mathematics now?

We will be sharing our math autobiographies on September 15th. 

Please submit this assignment at the end of the class (September 15th). I will be looking for a thoughtful, well-written, clear and critically reflective account of your mathematics history. (It would be a good idea to refer to the 4.8.3 MUN University Regulations on Good Writing, located in our course outline). 

This written (word processed) narrative should be no more than 3 pages.  Please do not use a cover sheet or clip art. Just make sure your name is at the top of your first page and the pages are stapled together. Remember, I have 80 of these to read. Please do not email your assignment to me.

Welcome to Mathematics in the Primary/Elementary Grades

Welcome to the start of our Fall 2011 Semester.

If you are reading this it means you have found our class blog. Please check this blog on a regular basis as I will be using it in conjunction with our class time. I will not be posting "lectures" on the blog. This is not a transmission of information course. It is a course where you learn about teaching and about learning mathematics. In order to do this well, you will need to spend time reflecting, reading, discussing, and doing.

Check back soon for more information as we get our course under way!