Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Coding in the Classroom 


  I like the idea of using it in the classroom but I don't think I would want to go to a institution with it.
Coding for me is a totally different and new world to explore and I think it would take a good amount of time to learn it.  This is the first time I have heard of coding so for me it is a new area for me to look into.  


What role does mathematics play in coding 
  I think students would learn a lot from coding math games. Not only would they be learning how to code but learning how to put together a math game and be able to explain their math game in great detail.  Unlike games that are already made for you and you just play it.  Making a game or program from start to finish proves that you understand your material you are covering.  

Students I feel would enjoy coding or if you set the bar up high enough they will rise to the challenge.  Teaching students at a young age to code using the basics will bring on a whole new age group of coders.


Saturday, April 11, 2015

Math Ele Teachers    Higher Math vs. Practical Math 


Topic 1
    What makes people so upset when they have to take a math course or perform math equations is because children today are being brought up thinking math is hard and math is not fun or challenging.  Once they start to feel lost in math children usually don't ask for help or when they do they feel like they are "stupid" and their the only ones having problems.  It doesn't help that many teachers don't care much for the field either which makes it harder to teach.  Students can see when a teacher doesn't care much for the lesson she is teaching. I think math should be more of a one on one teaching that gives students the motivation they need to keep going.  Once a student feels like they can do it or has a good support group behind them, they feel like they can make the steps toward success themselves and not have to have someone holding their hand the whole way.  

Topic 2
     I feel there should not be a limit to how many math course a school gives to their students.  I think having the higher math is good for the students who want to push themselves to do bigger and better things.  While many schools offer personal finance which teaches more practical everyday math to students is good.  Its not the fact that students need to know the higher math its their thought process to how they get their answer.  I feel like higher math can open the mind to a more open way of thinking and to look at the whole problem in front of them and be able to take apart the problem and put it back together.  Just like a mechanic takes a car apart and puts it back together math can put in the same way.  People just need to take a step back from the mean old math course and take it in as more or a puzzle and not just an equation. 

Friday, April 3, 2015

Common Core 


First Impression!!

The first thing I thought while watching the video is that she needed to actually work some of the problems out for the parents.  She had them already worked out and was just explaining them.  I think it would help some parents more if they could see her working the problem out as she explained the process of watching someone perform the problem can help more rather than just explaining the picture. 

I liked the video for the most part, it took me a minute to see where she was going with the video.  Plus I was a little confused at first as to how the graph would help the students but as the video went on I got the point.

I will be making a video of me completing a math problem using the common core method and I will be posting the original video that this post is based off of and my video I make attempting it myself. 

Friday, February 27, 2015

MATH    PROJECT BASED LEARNING


     I feel very excited about this project were starting.  I think PBL is a great way to open students up to the real world problems and finding ways to understand them.  PBL is taking a complex problem or question and forming a project around it that allows the students to explore the topic while performing and gaining key knowledge and skills.  The teacher's role in this type of learning is more of a bystander really they make sure everything is on course and that the students are working toward the right goal.  The students are more engaged in their learning rather than being passive learners where the teacher feeds them the information they need.  This chart from Carolina.com explains the roles better.  


 Inquiry-BasedTraditional
Principle Learning TheoryConstructivism Behaviorism  
Student ParticipationActive Passive 
Student Involvement in OutcomesIncreased responsibility Decreased responsibility  
Student RoleProblem solver Direction follower  
Curriculum GoalsProcess oriented Product oriented 
Teacher’s RoleGuide/facilitator Director/transmitter  

    Even through there is a lot more work involved with this learning it just feels right in a way for me.  If I could find a school system that would allow me to teach like this I would totally teach this style of learning.  Seeing the students in the video being excited about their purpose and to fulfill their purpose and role in the group was inspiring.  

Thursday, February 5, 2015

Tec4Teachers 


For me the hardest part was choosing a topic to pick and teacher from. Cause there is so much in history that you could go on forever talking about and teaching on. 

For me I would use it more as a resource guide for students to be able to go to for help. Almost like a library. 

Regarding the quiz it was pretty straight forward expect for the fact that if the student didn't type the answer in the same as you did it was automaticly wrong. I don't see myself using that type of question with students. 

Overall I really enjoyed the assignment, I liel to learn new things and I feel edomdo will go places with schools. It's just in its beginning steps for me you could say. But I liked it a lot. 

Monday, February 2, 2015

Tec4Teachers- Is higher math really needed??



The way the speaker is thinking you could say his ideas are revolutionary because it will take a act of revolution to make it come true honestly.  The public education system will never be perfect but to me taking math out of higher education will not help if anything it would make our students lazy thinkers. What people don't understand is that its not the fact that math is needed in life its how math makes us think that is important.  Math teaches us how to dig deeper into our brains and actually work them.  Just like you workout to keep in shape you must also keep your brain tuned and health and math helps out with that a lot.  Now brain games would help that but for school a class that is nothing but games would not fix the problem or help anymore than a math class does right now.  I don't think math needs to be taken out of the school system, if anything it needs teachers that are willing to take that extra mile with that student who is afraid of math or is already defeated when they walk through the door.  When it comes to math I feel math teachers have to be strong for their students because of the fear and stress that is related to the class.  Putting brain games in your class here and there would be ways to combat that stress, or to find ways that those games incorporate the lesson you are trying to teach.  But in the end math is needed whether we like it or not it'll be there tomorrow and many years to come.  

Friday, January 23, 2015

MATH FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS 


   After class yesterday I feel it was actually helpful, on way was it help break more of the ice between students who did't know each other.  And some people seem to have had break throughs and figured out that they actually knew what they were doing they just needed a little extra push to get there.  What I like about this class the most is the fact nobody puts each other down, rather we all work together and strive to help one another.  Where in other classes during group work I feel that missing from the group, everyone is out for themselves and their own grade it seems.  
   The group I fell into was the yellow group, most of the class was in that group.  The one think I liked the most about my group was when we finally got comfortable we got down to who was good at what problem and had those people start explaining what they did first.  Expanding off that we were able to collaborate solutions and answers to our problems and confusions.   
   I think the questions were helpful, they directed the conversation, leaving little room to wonder off topic.  A lot of the questions we were able to answer and then ask more detailed questions based off the original question.  I can at least say for myself I didn't feel left out or like I was falling behind like I tend to during most a math classes.