Weekly Report & Reflection #3:

Weekly Reflection:

During this class, I learned how to add and subtract using large numbers and the mathematical blocks. I also learned the many different ways to answer a mathematical problem, proving that there are multiple ways to get to the final answer.

Jeff Heartwell, 2015

Some points that I would like to make about the class include, a better explanation of how to do the addition and subtraction problems using the blocks. I understood how to use the blocks doing addition, however I had no idea how to use the blocks doing subtraction. In the text book it explained how to complete these problems with blocks, however actually completing the problems manipulating the blocks was found to be a troublesome task. I also thought that better examples other than blocks should've been used, applying the lesson plan to all the learning styles. I also feel like a game could have been incorporated to make playing with/ using the blocks a more fun task. In my placement, I was given 5 students who had a learning disability a sheet of patterns they had to figure out. I was extremely lenient with the children, if they could not answer the question I told them to move on to the next one. Some children would move on and others would be stumped on what seemed to be a basic math question to myself. I would then get frustrated and eventually give them the answer. I could have used the block method in this situation to help aid the students into understanding the problem better.


Three questions that I would like to ask are:

1. How do I explain to kids how to do decimals with the blocks?
2. What is the best way to teach someone addition and subtraction, when they still don't understand after using blocks
3. If the child could not finish the question themselves, at what point to you give them the answer?

Weekly Report:

What I learned from the book was computational strategies with regards to operations with whole numbers. I also learned how to do algorithms, using the hundreds, tens, and ones learning how addition and subtraction "undo" each other by adding back the amount you originally subtracted. This reading showed a lot of methods to add, subtract, multiply, and even divide numbers using the blocks. It was really helpful when the book broke down the problem into steps, making it a lot easier for myself to visualize the problem, and figure out how to explain it to others. The reading did a

Google Image: [Image] Retrieved From:
http://www.eduplace.com/math/mathsteps/2/c/

really good job of explaining the common errors and misconceptions we have when doing these problems, which is something I could really relate to. When the text book went over all of the appropriate manipulative, it made a lot more sense of what I was doing. I had to use this website to accurately figure out how to properly subtract with the blocks, this website http://www.eduplace.com/math/mathsteps/2/c/ was extremely helpful and explained what I was doing step by step, which correlated with the text book. 

Weekly Report & Reflection #2:

Weekly Report & Reflection

Reflection:Is there a negative viewpoint on mathematics?
Overall I feel that there is an extremely negative viewpoint on mathematics. I feel this way because Math teachers often do not inspire their students, showing them the appreciation for math and instead teach the memorization steps of math. Often I feel like the Math teachers have a great concept on the understanding of the problem, but struggle with breaking down the steps and teaching the concepts. As a result of this, math students often feel like math is a foreign language, which they cannot orient themselves around.

How do I feel about mathematics?
Growing up, My father was a math teacher so if I ever had a problem understanding a question I could come to him for help. I took Kumon when I was a child, and understood the basic high school math concepts, however when it came to grade 12 advanced functions/ calculus I was lost.

What strategies will I use in a J/I classroom to teach mathematics?
After learning the many different styles of breaking down the math problems within the course EDBE 8P29, I would use the heuristic teaching style, allowing the students to discover or learn something themselves. I would provide the students the proper steps to complete the problem, however I would let them know there are many other ways to complete the problem.

What makes an excellent math teacher? 
I feel that an excellent math teacher goes over all 7 of the processes to solve a problem. These processes are; problem solving, reasoning & proving, reflecting, selecting tools, connecting, representing, and communicating.


Report:
Areas of mathematics I will focus on?
The area I will focus on the most is the mathematical process. In J/I this process supports an effective learning style within mathematics. I will be particularly focused on the "Understanding the Problem", rereading and restating the problem. I will have to identify the information given and the information that needs to be determined. In this stage, most students have a problem understanding the problem, and in this stage it is extremely difficult to break down the problem into steps. I will have to talk about the problem and break it down for the students to understand it better.

Connections on Building Background:
http://www.edugains.ca/newsite/HOME/index.html
The connection I made on this resource provided, was the revised Ontario curriculum on the Curriculum Document +. This resource was especially important when discovering the mathematical process, and the many overall and specific expectations regarding the curriculum, more specifically patterning and algebra.

Hialah Gardens. Google Images [Image]
Retrieved from: https://hgms.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/math.jpg

Introduction

Introduction:
My name is Jeffrey Heartwell, and I have graduated from Kinesiology at Brock University, and now I am in the Consecutive Education Program. The purpose of this blog is to reflect each week on the many experiences I have with this University Math class, EDBE 8P29. This blog will reflect the many struggles and victories I have with this course, and how I overcome them respectfully. I come from an education oriented background, having both my parents being teachers, one a math teacher and the other the head of Spec. Ed. Growing up, it was always mandatory that I finish all my Math homework, and if I needed help I could always come to my Dad for help. In this class I am optimistic about learning the many different teaching strategies that my Dad should have used so I understood him better, and did not argue with him. From this class I want to be able to teach students how to do a certain problem in many different ways, emphasizing that there are many ways to get to the same answer. I believe this will be an interesting course, and I hope to use all the teaching strategies I learn in my classroom in the future.