Math Matters

Math Matters Article

"Why do I need to learn this?"

When it comes to math, I have heard this so many times from many students in the upper elementary to high school level. I admit, I even asked this question when I was growing up as well.What happens sometime sis that students are not taught the reasons why math helps them thus children do not see the significance of learning math. They just see math as equations, and problems to solve and outcomes are the things that educators mainly focus on. This is how I saw math growing up.  However, as the article by Cindy Donladson above states, it is much more.It was not until I began studying math more and teaching it that I realized how important and valuable it is.Donaldson's answer to this common question is "“Because knowing math will keep as many doors as possible open in your future.” She is right! She discusses that math is very important and it matters in three ways :personal,patriotic and patriotic ways. Personal and Practical ways why math matters resonated with me the most.

The Personal way that resonated with me the most was that math helps develop our problem solving skills. There is a process to solving equations an this process is very similar to how we solve everyday problems in our lives. Math is important because it helps our brains think logically. It "helps us define the problem solving steps". 

Practically math is everywhere. Without it, life would be chaotic. I use math when buying things, cooking, at restaurants, making clothes, and even buying houses. When do you use math during the day?? It is hard for me to think of sometime when math is not used.

Math matters a lot to me. As educators,parents,and friends  i believe there should not be a fear or boredom of math but many ways to celebrate its importance and this importance and value should start by teachers explaining why math matters. No more "why do I need to learn this?" but rather "Math helps me and I enjoy it!."Lets change our view on math to one of importance and excitement.

What do you think about this? Agree/disagree? What does math mean to you?

Does early education matter?

Infographic on Early Education

Working as a Pre-kindergarten educator has shown me how critical learning is at an early age in a child. These children are capable of learning so many different things. Children not only learn social skills at this age but ,as the infographic says, by age five 90% of their brain development has taken place. It is remarkable to see first hand how learning occurs whether it is teacher directed or even student centered learning that is taking place.  Our brains are able to take in and process a lot of information at a young age. This is why  I believe early  education does matter!

If this critical period of development is undervalued or seen as unimportant, the effects are, as shown above, detrimental:high school dropouts, crime, and even teen parents. Disappointment is the one word that came to my mind when I read the fact that : 35-40 % of children are not ready for kindergarten. I think that more public educational institutions should provide a pre-kindergarten and preschool that can emphasize learning,play, and value high quality early childhood education.

As the infograph states: Every child should be able to thrive. I think this should be the goal .

Here is an example from my classroom of just one learning experience that has occurred in the Junior Kindergarten classroom I work in.The children learn how to count  in english,spanish,korean,Japanese and german during morning circle time.They are only 4 and a half to 5 years old.This is one way of allowing  childrens minds to grow and develeop and promotoe this ealry learning.We are now in the second month of school and out of the 16 students in my class, teh majority can count in these 5 different languages. The brain is remarkable. Imagine how much more children are able to learn if placed in a high quality early education setting. So far i have seen that songs, hands on activities, Ipad, and videos are helpful tools that promote early education and am excited to see the learning process expand as the year goes on.

  

Here are just a few question to ponder about. Let me know what you think :)

What do you think about early education?What does high quality early education mean to you? How can early education be valued more in our society?

Connected Learning

How do we teach students how to learn instead of just being students? This is one of the main questions the video "The Essence of Connected Learning" highlights. I agree with the video that our learning institutions should be environments of passion,interest and engagement. I think it brings up some interesting points that hopefully will lead to a more engaged,passionate, and networked society of learners instead of students.

The Essence of Connected Learning from DML Research Hub on Vimeo.

One of the key concepts in the video that resonated with me was individualizing learning experiences. It is so important to get to know each and every one of your students in your classroom and then teach to with their interest in mind. Oftentimes and in the past, as educators, we have taught to assessments and only facts. This has not lead to mastery or engagement but rather short term memory and uninterested students. For learning to occur, allow the children to be curious,discover, explore and inquire. Project based learning is a great way of allowing for exploration and inquiry to occur so that learning and understanding is taught. PBL also relates learning experiences to real world application. This year the class I am working in is doing a PBL on maps. i am very excited to see how this goes and will definitely keep everyone updated.

The second point that resonated with me is that learners do not need to be taught to learn the same way. I believe that there is more than one right answer. Emphasizing the one right answer concept, to me, limits peoples creativity, their want to explore more and can decrease confidence levels in people. Offering choices, allowing for group collaboration, and the use of authentic and alternative assessments such as interviews, portfolios, readers theaters, monologues,etc can help teach students to learn.

Connectedness has allowed learners to share their ideas with each other and really become passionate. I know that helping someone else get better at something feels great. Hopefully out students and educators will embrace this idea of connected learning because I believe it can be very effective.

"Connected Educators"

Connected Educators
Education has shifted from an age of paper and pencil to one where digital is becoming the new classroom. Schools are using the Internet, Ipads, document cameras and other technology to teach from and engage their students.As Will Richardson discusses in his article Three Starting points for Thinking differently about learning, the Web has greatly influenced us as educators and learners. With the web, we have "access to more information, more knowledge and more people." I do agree that this new shift is challenging and kind of scary for educators. As a connected society the fact that  "our students can access most of the traditional school curriculum without us requires us to rethink almost everything about our role as teachers and our value in schools." Has the importance of teaching in the classroom become undervalued? Is our role as educators now more of  just a guide or supplement to the Web and all its tools? I tend to  think that the up and coming age of technology allows our roles to become those of "connected educators" and to enhance teaching and learning in students rather than undervalued educators.

Richardson mentions three ways in which we can think differently about learning in the digital age that I mostly agree with(thining the walls of the classroom, taking to strangers and being transparent)

The one I agree with and resonate most is :
1. Thin the Walls of Your Classroom
Using the Web as a tool is a great way for students and educators to connect to others as well as share their own work  for "real audiences" all over the world. In one of my classrooms in the past,my students have had pen pals from africa who they connected with through email and talked to. They loved to share all about themselves and their passions. We made videos and wrote poems for them. My kids became "connected" with others in a fun,passionate and engaging way. 

This article provided a different way of looking at the new shift in our society and gave great advice on how we can start to shift into the new society of globalization, technology and connectivity in education. Let me know what you think about this !

Update on 20% Project

Sign Language for educational purposes it is! After last weeks blog post on possible topics, I have chosen to focus on learning sign language. I think it can be very useful for educating young children and could be used as a way of expression and communication. I am very excited to start. I was thining about making my own videos and maybe even signing an entire eductational sign, if I am able to get it down quickly!

Heres one website I have found to help me start signing. ABC, it is easy as 1,2,3, right??

Culture of Generosity

What is a culture of generosity and how can it be used to improve education?

A culture of generosity focuses on people’s intrinsic motivations and interests to help society as a whole. It is a society that encourages the world’s population to contribute and collaborate on large, sometimes global projects. In this culture creativity is shared in a communal or civic way. Both allow people to share their creativity with others without constraints or limitations.

In education, I think a culture of generosity could provide so many opportunities to enhance children’s abilities to grow and develop. Focusing more on creativity, experimentation, and freedom allows students to become engaged and involved on things they are interest in. One way it can be used to improve education is by providing multiple options for children. As an educator, telling children that there is more than one right answer, could allow for creativity, passion and a want to learn. This is exhibited in Project Based Learning, thus I believe this is one direct way education can be improved because the learning is more student centered and applicable to the real world. Students are allowed to be original, use their creativity, while at the same time connecting with professionals in society and their peers to create their own intrinsic motivation to learn.

What does it mean to say “Free cultures get what they celebrate?”

I think this means that if people are encouraged and given the opportunity to be creative without being told to do something or being paid, the end result will not only develop from ones intrinsic motivation but be meaningful to society as well. If creativity is not celebrated, it will not be viewed in a positive light and thus an authoritarian and consumerist society may be reverted to. If achievements are not celebrated then the importance of creativity and originality may be viewed as meaningless instead of meaningful.

Filter Bubbles

Growing up I did not really realize the bubble I was in. It was not until high school that I realized I was very isolated in my own bubble. I attended a private school, was from a middle/upper class family, and grew up in a safe neighborhood. One of my high schools graduation requirements was to do several hours of community service. This is that shocking event that made my see the outside world and all of the events in society that were outside of my bubble. I have lived in a bubble but am trying very hard to expand that bubble and be opened minded to the world around me.

Eli Pariser discusses a whole new notion of filter bubbles on the Internet. What he means is that the Internet does this "invisible alogorithmic editing of the web."Just when I thought I was expanding my mindset and my bubble, I come across the fact that the Internet, especially search engines and news headlines, personalize my search results based on what it thinks  I want to see. Pariser calls this my "unique universe of information" created by the Internet. I have no control over this and it is kind of scary and in a sense dangerous. It is putting me back into the bubble I want to expand. Right now I am not a fan of this "filter bubbles" concept because I can not see how the internet can pin point exactly my interests, my thinking,etc. It really can not. So what may be a better way of using the Internet?I think the Internet should be a way of networking instead of filtering and putting people in bubbles. By networking, we can collaborate, see others points of views, share ideas rather than become controlled and filtered.