Math
Mathematical Thinking
Mathematics isn't a multitude of skills and formulas to be memorized, but is rather a way of thinking about the world. When we see a plane flying overhead or an apple tree in full bloom, what do we think? What questions do we ask? Mathematical thinking opens our minds to a world of inquiry and problem solving that will challenge us to see the world in a new way.
Here we're studying area with a simple picture of one of our classmates. “What’s the first question that pops into your mind?” The students came up with incredible questions that pushed us beyond the standards and benchmarks we were covering for the unit.
Numeration
It’s important that the students understand the relationship between numbers and their values. Having a deep understanding of place values and how this affects operations is the foundations to higher math.
Measurement
How fast can you run? Here the students learning about rates by measuring their speed. They're working in collaborative groups, measuring distance and time and using this to calculate speed, organize data, then present to the class a graph of their averages.
Cooperative Learning
Math can be taught in individual or group instruction. In this instance the students are in groups based on their similar understanding of the concepts, however, other times they are put in cooperative learning groups with mixed ability levels, allowing the higher level students to help those that struggle.
