Hey everyone, welcome back to the blog! A few days ago, we had our sixteenth class for EDBE 8F83. In this post, I will reflect upon this lesson by using different prompts and supplementing them with images and resources.
What struck you during this session?
Something that struck me during this session was that I solved a math problem with virtually no math. When tackling our problem of the week, I solved the problem by counting and using checks and crosses. It was a very visual solution that did give me the correct answer. When observing my peers, I saw that they were using more typical strategies such as a table of values or first and second differences. I found it interesting that this problem was more pattern-based rather than a problem that can be solved using a tool such as a table of values or an equation. I think that this problem shows how students can tackle it in many different ways, but still have the same answer. Everyone has ways that make the most sense to them and I think this problem showed that clearly.
The dominant emotion that was evoked this week for me was intrigue. As I explained earlier, everyone solved the problem differently. I found it interesting that people did not think the way I was. When I turned around from the boards, I was shocked to see that my classmates did not tackle it the same way. It was cool to see and hear what my classmates were thinking. For example, someone mentioned how they hypothesized the answer, used a sample size that would make sense with their hypothesis and then was completely wrong. This is a very normal feeling in mathematics and it was interesting to hear my classmates speak about it. For me, this problem highlighted that we all have different thought processes; that is very interesting to me and cool to observe.
What for you were the main points (cognition)?
The following three points summarize what was discussed in our lesson:
Being stuck in a problem is a good thing; it allows us to think of new and different ideas and consider many standpoints. It allows us to further engage with the content.
We need to use our resources in math class. These resources help inform our learning as teachers and are very prominent in this subject.
Sometimes you need to take a cross-curricular approach in the classroom. Something we use in an English or Science class, for example, may easily be translated into a math classroom and vice-versa.
What actions might you want to pursue further (awareness)?
Something I would like to pursue further is to read why we all think differently. I wonder if there is some scientific evidence that can explain why one student will approach a problem differently than another. I also wonder if some environmental factors have to do with this. Perhaps my classmates and I take different approaches because we went to different schools and had different educational journeys. As I explained prior, I was fascinated to hear others' approaches and reasonings for their solutions. My second teachable is chemistry and I wonder if I would have the same observation when tackling a chemistry problem. This is something I would like to look into further and find some clarity for.
Here are some articles and blogs I am going to read to investigate my hypothesis!
https://researchoutreach.org/articles/way-think-reflected-our-brain-activity/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/teachers-taught-us-resist-solving-problems-differently-shane-snow
https://ece.umd.edu/news/story/the-brain-makes-sense-of-math-and-language-in-different-ways
That's all from me today! I hope you enjoyed reading my post and I hope you will be here for the next one!
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