You are very correct when you ponder and write about the need to involve students more closely to the curriculum, no matter what the content. You are obviously using some nice methods, which probably works for many students. It is great that you provide options and choices for them and opportunities for input.
While preparing students for college or teaching every day math – the more authentic the classroom experience it is – the more meaningfull the learning will be and greater application of the process and theories.
I was never a strong math student – and I can give excuses why – but I know as an adult I see math everywhere around me – and use it in many ways everyday - there is nothing that we come into contact that has not been connected to math – whether cooking shopping, sports, media, architecture, room design, driving a car, clothing – everything is math.
Obviously there are many levels of how math is used and that I am sure is the hard things to make authentic. I would ask them one level to have each student write down and identify as many things in the classroom that has math connected to it and then ask them what kinds of math were used to create it or utilize – I am sure you can take this process to another level of math use than I and what they can do with the object and math theory connected to it. Maybe a poster project like a science fair – where students explore something through math. I would use aspects of media and technology to enhance math for them.
Did you ever see the movie π? This is a youtube website trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ1sZSCz47w it is incredible and encourage the viewer to look at the work through math – much like the TV show Numbers.
Also for some it would be fun to study the national π day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBqVvAU-gdg&feature=related
I know some teachers have used the Pl song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l4cl3E4N2g&feature=related,
Making Curriculum Pop is a great website – it serves almost all content but this is a link to math http://mathfuture.wikispaces.com/Making+Curriculum+Pop
Keep reaching out to your students and try to connect math – whatever concepts you have to teach – authentic and current technology and other everything day things important to teens. I will send more websites to the class next week – and you will find some good things there. Good luck and have fun.
You are very correct when you ponder and write about the need to involve students more closely to the curriculum, no matter what the content. You are obviously using some nice methods, which probably works for many students. It is great that you provide options and choices for them and opportunities for input.
ReplyDeleteWhile preparing students for college or teaching every day math – the more authentic the classroom experience it is – the more meaningfull the learning will be and greater application of the process and theories.
I was never a strong math student – and I can give excuses why – but I know as an adult I see math everywhere around me – and use it in many ways everyday - there is nothing that we come into contact that has not been connected to math – whether cooking shopping, sports, media, architecture, room design, driving a car, clothing – everything is math.
Obviously there are many levels of how math is used and that I am sure is the hard things to make authentic. I would ask them one level to have each student write down and identify as many things in the classroom that has math connected to it and then ask them what kinds of math were used to create it or utilize – I am sure you can take this process to another level of math use than I and what they can do with the object and math theory connected to it. Maybe a poster project like a science fair – where students explore something through math. I would use aspects of media and technology to enhance math for them.
Did you ever see the movie π? This is a youtube website trailer - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oQ1sZSCz47w it is incredible and encourage the viewer to look at the work through math – much like the TV show Numbers.
Also for some it would be fun to study the national π day http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBqVvAU-gdg&feature=related
I know some teachers have used the Pl song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5l4cl3E4N2g&feature=related,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDiSYp_51iY&feature=related
Here's PI:
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375105820974944592307816406286208998628034825342117067982148086513282306647093844609550582231725359408128481117450284102701938521105559644622948954930381964428810975665933446128475648233786783165271201909145648566923460348610454326648213393607260249141273724587006606315588174881520920962829254091715364367892590360011330530548820466521384146951941511609433057270365759591953092186117381932611793105118548074462379962749567351885752724891227
Making Curriculum Pop is a great website – it serves almost all content but this is a link to math http://mathfuture.wikispaces.com/Making+Curriculum+Pop
Keep reaching out to your students and try to connect math – whatever concepts you have to teach – authentic and current technology and other everything day things important to teens. I will send more websites to the class next week – and you will find some good things there. Good luck and have fun.
thank you for all of these links. i will be sure to use them in my classroom!
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