Wh4t'5 Up Th15 W33k?

Hey Math Lovers,

The Ontario Math Curriculum

This week was the first time that my class and I had started discussing actual Ontario Curriculum strands in math. We also talked about some great ways to approach math problems and we consulted points of a "problem solving attitude". Examples we touched on included Polya's problem solving processes such as understanding a problem, making a plan, carrying out that plan and reflecting on what went right and wrong. I found this very beneficial to my understanding of math because sometimes I even neglect this way of thinking!

My Thoughts About Math at the Moment

I have to admit that when I see a math problem I obsess over getting the right answer.

I am really opening my eyes and seeing that what I have already learned and have been taught is something that teachers are trying to counterbalance in modern classrooms. As I said in my last post, we are focusing on the process rather than getting the right answer, which is something I was totally guilty of doing! This concept ties in with the article by Ball and Bass titled, "Toward a Practice-based Theory of Mathematical Knowledge for Thinking" where the authors emphasize that although knowing the content as a math teacher is important, how teachers lead lessons and facilitate learning proves to be more beneficial towards students' overall knowledge.

Class Activities

We did an interesting activity in class where we had a problem and we were asked how many ways we can come up with its solution. It was interesting to actually see how many interpretations of the problem my classmates had. Additionally, it was interesting to note that we began to really engage in the process of thinking and problem solving rather than getting to the answer quickly, even though we had already figured it out.  Sometimes it is hard to stem away from the way that you’re used to getting to an answer and this helped me especially, slow down and really think about what was going on. I believe that the way the curriculum is shifting is beneficial because students will develop a fundamental basis of logic and problem solving skills. Sometimes in a traditional math class setting, students feel too much pressure to perform at a high standard, because usually the more correct answers they get, the better grades they are given, so they might acquire performance anxiety so to speak. 

Kelley Stirling. (2016, November 2). Cool looking calculator [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.navsea.navy.mil/Media/Images/igphoto/2001665557/

Even with this changing process of math in classrooms, at this moment I still believe that we need to have a mixed system of traditional and contemporary math strategies. I do believe there should be less emphasis on getting the correct answer, however, I still believe eventually getting the right answer is still an important assessment of math comprehension. To support my thought, I raise this question: How will any of life’s important mathematical issues have been solved without getting the correct answer? If students are left with too much freedom, I believe mathematics as a strand in the curriculum might collapse on itself and we will miss the entire point of why we have and need math in our lives!

L0v3,

Teodora