Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tucker ch.1 and 13
I like how chapter 1 starts with explaining how we sometimes forget that an activity needs to be useful and not just fun. I find myself getting caught up in the procedures of an activity sometimes and I forget about the objective. The textbook clarifys this very nicely. I'm not sure about the textbook views on speed-drill practice activities. According to the book, speed-drill activities are not effective. I have read a lot of studies that show that these types of activites increase math fact fluency and automaticity which are the foundation for learning new concepts or as the book puts it (think-time practice activities). I just don't think memorization activities, when it comes to math facts, should be dismissed. Both have their place in instruction. While reading about real- world problems, it came to me to change the open-ended practice questions that we are doing and to make them real students and problems that they can identify with. In ch 13 I use the Match Me activities weekly. I have found them to be very effective for students to practice and become more proficient in comprehension and understanding. I have also used Take the Path, Concentration, and different forms of Scavenger Hunt. I have found these all to work very well with remediation of math skills. I am looking forward to trying some of the activities that I haven't used. I think I am going to try the Round We Go this week with a group of Kindergarten students. I am glad to see that this textbook not only gives strategies for teaching but also some good ideas to practice in the classroom.
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Brian,
ReplyDeleteI could not agree with you more on how great this textbook is at giving examples of strategies that can be used in the classrooms as well as what has been found to work better in teaching math. I plan to use these activities in my classroom one day as well, especially since I do plan on teaching math at some point : ) It was nice to hear a first hand account of someone that has already used the ideas mentioned in the book with success.
There is only one thing I disagree with, I don't think that timed tests necessarily have there place in teaching and that they shouldn't be eliminated. I agree with the fact that memorization is a big part of success in mathematics in come instances, but times tests don't need to be used in order for children to memorize. I think that there are different approached to math that could be utilized for many different skills along with memorization, but that they don't need to be accomplished by timed tests. I had way too much anxiety when I was forced to take them, as I'm sure many other students can relate too. The funny part is I remembered timed tests being mostly associated with the times tables, and low and behold even though I know just about every one of them, I find myself questioning some of them still...so how effective were the timed tests at helping me to learn this objective?
Everyone has their own opions and that is just mine compared to many. I did really like reading your real world experience teaching math to students and will look forward to hearing more as you respond to more readings.
This textbook does give a lot of awesome ideas to use when teaching math. If I were a math teacher I would find this book so helpful to new ideas and stratgies to try in my classroom. I agree with you too that as teachers we have to make sure that the "fun" activities are still meeting the objectives. Sometimes I think we get lost in that.
ReplyDeleteIn response to timed tests I'm not sure if they are really that effective. I remember in my own personal math classess in elementary school that I knew all of my facts but was unable to spit them out on paper in a time fashion. This created a lot of anxiety. I didn't have a LD but was not a very good math student and struggled with it most of my life. I"m sure there are other students who feel the same why I do. I would love to read the research that studies say about timed tests. Do you have it? Thanks.