Marilyn Burns Definition Of Polygons

When it comes to the subject of mathematics, the challenge in teaching kids not only lies within learning the concepts, but also in learning the vocabulary of mathematics which describe these concepts. Mathematics incorporates theory and formula in order to produce answers. It is these answers that have agreed upon labels in the form of vocabulary. When students begin the process of learning mathematics through formulas, it is imperative that they begin learning the vocabulary necessary to communicate their ideas. Simply telling students to add the exponents or find the tangent of an angle is hardly enough when they don’t fully understand why something is labeled a tangent or exponent. This article explains some ideas and techniques that can …show more content…
She draws a line on a caulk board and assigns different shapes on each side, one polygons, and the other side not polygons. She defines what the definition of polygons is and raises up the next for shapes on cards and allows the students to choose, or vote together based on their understanding which side the shapes should go on. She then asked the students to reflect quietly on the classification system that was used, the polygon and non polygon sides. Separated them in pairs so the students could share their understanding and teach and learn from each other, developing the logical understanding of the language of math. In the end her students drew their own shapes and place them on their perspective sides displaying comprehension. I thought his a fabulous way to gain understanding from students that could, with a little information, can work together gaining knowledge through evaluation of numbers and patterns, then applying it logic …show more content…
But with mathematics, the decline in international test scoring for the last few decades reveals either a sub standard levels of comprehension as a nation, and or, a sub standard way of teaching mathematics to the masses. Most teachers and students on average are not born geniuses. I think the problem lies with standardization of teaching methods. Because of the controlled style of curriculum that’s been adopted over the past decades, teachers agree that in many instances, they aren’t able to teach the way they want to but must adhere to the schedules assigned by faculty. Without standardization of teaching methods and works shops for instructors to critique and learn from each other these types of examples of techniques aren’t shared among teachers. This results in a stagnant educational system producing less than quality test scores