The lesson I observed involved the ideas of addition, operations, and counting. Currently, I am a student teacher in a second grade class. The classroom is located in the Happy Hallow School in Wayland. The teacher in the class is named Deborah Niles. This particular lesson I observed was during the ‘math shuffle block’. During this time the children from the 3 different 2nd grade classes, are broken into ability groups. The children in each group then move to a different class room. This means that children from different classes are able to collaborate with each other. I am particularly fond of the math shuffle idea because the kids get up and move to a new environment and are able to work with new people.
On the day I was observing, the …show more content…
The teacher was going around the room asking the children to explain how they added the numbers in their head. For instance if a child turned over a 3, a 9, and a 1. The easiest addition equation for the children at this age is to first do 9+1, to get 10, and then add 3 to that. Thus the equation would not be the order in which the cards were turned over, 3+9+1, but 9+1+3. The teacher was stressing this idea that the children could add up the number in any way they like, but the equation needed to represent their thought …show more content…
Math can be a very passive subject. (Dacey and Easton 2) Children generally take a back seat, and just work on problem in worksheets and booklets. There is not as much discussion about math, and its concepts, as there is in other courses children take. However discussion in math is very important. Not just for students, but also for teachers. For students, they are able to listen to their peers, who phrase ideas in terms of language they easily understand. The children are able to realize there are many different ways to solve the same problem, not just one. Listening to their peers, can open up a child’s eye and help them better understand concepts. “Through the exchange of ideas, they make connections among different approaches and representations.” (Dacey and Easton 11). For teachers, they are also aided by children sharing their ideas. They are able to get a window into their children’s thought processes. “These conversations also provide teachers with valuable insights into children’s mathematical thinking.” (Dacey and Eston 19). This activity uses these ideas. The children are asked to share how they added their numbers to the class, and to write the equation they used on the board. As they solved the equations, they were asked question to get them to talk more about their thought processes. These demonstration helped to show children that there are many ways to solve a problem. Two people can look
On the day I was observing, the …show more content…
The teacher was going around the room asking the children to explain how they added the numbers in their head. For instance if a child turned over a 3, a 9, and a 1. The easiest addition equation for the children at this age is to first do 9+1, to get 10, and then add 3 to that. Thus the equation would not be the order in which the cards were turned over, 3+9+1, but 9+1+3. The teacher was stressing this idea that the children could add up the number in any way they like, but the equation needed to represent their thought …show more content…
Math can be a very passive subject. (Dacey and Easton 2) Children generally take a back seat, and just work on problem in worksheets and booklets. There is not as much discussion about math, and its concepts, as there is in other courses children take. However discussion in math is very important. Not just for students, but also for teachers. For students, they are able to listen to their peers, who phrase ideas in terms of language they easily understand. The children are able to realize there are many different ways to solve the same problem, not just one. Listening to their peers, can open up a child’s eye and help them better understand concepts. “Through the exchange of ideas, they make connections among different approaches and representations.” (Dacey and Easton 11). For teachers, they are also aided by children sharing their ideas. They are able to get a window into their children’s thought processes. “These conversations also provide teachers with valuable insights into children’s mathematical thinking.” (Dacey and Eston 19). This activity uses these ideas. The children are asked to share how they added their numbers to the class, and to write the equation they used on the board. As they solved the equations, they were asked question to get them to talk more about their thought processes. These demonstration helped to show children that there are many ways to solve a problem. Two people can look