Mathematical modeling is a process where the mathematical knowledge, the skills and strategies that students already know are used to investigate and solve real world situations. Mathematics modeling in PreK-8th grade starts out with a real world problem. The teacher no longer plays the role of teacher, but more so a facilitator, that guides the students into what tools and strategies they already know, that would help them solve the problem given. These problems or situations or tasks, are not just random textbook questions. “Teachers should launch mathematical modeling problems from questions that children naturally ask about science, social studies, literacy, art, physical education, or music, which may occur during classroom activities
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The situation is “Tat Ming is designing square swimming pools. Each pool has a square center that is the area of the water. Tat Ming uses blue tiles to represent the water. Around each pool there is a border of white tiles. Below are pictures of the three smallest pools that he can design with the blue tiles for the interior and white tiles for the border (California Dept. of Education, 2015).” The questions then ask if there were 32 white tiles how many blue tiles would there be for the pool? Each tile has a side length of ten inches, what is the largest pool that someone could put into your classroom? This real-world situation is modeling with mathematics task because it allows students to have several entry points into finding a solution. This task allows students to think creatively, and work together to find a solution, as the teacher simply facilitates and asks them guiding questions. This allows students to think about strategies and skills they already know, and apply them to the situation to find a solution, and it may be a different strategy than their neighbor to be …show more content…
It is taking strategies and tools that they already know, or are learning about, and instead of applying them repeatedly in textbook questions, it is applying them in a real world problem. Connecting mathematics to the real world is beneficial to the students because it allows for them to understand why a skill or strategy or mathematical idea is useful, and then how they can use it in their own lives, and not just in a classroom. Mathematics needs to be challenging, but engaging connecting it to the real world gives it meaning to the students, and having tasks that are relatable to their own lives will give it extra meaning for them to complete, and they will want to complete it and find a solution, instead of being forced to finding a solution for a textbook question. I certainly would want to teach mathematics using modeling, however, I also would find it challenging to be able to do so on a daily basis. This is really the first time I have ever heard of modeling with mathematics so I do not think I am fully prepared to teach it in the classroom, yet. I think with so much riding on high-stakes testing, and all the curriculum programs that you are given, it would be difficult to use modeling with mathematics
The situation is “Tat Ming is designing square swimming pools. Each pool has a square center that is the area of the water. Tat Ming uses blue tiles to represent the water. Around each pool there is a border of white tiles. Below are pictures of the three smallest pools that he can design with the blue tiles for the interior and white tiles for the border (California Dept. of Education, 2015).” The questions then ask if there were 32 white tiles how many blue tiles would there be for the pool? Each tile has a side length of ten inches, what is the largest pool that someone could put into your classroom? This real-world situation is modeling with mathematics task because it allows students to have several entry points into finding a solution. This task allows students to think creatively, and work together to find a solution, as the teacher simply facilitates and asks them guiding questions. This allows students to think about strategies and skills they already know, and apply them to the situation to find a solution, and it may be a different strategy than their neighbor to be …show more content…
It is taking strategies and tools that they already know, or are learning about, and instead of applying them repeatedly in textbook questions, it is applying them in a real world problem. Connecting mathematics to the real world is beneficial to the students because it allows for them to understand why a skill or strategy or mathematical idea is useful, and then how they can use it in their own lives, and not just in a classroom. Mathematics needs to be challenging, but engaging connecting it to the real world gives it meaning to the students, and having tasks that are relatable to their own lives will give it extra meaning for them to complete, and they will want to complete it and find a solution, instead of being forced to finding a solution for a textbook question. I certainly would want to teach mathematics using modeling, however, I also would find it challenging to be able to do so on a daily basis. This is really the first time I have ever heard of modeling with mathematics so I do not think I am fully prepared to teach it in the classroom, yet. I think with so much riding on high-stakes testing, and all the curriculum programs that you are given, it would be difficult to use modeling with mathematics