Relatable Math? Yes Please

So often we hear negative messages about math such as “ I hate math” “I’m not good at math” or “I’m just not a math person”. Even in Hollywood movies we get bombarded with how math is for “nerds” or girls just are not good at math. Week one has completely changed my perspective about math and how fun it can be. It is so useful in our daily lives and I think the old methods of teaching made us forget about that. The old school methods of teaching created an environment where students were afraid to ask questions so they wouldn’t seem “stupid” or feel devalued if they just couldn’t understand the complicated formulas that were thrown our way. Teachers worked at paces that were too fast for students and complicated things way more than they needed to be. Why should there only be one way to solve a problem? Students should be able to solve problems in their own way and not think that there is only one “right” way of solving a problem.

           

            I was mind blown by the example of how to add and subtract that was demonstrated in class. I had always practiced addition and subtraction the way that my teachers had taught me previously but I never really understood what I was doing or even questioned it. Why would students be borrowing numbers from the column beside? When you borrow a number, where does it go? And why complicate math on paper when you can just simply do what is natural and the way that we all do math in our minds? I couldn’t believe how much more simple the way that was shown in the photograph above is. Students can easily add and not only that they understand what they are doing. I love that I can embrace that there are different ways of answering a problem and that everyone can come up with their own way that they feel comfortable with just as long as the method is not specific to one question and can be applied more than once.

            I am looking forward to learning other new ways of solving math that makes 
it easier for students to understand so that they never have to feel like they hate math. One message that really stuck with me this class was that a student should never say that they just can’t do it or they don’t get it because they may not get it in that moment but with the use of manipulatives and asking further questions or creating real life situations they will get it, they just haven’t got it yet. I love that math can also be relative to the current life of students. Math problems should not consist of “farmer brown has 5 pigs”… but have to do with fun themes that students can relate to. Math problems are open ended and get students engaged and asking questions that spark their creativity and they are able to use the knowledge they already have to solve the problem. All students have strengths and they can finally demonstrate those strengths and not feel ashamed about their weaknesses in math. 

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