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Our learning has focussed on the Junior/Intermediate learners but attitudes towards Math begin in the Primary grades. I would imagine that if teaching in a school where the primary classes are also focusing on having students see themselves as Mathematicians and are open to asking questions and are making sense of math in their own way, then in the J/I years they could go so much further in their math learning. Of course we can talk about a lot of other scenarios, such as, in primary grades the math has the focus on the learning and then some junior classes focus on the textbook and boring worksheets. This is so confusing for students and their families. How fortunate for the students who are in schools where Growth Mindset is encouraged for all. The Ministry Monograph that was part of our reading this week, Making Math Children Will Love stressed that a lot of children don’t feel confident in math. It’s important to develop the “WOW” factor that captures a child’s attention....

There have been much new learning in our Math classes this month. All the information on growth mindset and learning by mistakes has made it clear that as teachers we have a big influence on the learners in our class. It’s no longer a matter of “teaching” Mathematics with all the rules and methods, that will hopefully help students understand mathematics. It’s more about providing a learning environment with rich tasks that gives learners a chance for understanding the math in their way, coming up with solutions that can vary from others and this allows for brain growth and deeper thinking. In the Number Flexibility video clip, Jo Boaler talked about one of the reasons for students not doing well in Mathematics is that they were not introduced to Math in the right way. They are taught a lots of rules and methods about Math. They think that there is a right/wrong answer, that they need to be fast with numbers and that there is no opportunity for creativity. Whereas those stu...

I found that I could really relate to the information in the videoclip on Math and Speed. As I mentioned in an earlier blog post, I do have a Learning Disability which doesn’t usually impact Math except when something is timed. I always found that extremely frustrating, that I couldn’t finish all the work even though I knew the answers. Or worse, that the pressure on time made it so that I couldn’t think properly, and wouldn’t finish the work. I wish that I would have known that good Mathematicians take a long time to answer or respond, not because they need the extra time but they know that deeper thinking is what it takes to fully understand a mathematical concept. It was once believed that if you did math quickly you were smarter; however, the Math and Speed video (Lesson+3b 360p) clearly sends a message that most mathematicians are actually slow thinkers. “Rapidity doesn’t have a precise relation to intelligence”.....love this quote! When speed is valued, then underst...

This second week of Mathematics class has continued with learning about Growth Mindset and the impact that messages we are told about ourselves having a huge impact on forming our thoughts. Both mindset and messages affects how you lead your life. As teachers, we have the task to help students understand which type of mindset guides their thinking. For those with a fixed mindset, it is important to help them move towards learning from mistakes to improve their skills. There is no one correct answer, but there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Having the students persevere until they come to understanding will help the students become more independent and confident in their learning. I am finding the videoclips with Jo Boaler very informative. Jo Boaler also talked about the messages that you carry in your head as being important. It would be better for teachers to give students feedback that their teacher believes in them and knows that they can succeed, as oppos...

Welcome everyone! This blog is meant to be reflective of our J/I Mathematics, year 2 class. It’s a great opportunity to think about the learning that can be put into practice in practicum and teaching next year. This week the focus was on being aware of our own attitude towards math, the impact of having a growth mindset and being aware of stereotypes that exist. For me, Mathematics was one of my favourite subjects in school because I understand Math and was able to solve problems quickly in my head. The difficulty was when I had to explain my thinking, as I often responded that I just knew it was correct. The Mathematics Curriculum also changed when we were in elementary school, and it became more language-based. That is, in order to increase understanding, students were expected to explain their thinking and make connections. To be honest, I didn’t agree with this at school because my marks were much lower because of the answers that had to be provided. I was diagnosed ...