Mr Reda Gavin's Website

We have come a long way from thinking about Mathematics as just being about numbers. Math teaches us how to: Make connections Think Problem solve Critically analyze info Discover patterns Work with others Learn from mistakes This t-shirt is available through Amazon. The quote on it fits in perfectly with our learning through this Math Course. Perhaps a perfect gift for a teacher.          M istakes    A llow      hinking to   appen This statement is so reflective of our learning in the last couple of months. Definitely, one of the big ideas that will guide our teaching. Through our weekly mindset modules, we had the insight from Jo Boaler, a mathematician at Stanford University who has built on Dweck’s work on Growth Mindset. Jo Boaler has made math teaching/learning easily accessible to students and teachers around the world through TED talks, you tube and youcubed . ...

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....