Mathematics in Education

June 19, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A leader teach is able to help this student wi... 

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Education has changed drastically from the three R’s, reading, writing, arithmetic. Now schools have the pressure of adding character education, art, physical education, music, science, history, social studies, the list seems to go on.

How do schools focus on honing student’s mathematical skills with such a vast array of other subjects that are required in schools today?

Integration is one tool that teachers utilize that connects mathematics to other subjects. While mathematics might be the most challenging to integrate, science often works well and forces students to utilize those precious math skills. Application of mathematics knowledge is key.

Homework is often provided to students to practice the skills that are being taught since there is less time to complete this work in the classroom. Homework is such a controversial topic, since teachers use homework so differently.  Homework realistically should be a review and practice, not take students hours to complete every night. Homework does show parents what skills their child needs to work on outside of school. Unfortunately math is often one of those subjects.

Creativity is often necessary to help students learn new concepts, apply the information on a regular basis and provide opportunities for students to explore with the skills that they’ve just learned. Manipulatives for younger students is often used to help connect real numbers to objects. Board games and other tools are exposed to students that are slightly older, and higher order math gets the old fashioned pencil and paper.

Mathematics isn’t going anywhere in the education system. Teachers are just forced to be more outside the box thinkers to teach and hone skills of their students.

 

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Making the Sciences Applicable

April 17, 2011 by Leave a Comment
A mathematics lecture, apparently about linear...

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Take a poll of current students and you are likely to find that mathematics and science are listed among the most difficult subjects to learn. While numbers and statistics may not come easy to everyone, there are many reasons and ways that these subjects can become not only applicable but also enjoyable to most students.

When it comes to subjects that don’t come “naturally” it’s all about a little effort and a lot of creativity. In other words, the text book might not be the best way for every student to learn. If that’s the case, the first step towards solving the student’s challenge is to identify what does work for that student. What are their loves? What does come naturally to them? After that is determined then you can find the corresponding points where their abilities and interests intersect with the subject at hand.

For example, a student that loves technology might enjoy learning mathematical concepts after using a software-based calculation program (such as Microsoft Excel(r) or OpenOffice Calc(r)) that uses principles of math to create complex equations. A student with business interests will be motivated by learning about a Profit and Loss report and how numbers not only reflect their business accomplishments but can be used as a learning tool to change their business future. Likewise, students interested in health care, environment or sustainability may quickly find the benefits of a science education and how that will not only add to their knowledge base, but their credibility as well.

Filed Under: Education, Mathematics Tagged With: , ,

Fun, Interactive Fourth Grade Math Games

March 28, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Even though most fourth graders will try to pretend that they are grown up or almost in middle school they really do like to have a little fun while learning certain concepts. A great example of having fun while learning certain concepts is the ability to play some types of interactive math games with the fourth graders to help them learn and understand various math skills. Interactive games are a fun way to reinforce certain concepts that are vital for the students to learn and understand.

Here is a look at some of the interactive math games that some fourth grade teachers will use to help teach their students various math concepts and skills.

Cash Out. This can be a real fun creative game. The teacher will create various objects and items that are for sale. There will be one shopper and one cashier. The shopper will go along and shop through the store and take it to the cashier who will have to make change and add the items up. This can be done in a huge group setting or by breaking the students up into small groups.

Moving Day. Moving Day is another fun game. The teacher will bring in various objects and items that could be used on moving day. Some great examples include a toy car or stuffed animal for pets. Each item will have a tag that shows how much the items weigh. The student will have to figure out what combination will allow them to take as many items as possible without going over the moving day weight limit. This teaches students addition, subtraction and weight systems.

Filed Under: Education, Mathematics Tagged With: , ,

Math Fun That Helps Develop Critical Thinking Skills and Geometric Shape Understanding

March 20, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Some of the most interesting parts of math is the ability to develop critical thinking skills. Many critical thinking skills do not require the use of having to add up numbers or develop long equations. Instead critical thinking skills can come in handy for real life situations and even fun games. Here is a look at two of the best ways to develop children’s and adult’s critical thinking skills in a fun exciting way.

Tangrams. Tangrams have been used for centuries to help people understand the various geometric shapes. Tangrams show everyone an image of an animal or character and have the students develop that image using a set of geometric shapes. There are hundreds of images that can be developed and put together. If you don’t want to use some of the pre-set images you can have students cut out shapes using a pattern and make their own tangrams. It really is a fun creative way to not only learn about the various geometric shapes but to develop critical thinking skills.

Patterns. Patterns are everywhere in the world. They are on T-shirts, clothing, blankets and in the designing world. However, patterns are a great way to develop geometric shapes and have a bit of fun doing so. Many teachers will give their students various geometric shapes and encourage them to develop their pattern making skills by creating fun and exciting patterns. This activity can also be turned into an art project because the students can then color and design various layouts that will really stand out.

Filed Under: Mathematics, Numbers Tagged With: , , ,

Math Bingo Games For Elementary School Students Part 1

March 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Bingo is a game that anyone no matter what their age can enjoy which is why it is so popular when it is used to help students fine tune their math skills. Many elementary school teachers have started to use the game of bingo in conjunction with other math skills to teach their students various math skills.

If you are considering integrating math bingo into your classroom or even playing with your child at home here is a look at some of the math bingo games that can be very helpful to you and your child.

Telling Time Bingo. While time isn’t necessarily a math concept it is usually grouped with math skills for elementary students. You will create bingo cards that have the numerical time on it such as 2:45 or 12:15. You will then take a toy clock and place the time on it with the hands. Have the children place their bingo markers on the card for the time that you show. If you are playing with a large group make sure that you make the cards different so everyone wins at some point.

Plus or Minus Bingo. This version of bingo will help the children learn how to add and subtract numbers mentally. Create bingo cards that have various numbers on them then create index cards that have simple math problems such as 2+2=. Show the index cards to the children and have them cover up the right answer on their bingo card. Again make sure that there are various numbers on there so that everyone gets a chance to win and play along. You can even repeat equations that have the same answer to make sure everyone is covering up the right numbers.

Filed Under: Education, Mathematics Tagged With: , , ,

Teaching Students Percentages Using the Game Percent Flash

February 23, 2011 by Leave a Comment

Everyone loves to play games especially children. This love of games can be used in the classroom when trying to teach difficult math concepts. Many teachers have started to develop math games that allow the children to use the math concepts they just learned in the classroom in a fun and informative way.

While a lot of the math games are developed around number recognition and figuring out how to add numbers there are multiple math games out there that allow children and students to use difficult math concepts in a fun way. Here is a look at one of the games that have been used to teach difficult math concepts such as percentages of various numbers.

This game is known as percent flash. Percent Flash requires the use of a deck of cards that does not have the face cards in it. The teacher will declare a percentage that the game will play with such as 50%. The teacher will take one card and ask that the students figure out the percentage for that one card. As the game progresses and children learn difficult percentages you can ask for 20% or 35%. You can also use more than one card and ask that the students add the numbers and figure out the percentage for that number. Two ways to keep score is to either reward for correct answers or to award the cards to the student and the one with the most cards wins.

This is a great game to get student to use mental math and figuring out various percentages on different numbers. It is a fun way to inspire children to want to learn and develop their skills in a difficult math concept.

Filed Under: Education, Numbers Tagged With: , , , ,
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