28 September 2013

The Salute Maths Game!!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Yes! Saturday morning and Dr. Yeap made us play the "Salute Maths Game"! This is my first time playing this game and it seems to be fun and interesting. Me and my friends were more than like children, we laugh and had fun playing. I will implement it in the classroom. I believe the children will love playing it and will have so much fun! The objective in this game is to see how the children are able to tell the missing number in addition/ multiplications. They have to use their mental sums to get the number right. We had multiplication, and we have to guess the number card that we had on our forehead. The captain has to tell the answer for the multiplication of the 2 numbers that she sees. From the answer, we have to derived a number. Yess! I've made it to the end of the class.

 

I went to Singapore Art Museum yesterday and I've realized that it was not easy for me to get an art that relevant to our Maths group work. I love abstract art, I like the way the artist did their art, but I have to think creatively on how am I supposed to formulate Maths activities. We have to be creative to make it more interesting and to ensure that children are able to understand and getting the answers in their creative way of thinking. I understand that pictorial may create creativeness in oneself.

 

My  take away for today's lesson is, "We need to build their intellectual capital. Not to apply, but to build intellectuality". We need to implement this in our daily lives to support the children in their learning journey.

 

From the lesson that Dr. Yeap showed to us on each day. I've learnt many ways on how to solve maths problem. It was an interesting lesson that I learnt new thing each day... I still remember what Dr. Yeap said... "I wonder how, I wonder why? during in every lesson", I believe these are the key questions to ask the children for them to think while they are doing Maths activities.

 

 Maths is Fun!!

 

27 September 2013

                          "Children making a connection based on what they had learn before".

These words reflects on me. I believe that during my early years, I was being thought to a certain methods in Maths, that makes me keep on repeating the same methods throughout my life even till now. I will still continuously using the same concept to solve some Maths problem.  

Today, we had some hands on activities in the classroom. I love hands on! It makes me feel awake. Now I do understand that Maths activities need hands on. This is to ensure that children are able to understand the concept, or how are they able to solve some Mathematical problems and also, how are they able to think out of the box. With hands on experiences, it may lead them to understanding and will be a new knowledge for them. A constructivist child. Definitely the children will have fun in the classroom.
 

Today's hands on... we use.. TANGRAMS!!

 

                                                         

 

We had 7 different pieces of tangrams. From the tangrams that we had on our hands, we are supposed to make as many squares as we can.

 

                                                                                     

 

As you can see from the above picture, we had drew the squares that we had made by using some of the tangrams. We manage to make 4 squares. I just wondering, if we use more pieces, does it makes the shapes larger? Let's predict and give it a try!

It's time to get to know about Angles !!

 

 

 

This is one of the hands on experiences that I learnt about angles. We learnt about an angle of a triangle. We get to know that TRIANGLE is no right angle! And we had hands on experience to show that a straight line is 180 C. We tore 3 pieces from the 3 sides of a triangle. From the 3 pieces of the torn angles we placed it on a straight line. (E.g based on the above diagram)

 

 

A higher thinking level child :

 

"When we do something, You will remember entire of your life, Provided you have difficulties. Experience will make you remember!

26 September 2013

Today's lesson was quite heavy for me. There were some problem solving that I felt quite difficult for me to understand. Now then I realized that how Maths going to be very difficult to understand if we do not have a good foundation in Maths during the early years, Now then I understand that if a child has a difficulties in understanding in Maths, it will quite stressful for the child to accelerate in his studies.

In the class I will always heard Dr. Yeap saying. "I wonder how?, I wonder why?"

I believe these are the 2 key questions that we must ask the children when we do our Maths problem solving together in the classroom. These two key questions will be part of our facilitation towards the children's learning. They will think out of the box just to solve the Maths problem. If the children are able to answer both 2 key questions, I believe they will get the answer to the questions.

And I also quoted this from Dr. Yeap. " Mathematics is an excellent vehicle for the development and improvement of a person".

Now, then I understand and would like to advice to ALL educators that memorizing is not a good way of teaching children Maths. Dr. Yeap said that " Children who ask to memorize, will not know how to figure it out and will not believe that they can figure out". I remembered during my school days, my Maths teacher told all the children to memorize our time table. From the multiples of 2 to the multiples of 12. I didn't want to say that the passed teachers had not done a good job, but I think, now Maths concept has changed and it is time for us to "move forward", Maths is more in understanding and now, it has very high expectation.

I believe if we know how to teach children by taking all the key important factors that we should remember, we will change the life of the children. Definitely there is an impact in their life.

 

 

25 September 2013

tHiNk! tHiNk! tHiNk!

Put on your ...

 



Today, our Maths lesson were based on thinking skills. I can see that we covered on numbers and fractions. We had quiz too! But the timing was too fast! We had some hands on games. These hands on are more to problem solving. Dr. Yeap would like to know how are we able to create methods to solve 1 particular Maths problem.

 

 

Use 2 digits to make 2 digit number..

 

Dr Yeap gave us some small pieces of papers. We have to cut them equally into 9 pieces and write the number on each square paper ( number 0 -9 ). Use 2 numbers add to 2 numbers that will equal to 2 numbers! But we can only use the numbers only ones. We were not allowed to take or borrow numbers from any of our friends.  

 

 

My first step was to write all the numbers on each small piece of paper. Second, I started to think of 2 numbers. And I have to choose another 2 numbers to be added to the previous number. I have to bear in mind that numbers have to be used once ONLY.

 

  

 

Next, I chose 2 numbers and I chose another 2 numbers. After adding it, I realized that I have to change the numbers as I'm going to use 6 for 2 times. It was a very good trial an error experiences. Now, I understand that children need to explore and to make mistakes as they will learn through mistakes and gained knowledge the right way to solve problem. From the pictures below, you can see the first trial that I made... There were many methods to do additions. The last one that I tried was to make bigger total number and I did it!

 

 

 Children need concrete materials for them to count and understand the concept. A true instructional designer, Bruner's work also suggests that a learner even of a very young age is capable of learning any material . Abacus is one of the top maths enrichment class, where children use the "abacus beads board" to understand the concept of calculating.  





 

 

The  beads represent the placing of the numbers. Example, 2 tens add 1 tens, 5 ones add 3 ones and so on. As we know that there are so many product (concrete materials) on counting.  Below, there are some pictures that we can support children by using these concrete materials.

 

 

Happy Counting!!



24 September 2013



Today's class is not much of hands on, but more on thinking skills. It is good to teach children on how to think or create different methods for the children to understand, solving problems and to gain the answer. Not only to get the answers right, but to boost up the confident level of the children in the classroom. I believe with this kind of teaching strategies in the class, the children not only good in their social skills, we develop critical thinking children and not to forget a leadership role in a group. Different children has their own capability and intellectuality where we can't see the potential in them at times. It will only be seen once we seen them having group discussions and in group work.

 

We need to teach the children right. The RIGHT WAY of teaching that will create a RIGHT PATH for the children to continue in the journey of their life. My take away for today's lesson are the 3 strategies:

 

1) Explaining is not a good instruction method

 

2) I Do, you Do, we Do

 

3) Let the children be independent

 





Let the children gained some knowledge during their sharing ideas with their classmates. From the strategies that they made, it will develop experiences. I believe in one of Diene's theory strategies, "Play " should be their first time learning, let it be informal and accidental together with these 3 strategies, all of our children will be happy to be during Maths session!

 

 

Let's Count!

 

The word "counting" is just not getting the children to count and we take the answer from them. We have to let them understand and the method of getting the children to understand the value of the last number of the object that they count. One of the good strategies to make the children understand is by using concrete materials that they can hold, see and count.  Get them to understand that colour doesn't effect numbers. Colour is not an important thing. I can see that children are more fascinated on colours rather than their counting. We have to ensure that the children are in the right path, the right method. They will follow the method till they grow. We do not want it to be happened. Environment also support the children. You can check onto a video on how a young child learn how to count in different ways method of teaching that were facilitated by both parents via YouTube.

Parenting Pointer: Teach your young child to count by Anne Meeker Children love to be able to count to ten as they sing songs or read books with numbers. However, they may not realize that each number has a value, and stands for a specific quantity of something. We will help you be your child's first math teacher, as you provide the foundation for early math skills your child will need for school success.

 

 



 Count Down By One or Two.. Get to Zero!!

 

The next lesson is the fun way of learning subtractions. There are 18 beans altogether and we need to count backwards by subtracting in 2's or 1's. The last person who says Zero is the winner.

 

 

 

 

When we started playing with it, we are able to know that there are many methods to aim for zero. First we started only with 2s and 1s. But after some trials, we started getting excited and to challenged ourselves, we continue with 1s, 2s and 3s. The number 5 and 6 is always a BAD number where it can make you or your opponent win!

 

 

Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication and Division, sounds bored?? Oh Not anymore!!

 

They are many ways to understand all the equations. The various methods that we learnt are the ones that doesn't make any of the equations tedious or stressful while solving it. When the teachers and parents having this experience in the classroom or at home. They will be given the opportunity to have their own methods to solve the problem. Dr  Yeap showed to us an interesting youtube about Jack and The Beanstalk. It was quite fun watching. Not only that, it shows the value of subtractions and additions. We had some hands on by folding the small rectangle paper and divide it into 10 parts. From here, we can see there are many methods at first we count the numbers of beans altogether, counting in 6s, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing the beans into parts.

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

Will be having more FUN in Maths for the next class session!! 

 



 

23rd September 2013

 

Numbers ! Numbers! Numbers!

The session that I had in the classroom had made me into a different person, especially  my thinking on Maths concept. The days that I had during my days in Primary school was so different. Rote counting, practice over practice and memorizing. When I had class with Dr Yeap, it was very interesting and the most important is that I enjoyed the session very much. I believe that now, the method of teaching and guiding of Mathematics towards the children is so different. And if I enjoyed it, so do the children!

The experience that I had in the classroom, is about numbers. Dr. Yeap had made us do counting from number 1 to 99. From our names we are able to know which letter is number 99. The first time when I did by rote counting. But after getting to know that there are many methods on how to get to know the answer. The methods showed how are we able to solve problems and also on critical thinking.  There were 5 methods for me and my classmates to get the answer. When Dr. Yeap gave the second question, I still continue to my first method, the rote counting. In my heart, I have to be confident and try another different method from what Dr. Yeap had shown to us. I tried and I DID IT!

 

 

Let's Play with Tangrams !

The second experience was on tangrams!! I love hands on!! Trying our best to use all the 7 tangrams to make rectangles and squares using the same number of difference sizes and shapes.  There were many methods to make the squares and rectangles. Trial an error , experiences and discussions we did the most to get the result.  Yes! We made it!

 

 

Magic Cards!!

 

I had a lot of fun, doing this in the class. The methods that we used, trial an error, discussions, writing the numbers and placing of the cards. We made it!! And I feel that it is a great achievement. And one of the most important key word that I can think of during this activity is... PERSEVERANCE!!

 

 

  

 

 

                     

 

Enjoy and have fun with Maths!!

Chapter 1 and 2

“…All students should have the opportunity and the support necessary to learn significant mathematics with depth and understanding”.  NCTM (2000, p.50)

I believe children need to be given opportunity and the necessary support from home and school. Now in 21^st Century, the system has changed and high expectation has been shown but learning in different way. Now it will be more to fun in learning. We can see the potential of the children in upcoming years. Learning in 21^st Century, is no longer hurrying children to many topics, we need to ensure that the children are able to understand the topic in depth, focus and show more connection in their life. These are the 6 principles that we have to look at;

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-      <!--[endif]-->Principle of Equity

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-      <!--[endif]-->Principle of Curriculum

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-      <!--[endif]-->Principle of Teaching

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-      <!--[endif]-->Principle of Learning

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-      <!--[endif]-->Principle of Technology

If we follow these 6 principles, the children will be definitely being supported by the by the teachers in school and also parents at home. Different children have different needs. They have their different ways of learning. We have to respect and to be fair to them during learning process take place.  Teachers and parents should treat them fairly and do not underestimate or judge them during their learning. Learn Mathematics in a fun way; let the children learn through exploration, experimenting and understanding. Children now learning via technology, this is to enhance understanding. We have to give them the opportunity by using some technology device to make it more interesting and fun way on mathematical problem solving. The teachers should be equipped with knowledge and confident during delivery of the lesson. Not to forget the assessment and observations that will be ongoing in the process of the children’s learning. From the processes and the observations, teachers and parents will able to see the children’s progressions. From here, the teachers and parents are able to identify how to support the children. It will be good to create an inviting environment that supports the children’s learning, this allow children’s engagement; critical thinking, exploration and opportunity for the children to understand in depth of the topics that they are learning in the classroom. We are also developing active thinking children. Children will love to learn in this way.

Let’s have FUN with Maths !       

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