WEEK 5

Four weeks into the math course and I’m not quite ready to pull my hair out…yet!! This is a good sign. Each class is different for me and I find myself either being at the top of a rollercoaster, or the very bottom. During our week 3 class, we were all given the same math problem to solve. It was a word problem, not my strong suit. As I was trying to break down the problem, Aman was walking around telling people if they got the right answer or not. It was making me feel a little anxious hearing people get the right answer as I was in the middle of trying my best to solve it. Moments after she called time and we had to stop writing. I didn’t finish solving and by the sounds of it I my almost answer wasn’t the right one. We then had to switch our papers over to a partner as they were going to analyze our work using the math processes. I immediately looked at my work and even though I knew it was neat and eligible, I felt a little hesitant giving up my work because I knew it was wrong.

The EQAO assignment was not as bad as I thought it was going to be. It was interesting to look at how people solve the same math problem differently and still end up with the same answer. This made me think about marking in my future classroom and how every child expresses how they learn differently. Having to connect the questions to the curriculum was also useful as it gave us another look and a chance to familiarize with the daunting book of answers.

Fast forward to the following week, we got into groups and looked at peoples answers to the math problem and talked about the math processes. This got me more comfortable with how to analyze them. This was also a good class as Aman brought us all snacks, and who doesn’t love snacks!!!!!!!!

The two games our group looked at was Prodigy and PearlDiver. Prodigy was week 4 and it has a great reputation for being one of the most engaging and effective web-based math platforms in the world that students love to play. It is a game that requires solo play as you create an avatar, battle monsters, level up and explores multiple worlds while learning and executing the five core math strands. PearlDiver is a great game that focuses on number sense and numeration. It teaches “properties of numbers, how to plot numbers, how to visualize quantity on the number line, how to order numbers, and how to use the number line a visual model for mathematical operations”. All by using scuba diving as an interface.

WELCOME

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my math blog. My name is Chelsea and here I will be taking you along my math journey in EDBE 8P29. You will get a bit of reflection, connection, math games and anything else happening in class.

WEEK 3

Math has never been my favourtie or strongest subject at school. The first class somewhat calmed my nerves realizing a lot of us were on the same page. It was also reassuring, knowing that this class wasn't just about doing math problems and learning how to solve math, but also digging deeper about our own math insecurities. It is important to figure those out before we are put in front of a class, teaching a subject we may not feel comfortable teaching. During the second class we were given a math problem to solve individually. At first I was following along trying to listen to the key words in the problem. As soon as the question was finished being read, I blanked immediately as I didn't know where to start. I finally attempted to start solving, however I just assumed what I was writing down was wrong. After a slight break down of the problem and an attempt to make solving it easier, it just left me even more confused. I felt stuck, and helpless as I watched some of my other classmates try to solve the problem. After we went over the solution as a class, I thought I was starting to understand, but I was still lost and confused. As much as I dislike math, I am going to continue this class with an open mind and to try my best at all times.

image from https://giphy.com/explore/math

This week my group and I analyzed the game Math vs. Monsters. I was the recorder so my job was to summarize the main ideas we discussed as a group. Math vs. Monsters is a math game where students pick their grade level, from pre k to grade eight, and then there are given a math problem to solve. They have a limited amount of time to choose an answer, and if the answer is right, it will grant them success in fighting back in the battle. However, if the answer is wrong or you take too long to answer, the more damage you take from the bad guys. I could see myself implementing this game in my classroom. I think it would work best for junior grades (4-6), as the cartoons may be too simple and boring for grades 7 and 8.  However the game seems to be violent which means I would have to have a strong presence in regulating how the kids play. The game covers all of the five math curriculum strands, which are number sense and numeration, measurement, geometry and spatial sense, patterning and algebra, and data management and probability. The game can be good for review in preparation for a test as you are given a limited amount of time to answer the questions.

 

https://www.mathgames.com/play/mathvsmonsters.html
link to this weeks game

image from https://www.shutterstock.com/search/math+cartoon