Math 213 Reflective Paper

Reflective Paper Math 213 Math 213 is a separate packed full of information valuable to the development of a professional mathematics instructor. There were several major numeric concepts addressed in the class ranging from problem declaration, numeration systems and sets, whole numbers and their operations, to algebraic thinking, integers and number theory, sane numbers as fractions, decimals and rattling numbers, and proportionate reasoning, percents, and applications. This class enhanced my judgment of math in general, as well as enabled me to explore strategies on how to best exhibit mathematical concepts in an elementary classroom setting.Since children look out contrastively than adults do, and do non have prior knowledge to arrest meaning from, an serious characteristic of a professional math instructor is to have the ability to create a classroom environment where students atomic number 18 boostd to take risks and explore problems while learning problem solving strategies. According to the class textbook, A Problem Solving Approach to mathematics for Elementary School Teachers, If problems atomic number 18 approached in only one way, a mind-set may be formed. (Billstein, R. , Libeskind, S. , & Lott, J. 2010) Teachers need to give students a stopcock box of strategies, such as, look for a pattern, examine a cogitate problem, identify a subgoal, make a diagram, or work backwards. plot developing students problem solving skills, professional math teachers must begin to teach students to ensure the meanings of whole numbers. This step entrust serve as scaffolding for students as they encounter much mod concepts. Teachers should encourage the use of manipulatives, such as base-ten blocks, as they will table service students relate whole numbers to something real.Teachers can as well as use Venn diagrams as they allow students to graphically organize material, which aids in the development of their analytic skills and teache s them to draw conclusions based on specific criteria. Once mathematics teachers are able to create a solid base of knowledge, they can encourage their students to explore algebraic thinking, and expand their ability to think critically by the use of estimation and mental math. It is up to teachers to give students the skills to set up and solve algorithms that will help to build their math confidence and set off them to expand on what they have learned.Teaching the concept of integers and number theory is a fundamental part of math curriculum. The ability of a professional mathematics teacher to tie in real world experiences, using give on activities and manipulatives is essential in enabling students to build on mathematic ideas and understand how they interconnect. Also important is the concept of rational numbers as fractions, decimals, and real numbers. Teachers need to help ease the transition from whole numbers by clearly explaining the new rules and definitions students ar e unfamiliar with.By teaching the importance of ratios, proportions, proportional reasoning, percents, and their real life applications, teachers are giving students the skills they need to become full-bodied members of society. Proportional reasoning is one of the big ideas in math and if students are able to grasp this concept, they will be able to apply it in galore(postnominal) instances in their lives. Teachers can assist students with this by providing interesting, well belief out problems that represent situations students will encounter in the future.This course influenced my philosophy on teaching math by helping me realize how important it is to facilitate mathematical learning through a variety of different learning experiences. I realized that there are often many ways to come up with the same answer, therefore problems should be presented in many in different contexts, as a means of beholding the same thing in a different light. This class also influenced my realiz ation of the important role a math teacher plays not only in presenting information, but in determining where a student went wrong when they do not grasp that information.I realized that for a teacher to be able to do this they must acquire a blockheaded amount of pedagogical content knowledge and need to promote more than just procedural understanding when teaching math to their students. They need to present the why, and they need to be able to teach their students to make comprehend of mathematics by using reasoning and proof. This conceptual understanding comes from clock time and practice in a variety of contexts. Providing students with a multitude of mathematical experiences will help them understand math both inside and external of the classroom.Most importantly, I realized that professional math teachers need to be solid motivators. There were times in this class that I felt unlogical and wanted to give up. It was as if I were walking in my students shoes. This experi ence taught me that I will need to give my students unequivocal encouragement and plenty of feedback along the way. I will aim to repugn them mentally while providing the support they need to become successful learners. References Billstein, R. , Lineskind, S. and Lott, J. (2010). A Problem Solving Approach to Mathematics for Elementary School Teachers (10th ed. ). capital of Massachusetts Pearson Education, Inc.