Session 2 Reflection (23rd August 2011)

Session 2 ( 23^rd August 2011)

This was our 2^nd session with Dr Yeap.

Pick up sticks game

It was an interesting session where I enjoyed playing the pickup sticks game. I realized there is a pattern to it, an alternating pattern. There is a good number for either of the players and a bad number too. It was a good game. I learnt an interesting word which now is stuck in my mind SUBITIZE! I subitize , one look and I KNOW . J

It also made me reflect on my number sense which is not that great…LOL !!

This game is a good practice for counting. As a teacher, it lets our kids learn and decide. Kids can make decisions if a number is good for them and think how they can try and make it bad for the opponent. This game really dived into a good sense of counting!

Differentiated Learning

Dr Yeap also informed us that as teachers there must be differentiated instruction for children of different abilities.

Video Learning ( Dr Yeap Teaching)

Through this video ,I learnt there  was an interesting objective of this lesson.Can children add, can they see patterns, can they communicate mathematical patterns??? Having number sense is important and looking for patterns in one of the big sense.

Long Division Activity

I learnt the reasons of why we do long division in a certain way. It was a new way of thinking. This activity really reminded me of my math class when I was younger.

We not only need to know it is like that , it is important to explain the reasoning which Dr Yeap explained step by step to us, something that none of my math teachers in my entire life did. Thanks Dr Yeap!! J

Dr Yeap also reminded us we are not teaching Mathematics , but  we are teaching children. We use math as a tool and teach children how to correct themselves.

METACOGNITION- this manages our brains thinking.

I like this part of what Dr Yeap said, ‘Never teach children machine skills, teach children decision making, who cares about the calculation?’( any calculator can do that) we care about DECESION MAKING. That really sunk in..:)

I also like his point that the ability to remember is not a HUMAN STRENGTH.

Mathematics is not about MEMORIZATION!

I also like the point of anything with 10,000 hours if practice makes one a minor GENIUS!

I can make my list now … hahah

All in all on this session , I learnt that mathematics is developing thinking and metacognition skills, visualization, generalization , communication and number sense!!