Thursday, April 7, 2011

Journal 9: Is It Time To Make Mathematics More Fun? (Nets T-1,2)

Is it time to make mathematics more fun?. (2011). Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-march-april-2011.aspx 
   Math can be tedious, boring, and complicated. There is always long drawn out steps to follow in order to just find a simple answer to a math problem. Dave Moursund is urging teachers to let computers to do the computing. Computers free students of having to write out formulas and solve problems. Moursund teaches educators in his blogs and videos on how to incorporate computers into the classroom, letting the computers do all the computing. 

Moursund writes, "We now have the computer hardware and software availability that can be used to inexpensively and widely implement the ideas that have I have been advocating. We can change math education by letting facilities do what they do best in math, educating students so their brains can do what they do best in math, and producing a curriculum that is fun and interesting." Math helps us build trains, design homes, balance our budget, run a business, lose weight, etc. But we are not taught math like this but with a heavy algorithmic process which can make math boring. This is why students become disconnected with math and view it is irrelevant. Studies show, students learn math better when taught in a game-like manner. 

Being that you are an aspiring math educator, what will you take from this article and apply in your class?

The fact that math and technology both intertwine together. One is useful with the other. I can use the computer to host my website as well as math games, being that students learn the material better when it is applied in a game-like manner. I can try to find ways to make math more fun and interesting by using mock real world examples.

What are the negatives with using algorithmic process to solve math problems?

They are long and tedious, sometimes boring or complicated. Students do not necessarily learn math this way and tend to go about the steps without really understanding what they are doing. When using algorithmic students are learning to do it quick but do not understand anything.

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