Why Math Education is Changing…

Why Math Education is Changing…

…and how we as parents can help our children improve!

Math ≠ Magic

Too often, we as adults are amazed by how numbers can be manipulated.

Even when the answer is explained, we might see how each individual step is done, but we are at a loss how anyone saw the path from start to finish.

How did we learn math?

How much did we retain?

post secondary

K-12

The rest of our life…

How did we like math?

Have students changed?

A Shifting Focus

From To

Teacher – absolute authority Teacher – caring coach

Knowledge/skill based Application and problem based

Lecture centred Inquiry centred

Exam heavy Variety of assessments

Two sources Multiple sources

Student responsibly Multiple stakeholders

Audio-visual Audio-visual-spatial-kinesthetic

Example 1: Ratios

1:3 = 2:__

Old way…

Example 1: Ratios

How many ears do you have?How many fingers do you have?

How do they compare?Is that the same for everyone at the table?What is the ratio of ears to fingers for the

whole table? the whole room?How does that compare to your personal

ratio?

New way…

Example 2:Buying a Ball Cap

How much does a ball cap cost?Approximately $30

How can you pay for it?Allowance, job, gift money…

Why does it cost that amount?Brainstorm: materials, labor, equipment, design,

logo rights, profit to manufacturer, store upkeep… cost of each per cap?

Parent Support for Math

Teachers all over the world are letting go of their tight fisted grasp over the “absolute authority” in education… and you will have to as well. Its hard, trust me!

Key strategies:• Positive responses• Asking questions

• Games and Challenges

Strategy 1:Positive responses

This is hard. I don’t know how to do it.Response: Let’s find out together!

That isn’t how my teacher did it.Response: Cool – lets see if it works, then we can try to find out how the teacher did it.

Strategy 1:Positive responses

ChallengeThis is stupid. I’ll never need this.

Response: Sure you will… {come up with application} –OR- Maybe not, but…

Strategy 2:Why and When?

When they are doing their homework, ask “Why?” and “How?” and “When?” ….even if they understand.• Why did you pick that? • Why does that work?• How did you know to try that?• How else could you get to the answer?• When could you use this in real life?• When does this work? When does it not

work?

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Who is closer?• Parent and child each pick a number (ex. 18 and 24)

• Each gets to guess what the result would be if they are

multiplied together (ex. 18x24)

• The child gets to check on a calculator and determine

who is closer

SKILLS: Estimation, mental math, number comparison

Get me from A to B• Parent picks a point somewhere in the room

• The child gives precise directions for the parent to get to that point

• Ex. Take 4 steps forward, turn 90 degrees to the right, take 3 steps.

• As the child gets better, have them give 2 or 3 directions at a time

SKILLS: Relational thinking, estimation, communication

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Running total shopping game• As you are doing your grocery shopping, the child keeps a

running total of the cost

• In the beginning, you may round the costs to the nearest dollar.

As they get better, have them decide whether/how to round

• If the child is within a certain range of the actual value, they get

a treat

SKILLS: Mental math, estimation, rounding

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Which is better value?• As you are doing your grocery shopping, whenever a choice

between products and sizes comes up, ask your child to help

with the decision

• Key factors to get them to consider is cost, amount and

quality. For the amount, they should consider value as well as

risk of spoiling!

SKILLS: Mental math, estimation, rounding

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

How far and how long?• When walking or driving, have your child estimate the time

it will take to get to your destination based on the distance

• When driving, pick a far off object and have the child

estimate the distance (check using odometer) and the time

it will take to get there.

SKILLS: Spatial and temporal awareness, estimation

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Extend the pattern• Create a pattern (shapes, colours, sounds,

movements)

• Have your child extend the pattern, and then describe

how the pattern works

SKILLS: Pattern recognition, extension, communication

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Coin challenge• Have a number of different coins in a pouch

• Knowing the value and number of coins, the child

brainstorms the possible combinations of coins

• The parent can give hints to help narrow the selection

(ex. There are twice as many dimes as quarters)

SKILLS: Money math, relations, problem solving

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Powers of Observation• The child is told to concentrate on observing everything that

happens in a location (restaurant, grocery line, etc.) for a

given amount of time, and then closes their eyes

• The parent asks questions about location and description of

items in the room, what people were saying, when events

happened

SKILLS: Spatial and temporal awareness, memory, patterns

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Broken calculator• The student is given an arithmetic problem to solve with a

calculator, with the stipulation that a button is “broken”

(can’t be used). Difficulty can be tailored to student ability

easily.

• Ex. 18 x 23 but the number 8 is broken. (student could do

20 – 2, get 18, then multiply by 23)

SKILLS: Order of operations, calculation, problem solving

Strategy 3:Games and Challenges

Selected Resources

• http://www.mathplayground.com

• http://www.math-play.com/

• http://www.smarttutor.com/free-resources/

• https://www.khanacademy.org/

• http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/parentGuideNum

2012.pdf

• http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/math/

• http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/

• http://www.arcademicskillbuilders.com/

• http://www.mathstories.com/strategies.htm