- What do YOU need to know and learn in order to teach mathematics effectively?
- What do your students need to know and learn for long-term mathematics success?
- Based on this week�s readings and assignments, have you changed your perspective on
mathematics education? If so, how? If not, why? - Did you discover something thought provoking in this week�s activities or readings? Explain.
Resources for this week: I have attached Chapter 3. Sousa, D. (2015). How the brain learns
mathematics (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Word count: 698
What do you need to know and learn in order to teach mathematics effectively?
As a teacher the effectiveness of using images to enhance the ability of the students to
understand the concepts. According to Sousa, (2015), brain imaging increases the ability of
the students to understand the concepts that are being taught. Additionally, one should build
on the memory of the students. An instructor should make sure that the students can relate the
topic to an earlier lesson that they have been taught. It increases their participation level.
Moreover, the teachers need to have a comprehension of the working memory of their
students. This enables them to structure their lesson plans effectively by breaking down them
into portions. Small portions make it easy for the students to understand the topic. Lastly, the
teachers should be able to discern the suitable learning environment and instructional setting
applicable to their students (Sousa, 2015). Students with a disability have different needs and
levels of understanding to those without disabilities. The teacher should also be able to detect
the emotional stability of their students to enhance their learning experience.
What do your students need to know and learn for long-term mathematics success?
Students need to understand that mathematics is dependent subject. It relates to
concepts that they have learned in the lower classes. Moreover, mathematics is an active
subject that requires the student to participate in the various activities to enhance their
comprehension. Also, mathematics is not about memorization but understanding of the
basics. Understanding the basics enables them to be able to solve difficult questions (Sousa,
Moreover, it increases their ability to manipulate the various aspects of mathematics
either in form of simple or word problems. Additionally, Mathematics requires regular
practice to reinforce the concepts taught in the minds of the ready. Regular practice will
increase their proficiency in manipulating various problems that are presented to them.
Finally, mathematics is a fun subject that requires an open mind and readiness from the
students to enable them to perform effectively.
Based on this week’s readings and assignments, have you changed your perspective on
mathematics education? If so, how? If not, why?
I have changed my perception of mathematics education as a result of this week’s
readings and assignments. I have learned that when teaching mathematics different
techniques have to be employed. The students understand better when they can relate the
concepts to an earlier lesson. Moreover, the students have different abilities hence the use of
different learning styles to enhance their comprehension. The segregation of students based
on their abilities ensures that all students understand all the units of the class. Each group
different methods will be used to enhance their understanding of the lesson.
Furthermore, as an instructor, I need to ensure that my lessons are simple and are
broken down into small units. I have learned that students understand mathematics more
when they find out that the lesson plan is short. It increases their interests to participate in the
class and engage in mathematics evaluation on their own. Moreover, mathematics is an active
subject that requires the teacher to involve the students through games, images, presentations
among other techniques. This increases the ability of the memory of the students to recall the
concepts that they are taught in class.
Did you discover something thought provoking in this week’s activities or readings?
I discovered something thought provoking in this week’s readings. Mathematics is
genetically inherent in human beings. Number sense has been programmed into the brains of
human beings. The brain imaging section is interlinked with the counting region. The
nearness indicates that if fear of mathematics is eliminated from students they have the ability
to excell in the subject.
In conclusion, as an instructor, I should understand the different teaching techniques
that I should incorporate into a lesson. The use of diverse teaching techniques increases the
attentiveness of the learners. Moreover, I should understand the different capabilities and
learning styles of my students to enable them to succeed. On the other hand, the students need
to carry out regular practice to enable them to understand the topic. They should also build on
their previous concepts when learning new math topics.
Sousa, D. (2015). How the brain learns mathematics (2 nd ed.) Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin