Listed below are best practices for teaching mathematics as listed in the publication Best Practice, Today's Standards for Teaching and Learning in America's Schools by Steven Zemelman, Harvey Daniels, Arthur Hyde. Many of you received this book as part of a reading grant last year. WHAT'S AWESOME WHAT'S LESS THAN AWESOME TEACHING PRACTICES TEACHING PRACTICES Use of manipulative materials Rote practice Cooperative group work Rote memorization of rules and formulas Discussion of mathematics Teaching by telling (lecture) Justification of thinking Single answers and single methods to find answers Writing about mathematics Stressing memorization instead of understanding Problem-solving approach to instruction Repetitive written practice Content integration Use of drill worksheets Use of calculators and computers Teaching computation out of context Being a facilitator of learning Reliance on paper and pencil calculations Assessing learning as an integral part of instruction Being the dispenser of knowledge PROBLEM SOLVING PROBLEM SOLVING Word problems with a variety of structures and Use of cue words to determine operation to be used solution paths Everyday problems and applications Problem-solving strategies (especially Practicing problems categorized by types representational strategies) Open-ended problems and extended Practicing routine, one-step problems problem-solving projects Investigating and formulating questions from problem situations CREATING REPRESENTATIONS CREATING REPRESENTATIONS Creating one's own representations that make Copying conventional representations without understanding sense Creating multiple representations of the same Reliance on a few representations problem or situation Translating between representations of the same Premature introduction of highly abstract representations problem or situation Representations using electronic technology Using representations to make the abstract ideas Forms of representations as an end product or goal more concrete Using representations to build understanding of concepts through reflection Sharing representations to communicate ideas COMMUNICATING MATH IDEAS COMMUNICATING MATH IDEAS Discussing mathematics Doing fill-in-the-blank worksheets Reading mathematics Answering questions that need only yes or no answers Writing mathematics Answering questions that need only numerical answers Listening to mathematical ideas REASONING AND PROOF REASONING AND PROOF Drawing logical conclusions Relying on authorities (teacher or answer key) Justifying answers and solution processes Reasoning inductively and deductively MAKING CONNECTIONS MAKING CONNECTIONS Connecting mathematics to other subjects and Learning isolated topics to the real world Connecting topics within mathematics Developing skills out of context Applying mathematics NUMBERS/OPERATIONS/COMPUTATION NUMBERS/OPERATIONS/COMPUTATION Developing number and operation sense Early use of symbolic notation Understanding the meaning of key concepts such as place value, fractions, decimals, ratios, Memorizing rules and procedures without understanding proportions, and percents Various estimation strategies Complex and tedious paper and pencil computations Thinking strategies for basic facts Using calculators for complex calculations GEOMETRY/MEASUREMENT GEOMETRY/MEASUREMENT Developing spatial sense Memorizing facts and relationships Actual measuring and exploring the concepts Memorizing equivalencies between units of measure related to units of measure Memorizing geometric formulas Using geometry in problem solving STATISTICS/PROBABILITY STATISTICS/PROBABILITY Collecting and organizing data Memorizing formulas Using statistical methods to describe analyze evaluate, and make decisions ALGEBRA ALGEBRA Recognizing and describing patterns Manipulating symbols Identifying and using functional relationships Developing and using tables, graphs, and rules Memorizing procedures to describe situations Using variables to express relationships ASSESSMENT ASSESSMENT Making assessment an integral part of teaching Having assessment be simply counting correct answers on test Focusing on a broad range of mathematical tasks for the sole purpose of assigning grades and taking a holistic view of mathematics Focusing on a large number of specific and isolated skills Developing problem situations that require Using exercises or word problems requiring only one or two applications of a number of mathematical ideas skills Using multiple assessment techniques including Using only written tests written, oral, and demonstration formats |
MATH STRATEGIES: What's Awesome and What's < Awesome |