Weekly Report & Reflection 2

Hello!

Week 2's class was a success!! Class this week concentrated on student algorithms in addition, subtracting, multiplication and division. Seems like a lot to take in for one class? It wasn't.

Something that I did this week that I will absolutely remember and use in my future classroom is the addition and subtraction algorithm introduced in class. In my elementary years I learned to add and subtract in one way and that method was the "correct" one. I am soon learning throughout the math class that it is not about a correct method, there is no correct method. I was taught to add and subtract from the right to left which to me proved to be difficult. Apparently I was not alone with finding this method difficult.

Learning new ways to add...

In the below photo there is an example of adding from left to right. Personally when I witnessed the teacher lay out this method I was shocked. It all made sense to me, adding left to right just as I read and instantly I told myself that this is how I will teach adding to my students. Why not teach them a way as natural to what they are used to as possible? This will not only come easier to them but boost their confidence and enjoyment for math work. This part of our lecture created an 'ah ha' moment for me because I realized that I was not 'horrible' at math but instead I was not given the methods that worked for me to be as successful as I would have liked and I will remember to use these methods within my own classrooms when I am an educator.

This is one of the alternative methods to addition explained above.

In addition to the above algorithm method there are various other ones that were introduced in class that I have never been introduced to or have never been instructed to use during my education. I will be sure to share these successful methods with my students to ensure that my students have the skills and methods they need in order to be successful and love math. Below is a secondary method to adding numbers for students and this method can also be used for subtraction. This algorithm method is skip counting.

I have attached a resource for educators that has multiple different skip counting worksheets for their students that are printable! Enjoy :)

http://www.kiddoshelter.com/skip-count-by-5-worksheet/

Try this song out with your younger grades!

New ways to multiply too! Multiplication made easy...

Not only were these two addition and subtraction algorithms successful and appealing to me when watching them put to the test but multiplication algorithms were also offered in this week's class. This method will be beneficial for all students learning to multiply and for those that learn in a more visual manner. This concept breaks down the different meanings behind multiplication and why we multiply.

Math has been seen by any as the big, scary bad wolf of school work and after only a few hours learning the different ways to teach, this week specifically learning algorithms, is changing that picture for me and I hope for you reading this as well!

Thanks for checking in and following me throughout the beginning of this math journey! Cannot wait to share some more with you next time.


Until next time,
Emily


Cheers!!