The end is near....

          After the last 12 exciting weeks, our math class has come to an end. Throughout this course, I have learned a great deal of new and innovative methods that I would be able to use in the classroom. 

          At first, I was very nervous about how to teach the various concepts in mathematics. Math was never my favourite subject. Therefore, the requirement to teach math during my placement made me feel a bit uneasy at first. However, through each week, I was able to gain a better knowledge of different resources and activities that a teacher could use in order for students to succeed in their learning.

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          Throughout these past weeks, I have gained a great foundation of resources I will be able to use during my teaching placements. My two favourite activities that I have enjoyed learning about are the "Measurement Olympics" and the "Area Dice" game. I found these games to great tools to use in the classroom as ways to keep students engaged and interested in what they are learning. One of the main goals to keep in mind in a classroom is to maintain momentum and motivation of your students. The way in which to do this is to create a positive learning experience for students. By creating activities that are interactive for students, each type of learner will be able to connect and retain information based on their learning style. 

          Through the completion of this course, I have gained a great foundational knowledge of different resources I could use to help myself teach various math concepts. Despite my uneasiness at the beginning of this journey, I believe this has changed to a more confident attitude. I will be able to take my newly grasped knowledge and apply it to any future placements I have; ensuring that all students have a positive learning experience. 

The Importance of Assessment

          Over the course of the last 10 weeks, teachers candidates have been learning a variety of different activities and methods to help engage students in the classroom. Through these activities, teacher candidates are able to learn and apply these new findings during their time at their placement.

          Through these tasks, there is an important question that is taken into consideration: What is the importance of students completing these task?

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As educators, an important role we take is to evaluate the learning capabilities of students. Over the course of a year, students will be given ample amount of chances to demonstrate their learning to their teachers. It is of grave importance that teachers give students enough chances to demonstrate their knowledge of concepts in all subjects. 

          Due to the great importance of assessment, teachers must take their assessing role seriously. Therefore, it would be of great assistance to teachers to have their forms of assessment saved in an organized manner. One way in which to maintain organization is to keep a binder of assessments. During our session, our instructor displayed her use of math assessments in her various binders. Each binder contained various assessment tests, with calendars to help the instructor plan out units; and the consequently assessments that follow in order to ensure proper retention of information. 

         There are some primary forms of assessment that are common in all school settings. They include: tests, quizzes, written and oral communication evaluations. Through these four primary types of assessment, teachers were able to make note of the differences among their students; in terms of their learning styles and what levels they are at.Through the results of these assessments, teachers are able to modify their teaching techniques in order to help a student's learning process.

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          A great resource for teachers to use is the Growing Success document. This ministry document provides teachers with the necessary resources they need in order to create useful forms of assessment. Through the use of this document, teachers are able to have a guideline to help them succeed in evaluating their students throughout the year; and in turn, this will lead to the academic success of their students. 

          In the long run, assessment provides teachers an insight into the learning styles of their students. The better the teacher learns to get to know their students, the better the outcome will be of academic success in the students. One of the major goals of teaching is to provide the best possible educational and learning experience for students. Through proper assessment, teachers will be able to provide a great learning environment for al types of learners in their classroom.  

Data Management and Probability!!!

          When someone mentions the concept of data management and probability, the first aspect that comes to mind is taking chances; not knowing what the outcome will be. Generally, I am not a big risk taker. However, I was always interested in completing exercises in this math concept since we were able to apply this concept to real-life situations.

Pagliaro, T. © 2016.

         Just as usual, our sessions began with an innovative hypothetical lesson given by one of our teacher candidates. This lesson was a great interactive way to help students get familiar with using the proper terminology for this math unit. Before the activity began, the candidates reviewed the terms of probability and data management in order to re-familiarize ourselves with the terms. This is exactly what an instructor would do with their class in order to gain a foundation of what each terms means. Affirming the terms was then followed by the activity portion. Each table was given spinners; with different sized sections of different colours. Each group was given the task to complete 20 spins and determine the probability of spinning on certain colours. All members will have a chance to spin the spinner and record the data in a tally chart. In a classroom, the next step would be for students to find the mean, median, mode and range for this set of data; followed by recording the data in a graph. The spinner activity would be a great way for instructors to get students to actively participate in their learning process for this math concept.

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          One of the great reasons why I always enjoyed data management and probability because of the real-life application of the unit. Using real applications during day to day life will help students retain and fully understand the concepts of this unit. My favourite demonstration of this real-life application during this week's session is using Tim Horton's "Roll Up the Rim to Win." Each student in the class is able to purchase a beverage with a Roll Up the Rim cup. The students then hypothesize what they think the probability of winning would be for each person in the class. Once each student rolls up their cups, they can document the data in a tally chart; followed by finding the mean, median, mode and range for the set of data. Using this trip/activity is a great way to engage students and keep their interest in the concepts. In addition, it will also help students to gain further knowledge and understanding of these concepts. 

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          This week has proven to be very resourceful in applying data management and probability concepts in various forms. In my opinion, using real-life applications of these concepts will improve a student's retention of the information. In addition, using online resources and manipulatives, such as spinners, will allow students to gain some hands-on experience in defining the various terms of this unit. Through this week's activities, I have learned that a great way for students to maintain interest in a subject is to incorporate real-life aspects into the lessons.