Math: A Love-Hate Relationship

Over the course of my life, I have had my fair share of struggles when it comes to mathematics. It could be so frustrating when I would spend hours upon hours on a single question, with little progress towards understanding the material. However, there would be days I found enjoyment in math, solving problems that required a higher level of understanding with ease. As this cycle of attitudes towards mathematics continues in my life, I find myself believing this is the groundwork for having a passion, and in this case, being passionate about math.

To offer this idea in a different context, I sometimes compare my relationship with mathematics to my favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings. They can have a great season with high chances of winning in the playoffs, but can also leave me frustrated, when they lose in a way only the Vikings can. The same goes for math. One moment I am ‘winning’ and the next I am ‘losing’, but, in the end, it still draws me in and I continue to be a fan of mathematics no matter the outcome. By understanding this idea of a love-hate relationship, it is easy to see how this applies to several areas of a person’s life, especially to his or her areas of interest.

Although it is interesting to consider how math is a love-hate relationship, as a future math teacher, I cannot let the thought end there. The posing question to be asked is what is the student’s relationship with math? I cannot count how many times I have heard the words ‘dislike’ and ‘math’ uttered in the same sentence. It appears to be the frustration that is most notably expressed when using mathematics, and understandably so, for it is a challenging subject. Frustration is a normal outcome when going through challenges, but, by persevering through these difficulties, one can succeed by learning from his or her endeavors.

The goal is not to make the student ignore their frustration, but rather to help him or her develop that balanced relation with math through recognizing its potential. One possible way to achieve this may include a lesson directed at a student’s interests to help with broadening their understanding of certain applications and uses. I believe it important to share one’s own difficulties with math as well as the success and enjoyment. When only the success from experience is expressed, it can be displayed as to not having failure in math, when we all know that is not true. By letting students know everyone has those ups and downs, it allows for the students to realize we all have frustrations with math, creating a mutual understanding and connection with the students. Having this common ground may help students to reconsider their feelings towards math and move from frustration to being interested.

I know I will always have this “love-hate” mentality towards math, and, therefore, I know my students will experience one or both feelings towards math as well. Knowing where the students stand and how I can relate to those situations will not only benefit my students’ appreciation for mathematics, but also develop my path as a teacher.  

Try Something New!

Living in the Digital Era, we see many uses of technology in the classroom. For many students, technology is used during every class period. Whether this be writing on a Smart Board or looking something up on their phone. Educators cannot shy away from the fact that technology is becoming a big part of the classroom and it is benefiting our students as well. 

Some teachers are reluctant to use technology because they are afraid that they will not be able to use it or that something will go wrong with the technology during their lesson plan. There is some very useful technology that is easy to use but that can also greatly impact our students. If you feel uncomfortable using technology talk to your school’s digital coordinator. They can show you in a matter of minutes how to run certain technology. You will also find that your students often know more about technology then you might. Ask the students if they know a simple solution to the problem. My sixth grade teacher designated someone to be tech helper for the semester.

Some teachers also believe the old saying that, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.” These teachers are unaware of the advantages technology can have on their students. It is not only enjoyable for their students but is also a different way to expose students to the content. I encourage these teachers to communicate with other educators in their field to find an easy way to incorporate technology into their classrooms. After you find a few programs that work for you, be proactive in learning about them. Find different ways to incorporate them into your lesson plans. This is also beneficial because your students are already familiar with them.

My goal for the readers today is to try a new technology in your classroom. This might be one of the first pieces of technology you have used this year or might just be something different for your students. Either way you are guaranteed to learn from the experience and share that experience with other educators. Don’t be afraid to try something new!

It all began five years ago…

Five years ago today I started this course blog for Math 371: Technology for Math (STEM) Educators.  I am happy that I did it and am looking forward to another great semester of this class.  I am also glad that my students in that class wanted me to continue using the same blog each year so that we could look back on the changes in technology over the years.

Each spring when I teach this course, I do it differently, partly based on what the students want to learn and partly due to changes in technology.  So I find it fitting to use this quote from Robert John Meehan on course management system page, "Life as a teacher begins the day you realize that you are always a learner."

On the first day of class, I told the students that I am not always going to be the technology expert on certain technologies and that we are all learners in the course.  Each semester I learn new things and hopefully they learn new things.  Ultimately my goal is to make our math pre-service teachers good consumers of technology. In particular, I want them to be well-versed in Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and understand that technology should not be used for technology’s sake, but technology needs to enhance student learning.

One significant change that I have made over the past five years in this course is that I now ask students to tell me what they want to learn about. There are some things that we will do regardless of their suggestions, but I like giving them choice in what we do.  Some things that they suggested for this semester are: math typesetting, online grading systems, online homework, 3D printing, Excel, and interactive whiteboards. Other topics will include copyright laws, blogging, and teaching with the TI-Nspire.  We will also work with iPads and how to utilize them in math classes.

I am looking forward to another semester of this course and I am certain that I will learn a lot!