Course Synthesis

As a math teacher, I would love to incorporate the things I have learned in this course to better teach my students. For example, I would like my students to understand that they need to be critical in mathematics even though math usually comes across as being a purely objective field of study. I will teach them about Newton and how Einstein came along with the relativity theory and replaced Newton's theory of Gravitation. Also, there is much to be critical about in the world of statistics. I just read a book by Keith Devlin, "The Language of Mathematics" in which he said that almost any data could be made to look like a bell curve. So the students in my class would explore different methods of collecting and presenting statistical data.

Comprehension instruction is vital in mathematics (and probably every other topic). One way I would incorporate this would be to give plenty of before during and after reading activities so that the students had many exposures to the material and could receive the information in different ways. I can also incorporate vocabulary words in mathematics by exposing the students to the words and definitions throughout the year. This way, they will be able to become familiar with the words. I think by allowing students to work in groups as well as assigning specific group activities, students will enhance their oral language in mathematics. They will have a chance to teach their peers, hear "student" friendly explanations, and use the vocabulary words. 

I can support writing and making representations by having students write a journal entry each day about the new concepts they have learned to be turned in and graded only for completion and effort. I can also ask students to represent data, draw graphs, and make other representations that will help them visualize the things they are learning. These things may be helpful to English Learners and Culturally Diverse Students because they will be able to see concepts in pictures as well as ask questions in their journals about words or other things they don't understand.

Some ways I could incoporate digital technology into my lessons would be to use apps, online videos, and graph making websites. Aside from probably some "required textbooks" I would like students to be encouraged to read interesting texts written at different levels as well as different types of text about math topics that are interesting to them. For example, I would like to have my copy of "In Code" by Sarah Flannery available to students. After I answered all of the questions in the blog prompt I read that I don't have to answer all the questions, haha.