EDEL 433-Melissa's blog

I realized that everything I learned in my previous math education was the exact opposite of this new approach we were introduced to today. I was taught my teacher's strategies, and in fact remember that during exams when we had to show our work on how we came to our conclusions it needed to follow the steps my teacher had modeled. Everything I learned in math was skill and drill. I could not tell someone why I computed things the way I did. Today, I struggled in class trying to think like a child. The skills and strategies I was taught at a young age are so embedded in my head. When we were comparing word problems trying to figure out which one was easier I was just picking the ones that seemed more natural for me to answer based on my prior knowledge. I am so curious to learn more about how and what makes a word problem a good one, and how students learn. Everything that we were taught during class seems like the logic and most natural way to teach math. Aren't we not suppose to expect students to learn to the way we teach, but teach to the way they learn. I think I would have a much better understanding of math if I was instructed this way. Plus the information that I understood and learned would be locked in my long term memory. I also think this would have helped me teach my future students. If I do not comprehend why things are done a certain way or happen how am I suppose to teach my students. This concept is one of my biggest fears in becoming a teacher.