EDEL-433 Melissa's Blog

Today I worked with a student on a word problem. He is an ELL student who is reading at maybe a kindergarten level. He does not understand 95% of the words in the problem. The problem asked how many cookies and cupcakes did Henry's mom buy?

She went to the store and bought 2 six packs of soda. Then she bought 15 cupcakes and 3 dozen cookies. She also bought 24 napkins.

They added extra information that confused him even more. The first thing I watched him do was take every number he saw in the problem and add them. This is a problem because the 2 six packs are actually 12 sodas and the 3 dozen are actually 36 cookies. He had no idea what six pack or dozen meant. I showed R what a dozen was with blocks. He understood that 12 were in a dozen. I knew this because I told them she bought 3 of those dozens so how many did she buy. He right away counted out 12 more blocks and put them aside and then counted 12 more. He did not understand altogether. He did understand total. I tried to explain to him altogether by pushing all of the pieces into one group. Once he figured out how many 3 dozen were he used the counting method and counted the 15 cupcakes starting at 36 cookies. So I believe I witnessed him use the direct method while trying to figure out the 3 dozen cookies, and the counting when he was trying to find the total. This whole process was a struggle in the beginning because he doesn't even understand what the problem says or is asking.

EDEL-433-Melissa's Blog

Okay,

I could not figure out that homework for the life of me. I placed the problems in order in my personal opinion from easiest to hardest. Everytime I tried to figure out how to label the columns and rows I would switch up my original order. I kept second guessing myself. I would look at a problem I originally thought was a harder one then place it as an easier one. I am not sure if it was because I was trying to categorize the problems so I was looking at them differently. Some of the column labels I came up with were as follows: whether or not adjectives were used, i.e. color, if the amount of gummy bears to start was written in past tense (Bart had 13 gummy bears), the # of gummy bears each person started with, the total #of gummy bears in the end, if the problem involved one person or two. .. I still couldn't make it work, and I know I am not looking at it correctly. I hope there is an actual answer and we find out today. More importantly, if I could figure it out myself today during class and "get it."

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.