We're off to the races! Today's class covered A LOT... I think I am actually still chewing on a few of the concepts. Sometimes it is a good thing to have a jam-packed class because it gives a sense of accomplishment knowing that you've learned and touched upon a good variety of topics.
The class started off with an ice-breaking activity. This was refreshing because after having already sat in class for 3.5 hours prior to this class, getting up and chatting with other classmates was a warmly welcomed idea.
We also watched a video in class, "Good Morning Ms. Toliver." To put it simply, Ms. Toliver is a pretty cool teacher. I love how she connected with the students and really engaged them in their learning. If only there were more teachers like Ms. Toliver.
The class started off with an ice-breaking activity. This was refreshing because after having already sat in class for 3.5 hours prior to this class, getting up and chatting with other classmates was a warmly welcomed idea.
We also watched a video in class, "Good Morning Ms. Toliver." To put it simply, Ms. Toliver is a pretty cool teacher. I love how she connected with the students and really engaged them in their learning. If only there were more teachers like Ms. Toliver.
Going back to last class, we also discussed the picture book, "How Many Feet in the Bed" as we looked at a sample lesson plan. The idea of combining a picture book to math class is genius - I love the integration of language arts because with today's society, I am concerned about the negative impact of technology on reading and writing skills. Long live the book! We did a quick response sheet for a question relating to the book.
This response sheet was fun. I love having a blank space to display my thoughts. One major thing that I should keep in mind from doing this sheet, however, is that I must stay in line with what the students are learning. For example, my initial thought process in solving how many feet there would be was to use algebra. "Let's use a formula because it will be quick and easy!" Depending on what grade I am teaching, the students may have no idea what I am talking about and think I am making things up. I must be mindful to stick with grade appropriate language and concepts.
The chapter reading for this week focused on larger numbers. I appreciated how the chapter really broke down the concepts that were being introduced to the students because sometimes we take for granted knowing the greater picture. For example, students must be introduced to place value and what larger numbers actually mean. Again, the textbook was wonderfully adorned with various diagrams and visuals to accompany the principles being discussed. The chapter discussed estimating and rounding with larger numbers - I like the use of a number line for this because it shows the numbers laid out proportionally and why we move one way as opposed to the other when rounding. The section on common misconceptions, once again, is a highly valued section in my eyes.
The chapter reading for this week focused on larger numbers. I appreciated how the chapter really broke down the concepts that were being introduced to the students because sometimes we take for granted knowing the greater picture. For example, students must be introduced to place value and what larger numbers actually mean. Again, the textbook was wonderfully adorned with various diagrams and visuals to accompany the principles being discussed. The chapter discussed estimating and rounding with larger numbers - I like the use of a number line for this because it shows the numbers laid out proportionally and why we move one way as opposed to the other when rounding. The section on common misconceptions, once again, is a highly valued section in my eyes.