In many of my classes this semester I am being asked to take a step back and learn what is like to be a child learning these things. In my Teaching Math in Elementary School class, we are revisiting the reasoning of the elementary school child when asked to measure a distance. The explanation of this reasoning gives educators a look into the mind of someone who is learning the material for the first time. For most of the material it is simple reasoning for why the graph fits the story or vice versa. But for learning about counting in bases other than ten there was no clear reasoning for the change. Our class had problems conceptualizing the difference between the bases until we wrote out a list of the numbers used in the different bases. We also used the small blocks, which children use for counting, to help us conceptualize the new numbering systems. We are also learning how children are being taught to add and subtract, which is called the expanded algorithm. How can this use of multiple numbering systems help children to conceptualize numbers better? With the use of these multiple numeration systems, would young students get confused about which system they are counting in normally? How does the expanded algorithm help the students with adding and subtracting, besides taking away the need to carry?
Emilie
I took that class last year and the point of the different bases is just so we as education majors can understand how children struggle when learning base 10. Elementary students wouldn't learn other bases, at least I don't think, because that would get way to confusing. It got to be a little confusing for me at times.
ReplyDelete-Ashley Vogt
I understand the need for us as college students to understand the struggle of children when first learning to count, but I still think that some of the material covered in that class is unnecessary.
ReplyDeleteEmilie