4. Model with mathematics.
How are middle school teachers helping their students model with mathematics?
How can students be helped to:
- apply the mathematics they know to solve problems arising in everyday life, society, and the workplace
- write an addition equation to describe a situation
- identify important quantities in a practical situation
- map their relationships using such tools as diagrams, two-way tables, graphs, flowcharts and formulas
- analyze those relationships mathematically to draw conclusions
- interpret their mathematical results in the context of the situation
- reflect on whether the results make sense, possibly improving the model
What are you doing to help students develop this practice? What makes it hard? What challenges are you encountering?
In my own education, I would say that this area was the most lacking. I happened to be a great math student, but had very little understanding of real world applications. This is the area that teachers can improve to help expand students’ understanding of math. There are students who don’t “get” math and need instruction to be delivered in a way that makes sense to them. Using models is a way to help all learners understand a concept, reinforce learning for students who “get” the algorithm, and have students work together to understand a concept.