From: Tim G. (for Teacher2Teacher Service)
Date: Jun 05, 2001 at 11:50:52
Subject: Re: contextualised math

Hi Julie,

In my experience the most important benefit of teaching math in context is 
that students learn better. By placing the math in context they see a value in 
learning the math. For instance, to teach my fifth graders how to bisect line 
segments simply to bisect line segments would not only be very diffucult, but 
also would not be something that they would remember very well. However, if I 
teach that same concept within the context of building a gingerbread house, 
with the bisecting of the line segment being needed to make sure that the roof 
is on correctly, the students not only learn the information, but also retain 
the information for a longer period of time.

Another bennifit of teaching math in context is that it allows you to 
intergrate more than one subject area. As we all know, the day keeps getting 
shorter and the demands keep getting more intense and one way of getting 
everything done is by intergrating subject areas. 

I hope this helps. I have found that teaching math in context (and other 
subjects as well) is the best way of preparing my students.

 -Tim G., for the T2T service

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