FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE

SEPTEMBER / 2012

HBMT2103 TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1

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810806125633001 810806-12-5633 013-8792278 keipit_lok@yahoo.com SANDAKAN LEARNING CENTER

TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

CONTENTS TITTLE 1.O INTRODUCTION 2.0 CONTENTS 2.1 DEFINITION OF KEY CONCEPT 2.1 SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITIES 3.0 DISCUSSION 4.0 CONCLUSION 5.0 REFERENCES 6 9 11 12 13 PAGE 3

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TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

1.0 INTRODUCTION Mathematics is perhaps the weakest area of the elementary curriculum.Mathematics is assumed to be static, rule- bound, and linearly ordered. Instruction is presumed to be most effectively and efficiently organized for mastery learning by breaking content into small pieces to be digested. Learning is assessed through paper-and-pencil tests where being able to select the correct answer is taken to be knowledge.A decade of research and deliberation in mathematics and mathematics education has produced findings that challenge this traditional orientation to the teaching and learning of mathematics. At a formal level, mathematics is the systematic study of magnitude, relations between figures and forms, and relations between quantities expressed symbolically. More informally, it is the dynamic, everyday human activity of analyzing and describing the numerical and spatial aspects of our world. The discipline of mathematics is growing and changing. Over half of all mathematics has been invented since World War II (Davis and Hersh, 1981). It is impossible for any one person to know all there is to know or to be able to predict the specific mathematical content of problems that one might encounter. Seeing mathematics as a dynamic human activity means that one values doing mathematics over ac- cumulating facts about mathematics. Mathematics instruction that places emphasis on the absorption of the "record of knowledge" (Dewey, 1904/1964; Romberg, 1983) is no longer appropriate. The goal should not be the accumulation of large numbers of problems with appropriate algorithmic solutions but to learn ways of making sense of mathematics, inventing procedures to solve new problems, and building models to understand mathematical situations.

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TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

Recent research on concept acquisition is adding to our knowledge of how children think about numbers, geometric concepts, and relationships among variables (Carpenter, Moser, and Romberg, 1982; Ginsberg, 1977; Resnick, 1983). Children are not passive learners but actively construct, interpret, and put structure on new mathematical learning (Resnick and Ford, 1981; Romberg and Carpenter, 1986). Children come to school with a rich informal knowledge of mathematics and demonstrate a natural capacity for and interest in understanding mathematical concepts. Traditional mathematics instruction, however, is not conducive to the development of an inquiry orientation to learning and doing mathematics. A change is required in the way mathematics is organized and taught and in teacher beliefs about what it means to know and do mathematics.

This includes a different perspective on student and teacher role during instruction and a shift in orientation from a computational to a conceptual focus.Leaders in mathematics education--the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Science Board, the Board of Mathematical Sciences, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science--are calling for a reorganization of the mathematics curriculum around concept development and problem solving. They argue that mathematics is a creative, everyday human activity that cannot be built exclusively on rules and routines. Their recommendations to teachers include not only reducing the amount of time devoted to pencil-and-paper drill-and-practice on computational skills but also engaging children in challenging problem situations even though they have not completely mastered computational skills; providing problem situations in forms other than traditional textbook word problems; creating a classroom where questioning, 13

TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

exploration, reasoning, and justification are encouraged and expected; and using the power of computing technology to free students from tedious computations and to allow them to concentrate on problem-solving processes (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 1980). Reorganizing mathematics curriculum and instruction around concept

development and problem solving poses several substantial problems. Implementation of a conceptually based, problem-solving approach to mathematics instruction requires teachers to have a conceptual understanding of mathematics, to know why understanding concepts is important, and to know how to help students gain that understanding (Devaney, 1983; Lampert, 1986; Resnick,1983; Shulman, 1986). They need to be able to comprehend how various mathematical concepts relate to the larger field of mathematics (Steinberg, Haymore, and Marks, 1985). For many elementary teachers, the limitations of their knowledge about mathematics and teaching mathematics constrains their ability to teach conceptually. These limitations originate in their own experience, as learners of mathematics and as students in elementary teacher preparation programs. If prospective elementary teachers are to overcome these limitations, they must have opportunities in their teacher preparation programs to deepen their knowledge about the nature of mathematics, children's mathematics learning, and instructional practices that promote conceptual understanding.

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TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

2.0 CONTENT 2.1 Definition of key concept In mathematics, conceptual knowledge (otherwise referred to in the literature as declarative knowledge) involves understanding concepts and recognizing their applications in various situations. Conversely, procedural knowledge involves the ability to solve problems through the manipulation of mathematical skills with the help of pencil and paper, calculator, computer, and so forth (see Figure 2.1). Obviously, mathematicians invented procedures based on mathematical concepts.Yet, there are two contrasting theories regarding the acquisition of these two types of knowledge. One is referred to as the conceptualchange view and the other as the empiricist view.Beside that,relational understanding is having the ability to see the connections and relationships between numbers and areas of mathematics and to be able to apply them to new situations, knowing what to do and why (Skemp, 1989: 2).

Figure 2.1.1 Declarative Knowledge Versus Procedural Knowledge

Declarative Knowledge

(Conceptual) Procedural Knowledge Knowledge of formal language or symbolic representations. Knowledge of rules, 13

Knowledge rich in relationships and

TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

understanding It is a connected web of knowledge, a network in which the linking relationships are as prominent as the discrete bits of information.

algorithms, and procedures. Can procedures be learned by rote?

Is it possible to have procedural knowledge without conceptual Examples of concepts: square, knowledge? square root, function, area, division, By linear equation, conceptual derivative, polyhedron. definition, knowledge cannot be learned by rote. It must be learned by thoughtful, reflective mental activity. Is it possible to have conceptual knowledge/understanding something knowledge? without about procedural

Figure 2.1.2 Relationship Between Conceptual Knowledge and Procedural Knowledge: From Theory to Instructional Practice

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TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

source from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/images/publications/books/benhur2006_fig1.2.gif

One practice considers conceptual knowledge as meta-knowledge that grows out of procedural proficiency. It is referred to as the practice of simultaneous action (e.g., Hiebert & Carpenter, 1992; Morris, 1999; Skemp, 1976). Instruction that follows this practice typically starts with a brief introduction of new concepts and focuses on the modeling of procedures and practice. For example, a teacher will explain that in division as the inverse of multiplication ,students are given two numbers ( 4 x 5 = ? ) and they have to find the product.When the students know the product,teacher ask,''what number times 5 equals 20?'' ( ? x 5 = 20 ) that is called the inverse of multiplication.To get the answer , students have to ''divide'' (20 5 = ? ).This teacher assumes that this kind of knowledge about multiplication with division makes it easier for her students to learn the procedure. The second, known as the dynamic action practice, considers learning as a gradual reconceptualization that happens in the context of applying procedural 13

TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

knowledge to pre-existing ideas (preconceptions) (Byrnes & Wasik, 1991; Haapasalo & Kadijevich, 2000). This practice regards learning new concepts in terms of the Piagetian model of assimilation and accommodation (Nesher, 1986). Here there is no introduction of a new concept. For example, to develop the concept of numbers, children start from counting and the operation of addition. They first count all, then progress to count on, to count-on-from-larger, and to recalling addition factsand eventually they derive new number facts from known ones. Increasingly, their number concept is featured in more compressed procedures, and their focus shifts from the procedures to the abstract idea of numbers. As with the simultaneous action view, conceptual understanding is believed to involve the procedural context. Unlike the simultaneous action view, instruction iterates between concepts and procedures. Neither the simultaneous practice nor the dynamic action practice, however, has consistently yielded positive results in terms of connecting conceptual to procedural knowledge (Nesher, 1986). 2.2 SUGGESTION OF ACTIVITIES 2.2.1 Numbers to 1000 Summary of task Students were asked to use a number story and algorithm to solve a problem. Students were given a number, in this case 58, and were asked to create both an addition and subtraction word problem with the solution of 58. Work sample 2: Numbers Creating a word problem

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TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

source http://www.acara.edu.au/curriculum/worksamples/AC_Worksample_Mathematics_2.pdf

Acknowledgment-ACARA acknowledges the contribution of trial school teachers and students for providing the tasks and work samples. The annotations are referenced to the Australian Curriculum achievement standards.

2.2.2 Division within 2,3,4 and 5 times-tables Performance/Paper and Pencil Small Group Activity - Amanda Beans Amazing Dream. If possible, ask students to group themselves in groups of 4. Provide each group with various numbers of counters that can be grouped equally with 4 in each group (8, 12, 16, 20). How many groups of 3 counters can you make with the total number of counters in your group?

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Ask students to represent their groupings concretely, pictorially and symbolically with number sentences on chart paper. Encourage the use of a division sentence. Give time for each group to share with the whole class.

Student-Teacher Dialogue Childrens Literature (provided): Neuschwander, Cindy. Amanda Beans Amazing Dream Ask students to use counters to act out story division problems with and without remainders. Provide opportunity for students to discuss how they solved the problems. (i) Theresa has twenty-five pieces of paper to hand out for booklet covers. Each student needs two pieces of paper to make a cover. How many students can have two pieces? (ii) Craig collects stamps. He has twenty two stamps. Four stamps fit on each page of his stamp collection book. How many pages can he fill?

Source http://www.ed.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/curriculum/guides/mathematics/primary/Unit_6_Multip lication_and_Division.pdf

3.0 DISCUSSION According to Skemp (1976),There are four advantages in relational understanding of mathematics: (a) more adaptable to new tasks, (b) easier to remember 13

TEACHING OF ELEMENTARY MATHEMATICS PART 1 > HBMT2103

(c) effective as a goal in itself, and (d) organic in quality. The metaphor for relational understanding is getting a map to go to a certain place (i.e., knowing how to go to any new place). It is common among teachers to use rhymes to help students understand mathematical properties. Such an effort in many cases results in instrumental understanding. For example, many teachers use the following rhyme to help students understand (or memorize) the order of number operation: Please (parenthesis) Excuse (exponential) My (multiplication) Dear (division) Aunt (addition) Sally (subtraction). Many students who have gained instrumental understanding through this teaching practice would mistakenly believe that, for example, they should do addition before subtraction because of the order shown in the rhyme. This rhyme does not illustrate the fact that there are equivalent levels of operation. The order of operation does not matter between multiplication and division. Neither does it between addition and subtraction.

4.0 CONCLUSION

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In the mathematics curriculum, opportunities for making connections must be created so that pupils can link conceptual to procedural knowledge and relate topics in mathematics with other learning areas in general.The mathematics curriculum consists of several areas such as arithmetic, geometry, measures and problem solving. Without connections between these areas, pupils will have to learn and memorise too many concepts and skills separately. By making connections pupils are able to see mathematics as an integrated whole rather than a jumble of unconnected ideas. Teachers can foster connections in a problem-oriented classrooms by having pupils to communicate, reason and present their thinking. When these mathematical ideas are connected with real life situations and the curriculum, pupils will become more conscious in the application of mathematics. They will also be able to use mathematics contextually in different learning areas in real life.

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2507 WORDS

5.0 REFERENCES 1. Grouws, D. (2004). Chapter 7: Mathematics. In Cawelti, G, ed., Handbook of Research on Improving Student Achievement. Arlington, VA: Educational Research Service.Ministry of Education (2003). 2. Kristin L. McGraner, Ed.D. Amanda VanDerHeyden, Ph.D. Lynn Holdheide (2011).Preparation of Effective Teachers in Mathematics, A TQ Connection Issue Paper on Applying the Innovation Configuraton to Mathematics Teacher Preparation, Washington DC:National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality,National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. 3. Ministry of Education (2003). Integrated curriculum for primary schools. Curriculum specifications. Mathematics year two. Kuala Lumpur: Curriculum Development Centre, Malaysia. 4. Orton, A. (1992). Learning mathematics: issues, theory and classroom practice. 2nd ed. London: Cassell. 5. Reys, et. al (2004). Helping children learn mathematics in elementary and middle schools. A learner-centered approach. 4th ed. USA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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