Math in Education

Dora Inman & Adam Tanielian

Math 420
Mayville State University

Out with the old

Teacher-centered classrooms
Passive students
Children are meant to be seen
Children seated neatly in rows of
all day
Individualistic, competitive culture
Focus on abstract skills with little
attention to practical applications
(Huba & Freed, 2000; Bajak, 2014)

desks

In with the new

Student-centered learning
Students are actively engaged
Louder, more chaotic classes
Kinetic learning; stations; movement
Cooperative environment; teamwork
Real-world applications, connections
(Concordia, 2012)

Engaging multiple senses

Conventional abstract methods never die
Alternative representations graphical, spatial,
object-oriented
Manipulatives
Computer-aided learning

(McDonald, 2016)

(BBC, 2010)

Even the standard algorithm has

changed
Old Way

(NPR, 2011)

New Way

It makes sense, no?

(Vox, 2015)

But, on the other hand

(Business Insider, 2015)

Standards
National Council for Teachers
of Mathematics (NCTM, 2016)

Problem solving
Reasoning
Communication
Connections
Representations

Common Core
Goals and objectives set by
grade level
Include all traditional
content (e.g. addition,
subtraction, multiplication,
division, fractions,
geometry, etc.)
your child will be able to
explain the math, not just
do the math (McCallum,
2015)

Practical applications
Consider theCommon Core Math Standard 7.G.4
Know the formulas for the area and circumference of a circle
and use them to solve problems; give an informal derivation of
the relationship between the circumference and area of a
circle.
What is the area of a circle with a radius of 5?
This is a simple example following this standard, but a better
question will require more than just knowledge and application of
formulas, it will make students analyze the relationship between
the two. Helping students to explain math, not just memorize
the formula.
Jackson explains to his classmate that doubling the
circumference of a circle results in the doubling of the
circles area. Is Jackson correct? Use the formulas for area
and circumference to justify your answer.
This leads to higher-order thinking

Technology utilization
The plural of abacus is abaci? Who cares?
Whats a slide rule? Again, who cares?
Tablets
Graphing calculators
Clickers
Interactive whiteboards
(Huneycutt, 2013)

Higher-order thinking
While lower-order thinking is the mastering
of facts or completing assignments by
following steps, higher-order thinking
requires the student to master decisionmaking, prioritizing, strategizing and
collaborative problem solving in order to
succeed (Farr, S., Kamras, J., & Kopp, W.
2010, p. 53)
Higher-order thinking leads to better
understandings of what is being taught and
longer retention

Thank you!

References
Bajak, A. (2014). Lectures arent just boring; theyre ineffective, too, study finds . From
http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/05/lectures-arent-just-boring-theyre-ineffective-to
o-study-finds
BBC (2010). Why parents cant do math today. From
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-11258175
Business Insider (2015). 100 year-old math teacher slams common core standards . From
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7A2ZM7MnDM
Farr, S., Kamras, J., & Kopp, W. (2010). Teaching as leadership: The highly effective teacher's
guide to closing the achievement gap. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
HelpTeaching. (2012). How to write higher-order math questions. from http://
www.helpteaching.com/blog/how-to-write-higher-order-math-questions.html
Huba, M. & Freed, J. (2000). Learning centered assessment on college campuses : Shifting the
focus from teacher to learning. New York, NY, USA: Pearson.

References continued
Huneycutt, T. (2013). Technology in the classroom: The benefits of blended
learning. National Math + Science Initiative. From
http://www.nms.org/Blog/TabId/58/PostId/188/technology-in-the-classroomthe-benefits-of-b
McCallum, B. (2015). What you should know about common core math. PBS. From
http://www.pbs.org/parents/expert-tips-advice/2015/04/math-common-corefor-parents/
McDonald, H. (2016). Tic tac toe PE relay. From https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SZ8yyOf8JE
NCTM (2016). Principles and standards. From http://www.nctm.org
NPR (2011). The way you learned math is so old school . From
http://www.npr.org/2011/03/05/134277079/the-way-you-learned-math-is-so-o
ld-school
Vox (2015). Why common core math problems look so weird . From
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBkQAxt1JXA