Day3

__**Day 3 - Learning Goals and Minds On**__

I understand the general concept of learning goals, without them the teaching environment can very well be visualized as complete chaos. However, I cannot help wondering if splitting a concept into really tiny pieces is a good way to go. Fractions, equivalent fractions, ratios and percents are all related concepts, and not very complicated ones. By establishing goals for every lesson that is very closely related conceptually to the ones around it, I can reach the point were everybody in the class is extremely bored. If I'm teaching the above mentioned concepts in 4 consecutive math (let's say..), I won't really expect that ALL students will understand exactly and everything I want them to learn. The faster ones will get it anyway, but by the end of the 4th lesson, even the slowest will have an idea about what a fraction is, and that all the other concepts are really just particular ways of manipulating fractions. If there is someone that is not a newcomer to Canada that has difficulty with the concept that 2 quarters make half a dollar, extra help is needed, not extra help in math.

Sometimes I have the impression that not enough attention is given to vocabulary and definitions. It helps a lot for all in a group (say, the classroom) to have the same understanding of specific words. I am not seeing a problem with clear, precise and exact communication when teaching math. I don't want to train a future engineer that will have the impression that the building he's building should be somehow tall and will support the weight of about 100 people, maybe.

It is my belief that we learn and teach Math in schools primarily to develop logical thinking, which is applicable in most areas of life. Math just happens to have the best tools and language for us to do that.

I cannot understand how students do not meet fractions in their Math problems after grade 8. My imagination is limited in this regard.