Talking Mathematics - Math Essay Example

Mathematicians view mathematics as a subject which is challenging and full of fun. The fun in the subject is majorly felt during the class sessions when students find solutions to the mathematical problems they are tempted to solve. In a classroom setting, it is important to include interactive communication across all the participants as observed in the video clip. As much as it is important to keep teacher-student interaction, it is equally important to allow student-student interactions within the classroom. It is believed that when students and teachers reason together, it is easier for the students to understand the mathematical symbols adequately, concepts and making connections between the earlier acquired knowledge and new learning. Currently, in almost all corners of the globe, educators are improving the ways they teach mathematics. The changes that the teachers have impacted in the students are believed to be providing just as a similar effect in other subjects like in English, History, and others.

Just like a typical classroom, the mathematic class is composed of a teacher who guides the students during the study sessions, and the students who are taught. In many occasions, teachers give directions that the students are supposed to follow. The directions can be about the identification of the symbols, signs and the directions of approaching the equations. Students are expected to listen, ask appropriate questions, and they are also thinkers in the class (Kersaint, 2015). Virtually every student is supposed to participate in the class discussions as every voice and opinion should be heard in the classroom. The teacher allows students to present their ideas about the topic of study and also provide a response to the ideas provided by other students. There is also supposed to be clarity in the importance of making mistakes amongst the students. The teacher, who is their instructor, must ensure that there is no discrimination of any kind amongst the students. As a matter of fact, the teacher must instill a virtue that allows the group to understand that mistakes or incorrect answers help move the whole class forward. Moreover, participation during a math lesson aids the students in developing a clear understanding of the signs and symbols used in mathematics and effective approach to a typical question.

Students always need some other ways of delivery during actual class sessions or class discussions. Usually, it is important for a teacher to use books and textbooks skills in delivery the knowledge to students to help them in understanding the disciplinary texts everywhere they encounter them. Multimodal presentations and inclusion of non-printed forms of delivery during lessons does not only apply to the lower grade students but also applies to the adolescent students or the upper-grade learners in the field of mathematics. Given the fact that the current generation is obsessed with the use of media devices and other forms of communication to engage in the study and avoid boredom, teachers have decided to include a variety of communication facilitators like videos, pictures, music, three-dimensional models, gestures and demonstration in incorporating knowledge to students. The teacher uses a lot of gesturing in trying to explain some points relating to the content being addressed. In the clips, the teacher provides the students with cards showing different signs and also plays a radio to the students and asks them questions afterward. It is believed that demonstration and engagement of the students in the transformation of literary work into multiple ways of representation in line with a particular concept provide them with different styles of approaching the idea.

In the video clips, the teacher introduces the students to some of the different signs that exist in mathematics. The students are active in the class since most of them are involved in the activity of searching the similarities and differences involved with the signs indicated on the cards provided to them by the teacher. By moving across the classroom in search of the similarity in the cards, the students social and interaction amongst one another is improved. Moreover, by giving them the opportunity to ascertain the similarities and differences between the signs indicated in the individual cards, they can master the differences involved with the signs and figures that the class was supposed to learn the lesson. The teacher uses every means to ensure that all class participates in one way or another in the discussions.

Another way that a teacher can help in bringing a clear understanding of the mathematical concepts is through the facilitation of debates held in the classroom. During discussions, students talk about vocabularies and terms that help them in the mastery of the mathematical terms and approaches. Therefore, it is the duty of the teacher to listen to the students' ideas and opinions about the topic content. Moreover, the teacher is also supposed to generate activities that would improve the students thinking and build in one another's ideas in learning mathematics. Letting students have an opportunity to share their thoughts about a topic in the class allows the teacher to arrive into new approaches to mathematical problems. Providing the students a chance of command of the discussion gives them an open platform of engagement in the debate which reduces fear from the shy idealistic members of the class. Researchers have found out that the effective way of ensuring a clear understanding of the mathematical concepts is by first allowing full students participation then selection of a particular idea for the class to pursue. Usually, it is the most disturbing content and lastly the teacher's guidance of the ideas shared by the students during the discussion. The criterion allows the teacher to funnel the students' ideas while expanding on their understanding of the subject. Moreover, the students also tend to master the content very fast when given an opportunity to own the discussion.

Engagement of students in the discussions or the lessons is the duty of the teacher. During the class sessions, the teacher tries to involve the students in every part of the conversation by asking them continuous questions like why or how does the student arrive at making accurate decisions in the events of finding solutions to mathematical problems in the classroom. By asking the students why and how they reach into certain answers, allows them to provide explanations to such decisions which help in bridging the gap of misunderstanding between the students. Arguably, not all students have the courage to participate in the class discussion and lessons; therefore, it is the duty of the teacher to pick at random a student from the class to explain a concept. Sometimes, the student might be timid to account for a concept even though he or she understands the topic more than the rest. In such a case, the student can be allowed to show the other students by writing on the board the procedures and steps that lead him to the definite answer.

About the talks which the class holds, the major discussion is mathematics, and the teacher has a duty to ensure that the students do not go into other matters that do not relate to mathematics. As the teacher enters the class, the students are provided with new mathematical ideas and problems that the students are to discuss. Just like in the information furnished above, the classroom talk just took the line of a regular classroom communication. In the clips, the teacher addresses the students about the day's discussions and also chooses who speaks. Therefore, the class depicts two kinds of communication patterns just like are discussed in the above paragraphs. Students can only answer questions asked by the teacher and those that are asked by the fellow students of course if the teacher agrees to it. The engagement of the students by the teacher in the study of the mathematical expressions helps greatly in mastering the subject and the contents involved in the survey.

In conclusion, studying mathematics goes beyond the class and social norms. It is entirely based on the cooperation between the teacher and the students who are taught. Mathematics is all about engagement of the students in the lessons, engineering the concept, scrutinizing the students according to the concept discussed and did an evaluation (Moje, 2015). It is also imperative to include other modes of communication in delivering the knowledge to students. As it has been discussed, it is necessary for the teacher to use gestures while explaining some of the mathematical concepts to the students. Also, it also needs to include images, audios, and videos during the lessons. Moreover, the teacher's demonstration is equally important in the reading discussions. Mathematics is fun when all the parties involved in the class are active and corporative, and that can be achieved if the teacher is in full control of the class.

References

Moje B. E. (2015). Doing and Teaching Disciplinary Literacy with Adolescent Learners: A Social and Cultural Enterprise. Journal of Harvard Education Review. Vol. 85. No. 2. The University of Michigan, United States of America.

Kersaint G.(2015). Talking Math: How to Engage Students in Mathematical Discourse. Retrieved from: http://www.gettingsmart.com/2015/09/talking-math-how-to-engage-students-in-mathematical-discourse/