Four Teaching Strategies That Increase Curiosity in Math Essay

There are many strategies and techniques that could be used in the classroom to encourage curiosity in math, but the four I chose to discuss I thought would be the most beneficial. This is due to the way they support auditory, visual, and kinesthetic styles of learning. The four strategies teachers could use to encourage curiosity towards mathematics in a classroom include co-operative learning, guided or discovery learning, simulate real life experiences, and active student learning. These four learning strategies range from group learning to the use of manipulatives to real life experiences and group discussions where students can share their ideas and thinking processes. Therefore, students would be able to learn in a variety of formats like listening, seeing, taking notes, and by using their hands. The first teaching strategy mentioned is co-operative learning strategy. In which, students can use think-pair-share, peer-tutoring, or group assignments to work together to learn how to solve mathematical equations. The purpose of co-operative learning is that students can benefit from teaching each other, sharing ideas, and clarifying their own thinking processes while working together in groups of two or more. For instance, teachers can create worksheets or quizzes that are a bit more challenging than the student’s homework so the students will need to work as a group to solve all the problems. And, if they all get the same grade than they will be more to likely communicate together, share their work, and ideas with each other to attain the best grade possible. Additionally, since group assignments or activities are based on the need for students to compare their work and answers with one another, discuss the ways in which they solved an equation, and justify why their answer is right will help reinforce what they previously learned, thereby encouraging students to participate more in group activities and more inclined to enjoying math. The second teaching strategy involves creating or simulating real life experiences that will help teach a variety of math skills. The purpose of creating real life experiences is to make math more relatable to students. It will also demonstrate how math is used in the community and in their lives on a daily basis. This will create more interest in math, since students will have a tangible sense of why math is needed. A good example of this strategy includes role-playing or dramatic play. The goal is to create real life experiences in which students will need to use their math skills to solve every day problems. For instance, making play currency and having the students go to the market to buy produce is one experience that is a necessity in life. The teacher can have the students make a list, create a budget and have the students buy what they need within their budget. Then, they can pay a cashier and the cashier will then need to give back change. Given the age of the students, the teacher may not have a dramatic center, but can then have students work in pairs at their desks. For example, each student creates their shopping list and budget; buy their produce on paper, then take turns paying each other with different amounts of currency which the cashier will then need to give them change. The benefit about role playing is it can be all imaginary or done in the class with few a materials, means that with some creativity the teacher can recreate any type of real life experience the students may encounter. Some examples include buying a house, paying utilities, buying a car, going to the movies and paying for the tickets and snacks. The third teaching strategy to create curiosity and understanding toward mathematics in the classroom is to include guided discovery learning or hands on learning. Both types of strategies allows the students to use their hands in different ways, but one uses more guidance from the teacher while the other allows the students to discover the learning on their own. The purpose for both is that it allows the students to use hands on materials to discover something on their own thereby taking an abstract concept and turning it into a concrete and tangible concept. Something the students can physically see, touch, and manipulate. For instance, if students are learning about geometry and the different geometric shapes then the teacher can have the students create an art scene using only the shapes they will be learning about in geometry. A good example would be to have the students create a farm scene, in which the shapes represent objects found within our environment, like a rectangle for a tree, a square for barn, a triangle for the roof. If the teacher has the students label all their shapes and number of sides then it reinforces their learning of shapes. Plus, it will help them understand that geometric shapes are everywhere and used in many different ways in life. Another way a teacher can incorporate hands on learning is to have the students bake cookies, or mix the dough and have the kitchen staff bake the cookies, if possible. Baking is an excellent way to reinforce the concept of fractions, doubling or halving a recipe, which also helps students understand how fractions can be added or subtracted. The fourth teaching strategy that can increase curiosity in math in the classroom is by creating a student centered learning environment. The purpose of a student centered learning environment is that it allows the students to participate in class discussions, where they listen and share their ideas or their thinking process when solving math equations. This also allows the students to reflect on their own thinking or math skills learned, as well as, help clarify any misunderstanding or misconceptions about math. For instance, after the introduction of a new skill in math, the teacher can have the students go up to the front of the class and work the problem on the board. This gives students an opportunity to show the class how they solved the problem and what they were thinking when they solved it. Plus, this creates an opening for the class to discuss what the student did that was right or wrong, and allows other students to ask questions. In addition, a student centered learning environment gives students the ability to participate in a safe and comfortable environment in which they can express their views, thoughts, ideas, and misconceptions about math thereby maybe encouraging a more positive outlook towards math. The benefit of using the four teaching methods above is that each method will help support visual, auditory, and kinesthetic styles of learning. Thereby, creating and providing a learning atmosphere that will support both multicultural students and students with exceptionalities. For instance, working in co-operative groups allows students to verbally share their ideas with each other and listen to each other, in addition to taking notes. Role playing also allows verbal interaction while using a tangible manipulative, like play currency. A hands-on learning project like baking cookies requires students to read the recipe, listen to their partners, and use their hands to measure out ingredients; whereas, an active learning environment students can have discussions how architectures use math to build skyscrapers, or NASA scientists use it to build space ships. All of which have the ability to support all three learning styles. This is why I feel that these teaching strategies not only create a curiosity in math but support the learning of multicultural students and students with exceptionalities.