My thoughts on Literacy are quite clear. As I've alluded in a previous post, It is my opinion that literacy is like a key that opens all future doors to success. And the younger a student is exposed to reading and writing the better. Even if literacy is being learned in the later grades it still isn't impossible. Those students just need to work harder and be provided more opportunities.
I've been struggling with how to include reading and writing opportunities in my chosen profession of math teacher. But I have an idea...
In my Introduction to the Foundations of Geometry class at UNCG I was assigned a presentation. We were charged with reading a technical document about a math concept and create a presentation about it. The PowerPoint presentation is below.
This project easily brought literacy into the math classroom. Ironically, I did my project on a document about math in literature. I can see how this assignment can be altered to provide a good opportunity in the classroom. Find a list of age appropriate math papers or books. Working in groups or individually, have the students choose one and read it. Create a presentation on the item and present the topic to the classroom. This project would provide opportunities for reading, writing, speaking and listening thus providing an excellent chance to practice literacy in a math classroom.
Hi Phil,
ReplyDeleteA couple of things I like about this post are that you are asking tough questions and that your answer(s) include student choice. In addition to providing options, what might a math project look like if it were related to student interest?
Phil,
ReplyDeleteI loved your idea that literacy is a " key that opens all future doors to success."
Your comments about adding elements of reading and writing to your math teachings -- geometry, in particular -- are wonderful. I struggled with math all my life. Maybe if my teachers had integrated an idea like yours, I wouldn't have dreaded math so much.
Nice to meet you!
Diana Haig
Hello. First, I am a lateral entry teacher in Guilford County and can tell you all about how painful and time-consuming it is! Second, it does seem like you have a head start on some ideas for literacy in math class, which is not an easy task. Those kinds of things would help the students like Diana and me who were intimidated and/or just plain bored in math class.
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