The image above represents part of the reason why I really have always liked math. There is, if proven, a correct answer that can be concluded from most every problem at hand. It is also convenient that math does not have to be memorized, but rather, solved. I recently took a 4-8 grade teacher certification exam and was having a difficult time understanding how this exam was really assessing my abilities as a teacher. I know it’s important to be able to do the tasks you ask of your students but instead, I felt as though the exam assessed how well I could memorize facts about history and science. When it came to English and math it asked me to apply my knowledge. We have done well differentiating learning for young students but where is that same differentiation when it comes to higher education and entrance exams? I understand the importance of summative assessments. They serve as a tool to get an idea of where the person is at academically within that topic. However, I do think we need a new approach that does not ask the surface questions of memorizing facts but rather our philosophy of education and how we plan on implementing these philosophies in our classrooms. There was no writing portion at all, only the 4 core subjects. While there were situational questions thrown into the mix of factual questions they were scarce. I do not know the best way to go about changing this assessment process but I do know it needs to be altered.
This has got me thinking further about the connection between English and math. I've always heard the phrase, "math is its own language". I have always agreed with this statement because of the fact that math uses symbols to represent meaning to others. Just as you are reading and comprehending this blog post we also read equations and (sometimes) comprehend their meaning. Our alphabet consists of 26 letters and the number of numbers is infinite. Think about all the complexities of the English language, such as spelling and reading. Now think about all the complexities of the Mathematical language, such as exponential and quadratic functions. By making note of the fact that math is its own language to students you allow them to understand how difficult math can be to learn so they do not get discouraged when trying to persevere in problem solving!
This has got me thinking further about the connection between English and math. I've always heard the phrase, "math is its own language". I have always agreed with this statement because of the fact that math uses symbols to represent meaning to others. Just as you are reading and comprehending this blog post we also read equations and (sometimes) comprehend their meaning. Our alphabet consists of 26 letters and the number of numbers is infinite. Think about all the complexities of the English language, such as spelling and reading. Now think about all the complexities of the Mathematical language, such as exponential and quadratic functions. By making note of the fact that math is its own language to students you allow them to understand how difficult math can be to learn so they do not get discouraged when trying to persevere in problem solving!