• It is a closed figure with four straight sides.
• One of its angles measures 45degrees.
• One of its angles measures 135degrees.
• Another angle measures 45degrees.
• Another angel measures 135degrees.
• Two of its sides are parallel.
• Its other two sides are parallel.
• All of its sides have the same length.
• Its diagonals bisect each other.
• Its diagonals are perpendicular.
And then we were asked: What is the shape?
This was a great activity in that it forced students to think about the elements of shapes and how they affect the way the shape looks. While I was completing this activity, I found myself guessing a number of different shapes and then seeing if they fit the criteria. I see this activity as a great way to get the students to look at, not only the shape that is represented, but other shapes and their elements as well. Another thing that we briefly discussed in class was the website wolframalpha.com. This is a website where the user inputs an equation or question and is given the answer. Along with the solution, work is shown and terms are defined. I found this to be a great tool and can see it being a great way to provide parents a resource that can be helpful in working with their students. While some teachers would argue that you want to make students get the answers, the reality is that this is not always possible after leaving the classroom, even after a well taught lesson. For whatever reason, students go home and forget how to properly complete math, another reality is that many students are either above their parent’s ability in math or being taught in a different way than their parents were taught. This website allows students to go online and get help with their math homework. If a student is able to clarify simple questions, they will be better prepared for completing their whole assignment.
One conversation that was brought up in class, that left me thinking, was about teaching students versus allowing students to explore. There were a number of people from class who felt like they would have been more successful with the worksheet had they been taught more background knowledge. However, I feel strongly about allowing students an opportunity to discover their own knowledge. I have found that when students can take ownership of new knowledge they become more likely to apply it to other areas of learning and exploring. After thinking about this more I have decided that it seems most logical to teach both ways. There seems to be some lessons where exploration could be really powerful and other lessons where it seems crucial to provide background information and key terms/ideas. My question then becomes: is one way of teaching more valuable, or is my assumption, that it depends, correct?
