Subject: Re: basic math class content
From: John Chamberlain (chamber@cord.org)
Date: Fri Aug 04 2000 - 15:39:45 EDT
At 12:48 PM 8/3/00 -0500, Tammy Forstater wrote:
>What techniques have any of you used successfully to help your developmental
>students learn the basic math skills?
Tammy, et. al.,
One approach that CORD takes when we develop curriculum for this type of
audience in secondary schools is to acknowledge the reason they are
"developmental students" in the first place. We feel it's primarily because
they haven't learned the basic math in the abstract way we teach it in
America. It's a great approach for the top 25%, who can learn by just
watching, working drill problems, and pondering neat math puzzles. That's
the way I learned it, and I dare say, most of you on this list, too.
However, the remaining 75% learn best by "doing" something, like measuring,
lifting, feeling the weight of an object, etc.
I strongly recommend you get developmental students involved in
"up-and-out-of-their-desk" activities. Get them measuring and collecting
data using metersticks, tape measures, stop watches, spring scales,
thermometers, and so on. Working in small groups with the numbers they
"own" (because they measured them), these students find that they CAN DO
MATH. Something "clicks in their heads" when they get physically involved
with the numbers. We've seen it happen time and time again. Yes, it takes a
bit more work than just handing out practice problems.
Your next question probably is, "Where can I find ideas for such
activities?" Well, at the risk of sounding like a "commercial," CORD has
developed several secondary texts and a few adult-level texts along these
lines, available from our publisher: CORD Communications, Inc. (CCI).
http://www.educatalog.com/
Follow the link for post-secondary products, and check out, for example,
"Mathematics Foundations." We are also composing a resource collection of
career-oriented workplace applications (provides real-world context) and
activities that should be available in a few weeks.
John Chamberlain | C - O - R - D
Senior Associate | 601 Lake Air Dr
- - - - - - - - - - - | Waco, TX 76710
800-972-2766, Ext 221 | Fax 254-772-8972
chamber@cord.org | http://www.cord.org
****************************************************************************
* To post to the list: email mathedcc@archives.math.utk.edu *
* To unsubscribe, send mail to: mathedcc-unsubscribe@archives.math.utk.edu *
* Archives at http://archives.math.utk.edu/hypermail/mathedcc/ *
****************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Fri Aug 04 2000 - 15:33:48 EDT