Mathematics For Emerging Teachers

The connections between math and nature may not seem overtly obvious, seeming as if they belong in separate worlds. This simply isn't true and in actual fact the two are very closely connected. Math is all around us,from the design of a shell, to the probability used by predatory animals, or the symmetry of a butterfly's wings. Math was developed with the intention to describe the patterns that occur in nature. Activities to Encourage Making Connections to Nature Making connections to real life is essential to building the understanding of students, creating a positive mindset, and recognizing the inherent brilliance of the natural world. Connections can be easily made to symmetry, shapes, measurement, Fibonacci spirals, geometry, meteorology, and the concept of Pi.  Symmetry is defined as when one half of an object is the mirror image of the other half. Examples of this that occurs in nature is a butterfly's wings or the symmetry of some flowers. Encourage st...

My focus this week has been on representing mathematics in various ways. Allowing for a variety of  of representations of mathematical understanding (ie. pictoral, concrete, numerical, and algebraic) is essential when designing lessons to allow for differentiated instruction. Information presented through symbols of pictures is called pictoral representations of data. The pictures of objects are used to represent different information. An example of this would be the use of pictographs to represent data in a visual way. Strategies for Teaching Elementary Mathematics. Concrete and Abstract Representations. Retrieved from: http://bit.ly/2yuFtNq  A great tech tool that uses pictoral representations of mathematical data can be found at the website  Math Playground . Many games require the use of pictoral representations to solve problems. This is a method to integrate technology into mathematics while creating fun and engaging learning opportuniti...