Reflection 1: "Teachers need to think bold, Collaborate and lead Change"

Reflection One

“Mathematics is changing dramatically, through it’s content and pedagogy” (Pendarvis & Howley, 2005, p.2). In this day and age, technology is the new thing, However, I do believe that textbooks certainly support the teacher in they’re teaching; a teacher should enhance innovation, using manipulative resources creates hands on learning (Cook &Meadow, 2009, p.1). Therefore, I don’t believe that they are necessary for children to use while learning. Questions in a textbook are more about the product, whereas, if you present questions to children, and prompt them to develop their own solution, I believe this becomes an innovative way of teaching (Anthony & Walshaw, 2009, p. 156). A strategy that will assist me in developing the knowledge of those who find ‘maths’ a challenge is to ‘scaffold’, as the theorist Jerome Bruner developed (Lytle, 2003), in the ‘Zone of Proximal Development’, in which the theorist Lev Vygotsky developed (Ernest, 1991).

As a whole, “textbooks are history to children’s learning” (Lewin, 2009, p1). “A child using a textbook has limited value to their conceptual understanding and learning” (Boaler, 1998, p.1). I believe the new format to teaching, is in a social environment. This invites children to “explain their interpretations and solutions in a group discussion, inviting all children to participate, and share their ideas” (Ernest, 1991). I have been able to interpret the NESA maths syllabus, outlining the outcomes, strands and sub-strands. The maths syllabus is organised into three content strands “Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability” (NESA, 2012). It aims to provide teachers support to offer quality teaching to students in order to move to the next stage (AAMT, 2006).

Maths education needs to be ‘real’ for children, through engaging and hands on learning experiences. As a teacher, I need to be flexible, although, I would be able to challenge students thinking, and arouse their curiosity, all while engaging them in active learning (AAMT, 2006).