"New Math"

         When I received the first e-mail this summer about needing to complete a math refresher course I went into a state of pure panic. The last time I was in a math class, looked at a math test or read a math text book I was seventeen years old. I grew up in a family of "I was never good at math and I did okay, don't worry about it!". Not to say my parents weren't the most supportive people in the world, because they were (are), they just didn't classify themselves as 'math people' so neither did I. We believed we fell into the Arts category, which had to mean we didn't fall into the math one, right?

          Oh, how wrong we were...

          In the past two weeks I have gone from dreading all things math to actually feeling excited to teach it.  ME? Excited about math?! But how...

          The first two weeks of math have completely blown me away. Never in my life have I heard such positive responses from a math teacher (was anyone aware that the words 'yes' and 'brilliant' ARE a part of math vocabulary?). As a teacher candidate it is a fantastic confidence boost to know that todays students are not only given the opportunity but are encouraged to bring creative thought into their problem solving. This makes me extremely excited to see the shift in perspective that future generations have on math, especially since we will have the honour of taking part in this change.
One of the things that has interested me the most about 'new math' is the shift in focus that has occurred from the importance of the answer to the importance of the process. When we were in school it didn't matter how something was done as long as the answer was right. Yes, we were expected to show our work but this was more to ensure we were following the exact formula correctly. Now, the emphasis is on finding the solution that works best for you and understanding that sometimes there is no exact process. One example of this new technique can be seen through open questions. Open questions encourage students to find their own way to (one of many) solutions. They are not looking for an exact answer but rather they are trying to collect enough information to form one of the possible pathways that could lead them to a solution. This not only forces students to improve their overall problem solving skills (math or otherwise) but encourages them to learn how to collaborate. In 'old math' it was often a competition: who can find the answer first or who can create the most simplified solution. But in 'new math' the more you collaborate, the better the outcome.    Therefore creating a far more positive and pleasant math experience for all students!

The above image demonstrates the first collaborative task we were asked to do as a class, an activity called Four 4's. In small groups we were asked to use 'four 4's' to to create solutions that equaled all the numbers between 1 and 20. Being encouraged to rely on each other and work as a class to finish the task made it far more exciting and engaging then the typical competitive edge that accommodated the way I was originally taught math.

           One of my goals as a teacher will be to create a cohesive and positive classroom community. I believe that sometimes classroom cohesiveness can be disrupted by categorization. What I mean by this is students are stereotyped or placed in a certain group based on their skill set. Math in particular has always been a subject that people believe they understand or they don't, plain and simple. Being able to create a classroom where creativity in math is encouraged and their is no one answer would put me one step closer to the classroom community I am striving towards. Although this is a goal that goes far beyond a change in one subject, movement is still movement and every step will bring me closer to creating the best environment possible for my students.