Comments on: Learning to Learn: Math Abstraction

By: greg

greg — Wed, 21 Feb 2018 21:53:11 +0000

In reply to Jerri.

I am volunteering with 1-3 rd graders. We start with 'can you show me two?' and I ask while holding up two fingers 'is this two? no it is two fingers. the 2 on the board is just a symbol for 2. We are looking for the noun two not the adjective. Two is just an idea a figment of our imagination. A 'once upon a time' story. All of math is made up."

We start every class with 'what are we here for ?' FUN, SERIOUS FUN. What do you want ? WE WANT TO LEARN' (paraphrased Vince Lombardi - Wanting to win isn't the most important thing, it's the only thing.)

I am looking for ideas for grades 1-4. Many of examples in the notes above are great for students who have some math on board already. Starting at the beginning ... I am looking for more ideas and ways to get students to learn to take on examples and abstractions the step before these examples. In my experience getting simpler examples is not the answer (My experience only)

By: Why would I put my name here

Why would I put my name here — Sun, 17 Sep 2017 08:28:47 +0000

The picture only has 305 100 pixels, therefore a computer would not answer millions of pixels.

By: Lee

Lee — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 17:20:09 +0000

This is at least the 2nd time I've read this article and I am amazed at how each time I gather more insight and concepts continue to solidify. One of the big things I've learned is as you've said, abstracting the complexity out of things so they are more easily understood. That is what I enjoy from math, the complexity and rigor yes, but also how it can be represented so...simply.

By: Bob E

Bob E — Sun, 21 Aug 2016 07:32:35 +0000

Cool site. Iv been searching everywhere trying to help myself with math, just doing basic algebra starting on functions now, but you have no idea how difficult it is for me.
This article made me think about it a little more, hopefully it helps.
I ALWAYS think too detailed, like when u asked about the picture i thought, some lions, some trees, some bushes, the color green, brown, black, Probly reds, than my brain starts to think of the details of the plants and animals more ie types composition other bugs like ticks,etc., and i tell myself thats not the point.
I feel like this would be a blessing, noticing details but its not.
So in math when a professor explains something i subconsciously think too much, and ask, well what if this,or that?, but than i get myself confused with other concepts since math is so similar even with completly different concepts(to me at least) like the functions...f of x s I guess i have to practice on dumbing down how i think about things.

Oh math, why you gotta be like that?