Software Evaluation Zoombinis Essay

It is crucial to develop in children the ability to tackle problems with initiative and confidence…mathematics has changed from careful rehearsal of standard procedures to a focus on mathematical thinking and communication to prepare them for the world of tomorrow (Anghileri, 2006, p.2).

Mathematics has become a very large part of society today. From the moment children learn the basic principles of math to the day those children become working members of society, everyone has used mathematics at one point in their life. The crucial time for learning mathematics is during the childhood years when the concepts and principles of mathematics can be processed more easily. However, this time in life is also when the point in a person’s life where information has to be broken down to the very basics, as children don’t have an advanced capacity to understand as adults do. Mathematics, an essential subject, must be taught in such a way that children can understand and remember.

This program is appropriate in a diverse, 4th grade general education classroom. The modules are made up of “Topics” and “Lessons” that are aligned to Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Each module provides the foundational standards needed for the lessons (i.e. CCSS from the previous grade), as well as the focus grade level standards. The first module introduces concepts which are then spiraled within the next module’s focus. While the modules are thematic and based on each mathematics domain (base ten numbers, geometry, fractions, data, algebraic thinking), some standards are seen across topics and lessons. Each lesson has allocated time to four major components: fluency practice, concept development, application problems, and student debrief.

[F]or more than a decade, research studies of mathematics education in high-performing countries have concluded that mathematics education in the United States must become substantially more focused and coherent in order to improve mathematics achievement in this country. To deliver on this promise, the mathematics standards are designed to address the problem of a curriculum that is “a mile wide and an inch deep.”

Ke, F. (2008). Alternative goal structures for computer game-based learning. International Journal of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 3(4), 429-445.

The Standards for Mathematical Practice are essential tools that will ensure a student has everything they need to improve in their knowledge and understanding in mathematics. Thus, it is highly important that all level mathematical educators try to implement these standards into their classrooms. Ultimately, there are two sections called, “processes and proficiencies” in which the standards are derived from. The practices are depended on these two standards in the mathematics education. For the reason being, that they provide strategies that will help develop a foundation that students may rely on to comprehend and approach a problem. In other words, the standards do not show step-by-step ways on how to solve a problem, but rather help a student feel comfortable and confident in approaching, analyzing, and finishing a problem. The process standards defined by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics emphasizes a way of problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and representations. The proficiencies identified by the National Research Council include, adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, conceptual understanding, productive disposition, and procedural fluency. Knowing how beneficial the Standards for Mathematical Practice is for students, it is clear that as a future teacher I will implement these strategies in every classroom so that all my students may have a chance to prosper.

Their 2000 publication, the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics, is still prevalent. This document, setting forth ten guidelines for improving math education, refined, extended, and replaced NCTM’s earlier recommendations. Not only does the Principles and Standards for School Mathematics address five important content areas, it also establishes five important mathematical processes deemed necessary in quality education, like problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, representation, and connections. When it comes to making connections, NCTM further asserts that instructional programs from prekindergarten through grade 12 should enable all students

This game app will offer a small role in supporting education. It will address needs of users that find themselves interested in an educational experience that is non time consuming, enjoyable, and entertaining. In terms of needs regarding the audience, it will likelier appeal to those who are interested in testing themselves and their knowledge, in a manner that is enjoyable and not overly serious. The game aspect (difficulty and repetition) of the app will help highlight this. Otherwise, on a general and wider branch, it will meet the needs of those who want to perhaps relinquish their boredom. When referring to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, this app will fulfill self-actualization.

During this final paper, there will be a number of topics discussed. These topics will cover how I personally found a better understanding of my customized learning theory. First, I will go over the Learning Theory and its’ importance. Secondly, I will give a description of an effective teacher and learning environment. Next, I will discuss the different learning characteristics. Finally, I then will give my personal reflection on all the different things I was able to learn during this course. All of these four sections helped build a better understanding on how to be a more effective educator. Most importantly, I gained a better understanding how to build better rapport with students who have all different learning styles and ways of thinking. While managing a classroom, it is highly important to make lessons that will be appealing to the students that you are teaching interest. This will increase engagement and academic learning.

The strategic goal of the principal of ABC Middle School will increase the degree of program alignment within the math curriculum over the next three years so that: 1) there is clear articulation and sequencing of content within and across grade levels, 2) this content is anchored in state core standards; and 3) the evaluation measures used to assess this alignment are valid to this alignment. ABC Middle School’s primary objective is to provide an exceptional education for its entire sixth thru eight-grade population. This includes preparing the students with 21st century math skills. This will include controversial programs

After evaluating and reflecting on the task, it was found that the task had all open -ended questions (Appendix 4). The students mathematical literacy developed as he considered the different solutions and developed reasoning and could justify his processes (Appendix 4). Mathematical literacy, or otherwise known as numeracy, means having the skill and confidence to use numbers in all aspects of life. This includes reasoning with numbers and using mathematical concepts in a range of contexts (National Numeracy, 2014). The student continued to demonstrate his learning by constructing his understanding of mathematical processes that he already knows. This generates new information that is supported by his already known knowledge and allows him to make meaning of it. This is a type of learning process called constructivism (Dewey,

There’s no denying that education is constantly changing, but what’s truly astounding is the difference that can be throughout the years in math. More is changing in math classrooms than the tools that are used. The expectations that 21st century students face are completely transforming the approach that’s being taken in classrooms across America. The United States wants to make sure its students are ready to compete on a global level, and teachers are stepping up to the plate. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) has led the movement for education reform in mathematics.

In the last two decades, word problems in algebra have been the subject of debates among educators across the country. To cope with this issue, many states including Georgia turned to the Common Core Curriculum, which emphases on critical thinking rather than just simple calculation. One standard in coordinate algebra indicates that high school freshmen to be able to: “Create equations and inequalities in one variable and use them to solve problems” (Georgia Department of Education, 2014). However, the ninth-graders have shown difficulties mastering this concept in the past three consecutive end of course tests. To illustrate this point, in 2013, only 37 percent of ninth-graders met or exceeded this standard. The mastering of this standard is imperative to enhance students’ success in algebra and the state test. Therefore, algebra teachers must completely revolutionize their teaching strategies to ensure students to mastery learning and prepare their students for the next grade, college, and even the workforce.

MATHNASIUM has "broken the code" for how to teach math in a way that makes sense to each student. This is accomplished by first taking time to understand through an evaluation with both verbal and written components of how the student thinks and approaches grade level math concepts. Next, a personalized learning program is tailor-made for each student.

In the Envision curriculum student are introduced to situations that can be represented numerically or algebraically. Students will also be able to represent answers to math problems thorough symbols. The curriculum also contains journal exercises were students