§126.12. Technology Applications (Computer Literacy), Grades 6-8.
(c) Knowledge and skills
(8) Solving problems. The student uses research skills and electronic communication, with appropriate supervision, to create new knowledge. The student is expected to:
(E) integrate acquired technology applications skills, strategies, and use of the word processor, database, spreadsheet, telecommunications, draw, paint, and utility programs into the foundation and enrichment curricula
2.) Technology Standards in an 8th grade Math Class
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(14) Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student applies Grade 8 mathematics to solve problems connected to everyday experiences, investigations in other disciplines, and activities in and outside of school. The student is expected to:
(D) select tools such as real objects, manipulatives, paper/pencil, and technology or techniques such as mental math, estimation, and number sense to solve problems.
This is an everyday TEK and a very easy one to utilize. There are many ways that you can approach this one. For instance you can assign within a six weeks period for the students to make a trip with their parents/guardians to the grocery store two different times. Using pen and paper writing down the prices and recording the mean, range, mode and median of the values of the groceries and determining with a calculator which would be the most valuable determinate to use. They can also use a estimation to figure out just about what the total bill will be. Students may also calculate real life adventures like miles per hours and per gallons on trips. Math is used everyday without us really knowing it.
Reflection:
I am not sure that I can just choose one TEK that I would think was better than the other. Each TEK seems to build upon the other. You need to have an understanding of each concept individually in order to progress in math. For instance, take geometry...the measurement is a big deal. You have to be able to measure in order to be a successful construction worker. It takes a great deal of skill to build a house to the correct specs. If you were to build a baseball diamond you would use the pythagorean theory to have the correct measurements dealing with a triangle. There are so many day to day things that math plays a part in that we do not even realize. Teaching our kids just the basics and building on those is very important to their journey throughout their entire lives even if they do not go on to college. That is why I can not just pick one TEK out of the bunch. They are a complete set of building blocks and if you were to take just one out your tower would be incomplete.
Math is a important subject that we need on our everyday life and it is important to teach students by assigning them work like the one you said. I love your idea of assigning something like this. Estimation is a big vocabulary word and some students usually struggle with this most of the time. Another great activity I think will be good to practice estimation is by asking the students to bring some groceries papers from the supermarket and ask them to make their own list of groceries. When they finish with their list you can assign a certain amount of money to each child or group. Then ask them to estimate their grocery list and add all the items and check if they have enough money to buy or about how much more they need. I personally experience this and students had a lot of fun and also at the end they learned that is very important to manage their money. I love math and I enjoying helping children with this subject. Thank you for your post I love it!!
ReplyDeleteShona, i agree with you that it is very difficult to choose just one of the TEKS because they all play am important part in the foundation of learning. Math especially is important because it is a subject where there is just one right answer. It is not like English where as long as you can prove your point everything is cool. In math 2+2 will always be four. For my field Spanish, a good foundation is critical because all the elements of learning a language just build on each other so if an element is missed then it becomes harder to learn the language.
ReplyDeleteGIlberto Arevalo