Warrington believes that guiding a classroom without the use of algorithms is the only way to go. This allows students to think on their own and explore math. When students know their teacher isn't going to feed them the right answers it requires them to dig deep into their own math experiences. This also helps students apply what they already know to new kinds of math. Students who come up with their own methods are more likely to retain this knowledge.
As much as I agree with Warrington, I also have many arguements. A whole new math system would have to be developed because although her method is more thorough, it is also much slower. I also feel that the bright students would benefit greatly from this experience, but those who struggle may end up trying to ride on their coattails, which can be difficult. I have had this experience where I have relied on my classmates to figure out how different theories can be explained.
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I think your opening statement is completely true. However, I'm not sure it serves as a good topic sentence for the paragraph. It might be strengthened by including that she thinks this is the best method for teaching because it has many advantages. This would set up your discussion of the advantages in the rest of the paragraph.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the advantages that you listed, but would have appreciated examples from the paper that illustrate them. I also strongly agree with the point that you made about having to rethink the curriculum if we adopt her method of instruction. Your point about some students getting left behind during the exploration and discussion is a real possibility. Many teachers try to involve all the students by first having them work in small groups to develop solutions. They also try to use tasks that have multiple entry points, meaning that students with a variety of backgrounds will find some part or aspect of the problem that they can begin to work on.
I like that you were very concise. I notice that there maybe could have been more specific advantages included, like that the students develop autonomy and learn to stick up for themselves and their ideas. I agree that the process is indeed slow. Great job!
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ReplyDeleteYour post is really easy to understand! I agree that students learn to how to think on their own and can retain this knowledge better. I know that i can remember math concepts better when i actually understand the reasoning. Your disadvantages were good but I think that no matter what way you teach math, there will always be students that will rely either on other classmates or the teacher. So the question is, which would you rather have?
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