The President understands that math teachers have a unique role to play in the future of education. To be a well-informed citizen and a participant in the knowledge economy, Americans must be mathematically literate. We need to be able to do basic computation and solve complex problems. We must understand the magic of compound interest and how it affects our personal financial decisions. We should be able to use the logic of Algebra and the spatial reasoning of Geometry to understand and solve real-life problems. These mathematical practices equip learners with the ability to solve complex problems and think critically about issues unrelated to mathematical concepts. With these skills, our young people will have the potential to do amazing things – in math, in science, or whatever field they choose to pursue. As professionals devoted to the teaching and learning of mathematics, you are the teachers, the school leaders, the professors, the curriculum developers, and the researchers who will shape young students' minds to be leaders of the future. -
Ed.gov
If we want our students to become productive, contributing citizens of the United States, then we need to change the way that we are currently teaching math in our schools! We need to integrate inquiry, problem-solving and real-world application into our math curricula. Students should be engaged in creative, critical thinking when they are solving problems. Teachers should articulate that there are multiple ways to arrive at the same solution to any given problem and allow students to struggle in order to make discoveries on their own with guided facilitation and appropriate scaffolding.
To help with this problem, I am sharing my Top 25 Free Math Resources For Education that allow for student inquiry, exploration, and application. I hope you find useful ways to integrate these online resources into your instruction!
*For 21st Century Math Pedagogy visit my related blog posts:
Three Act Mathematical Problem Solving
Camera, Set, Mathematics!
My Three Acts of a Real World Math Problem
Inquiry and Application
Online Tools and Apps
Practice
Math in the Media
Other lists that you might find valuable
I'm really liking Math Village -- thanks for putting this list together!
ReplyDeleteJust curious: what about Khan Academy promotes critical thinking and real world problem solving? The videos I've seen are explanations of procedures (and not particularly good explanations at that, though I haven't seen many.)
@SiouxGeonz Thank you for your comment! That is a great observation about Khan Academy. If you notice, I put Khan Academy under the "Math Support" category, because those sites help to explain content and demonstrate how to solve example problems. Unfortunately, there isn't too much inquiry and application involved for that category. Those sites are mainly used for reference.
ReplyDeleteSome great resources here. I really like the go paperless link . You might want to also add our new free online graphing calculator Meta Calculator
ReplyDeleteI also enjoy Math Tricks to add somme spice to math:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.pedagonet.com/maths/mathtricks.htm
i love math
ReplyDeleteWe should be able to use the logic of Algebra and the spatial reasoning of Geometry to understand and solve real-life problems. These mathematical practices equip learners with the ability to solve complex problems and think critically about issues unrelated to mathematical concepts. With these skills, our young people will have the potential to do amazing things – in math, in science, or whatever field they choose to pursue.
ReplyDeleteThe Investment Banking School