"Diversity in my mathematics classroom"

Learning is like food for the soul. Different people learn in different ways because no two people are alike even if they were born on the same day to the same parent. At home, each child is different form their siblings, and so it is in the classroom. In my mathematics classroom, each student comes in with different attitudes towards, and different aptitudes for the subject. Some may see it as difficult, others view it as a challenge, and still there are others who see it as a task that is easy to accomplished. Whatever the views, they all engage themselves in doing the subject for different reasons, and eventually for completing their high school education.My classroom is no different from any everyday high school mathematics classroom; students are engaged in the learning process, students don't seem to care about the subject, students are performing well, and of course, some students are performing poorly. My task at hand is challenging. I have try to create the right attitude towards the subject, and simultaneously, try to build aptititude for mathematics, as this is their foundation years for development in the subject at a higher level. In creating the right atmosphere in my classroom, and to meet the challenge of diverse learners, I used methods that will direct my students in the right path mathematically.Because my students all learn differently, my methods vary on a regular basis, so as to meet their individual needs. Hands-on approaches are used frequently, as these help to make the subject-content real to the students. Practical techniques are used such as paper folding in geometry for angles and measurements, coin flips and card shuffles are used for probabilities, data gathering are used for statistics, among other things. Electronic techniques (technology) has become an important aspect of my teaching in recent times. The internet has been playing an integral role in lesson presentation. In so doing, students are engaged in using interactive websites that serve as reinforcements for learning. They seem to enjoy it. The mathematics has come to life for many of them, as they relate to the technology. 'Electronic mathematics' is seemly replacing the mathematics textbook in my classroom, as students are more fascinated with the homework given using technology rather than the textbook.Diversity in mathematics has long been a sore point in the mathematics classroom. It needs to be addressed, and to be addressed speedily. Technology must play a major role in this diversity, as the present generation of adolescents are technologically driven. The remote and the keyboard, along with the mouse, have all become a way of life in today's society, so what better way to address the mathematics diversity than by using what is being used by the generation that it affects. I would be more than welcome to be a part of this revolution, as my goal is to see many individuals becoming fully numerate at least at a higher level.
posted by TnP Math-Tech Wizard (Bruce) at 11:28 PM on Oct 16, 2006

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