Please reply to the 2 discussion responses below in 1 full page.
Melissa-
As teachers there are many ways we can help our students see connections in math for example using visual aids such as diagrams, graphs, and geometric figures to illustrate algebraic concepts. By using giving students visual representations they can see, they are able to make concrete connections between abstract algebraic symbols and geometric shapes. When presenting math problems to students, especially those that require them to use concepts from Geometry and Algebra, it is important for them to understand how the two math subjects are connected to each other and they can use concepts from each to find solutions to their math problems. I also think it is very helpful for students to have class discussions where they can share their insights and discoveries about the connections they have found, when they are able to explain their reasonings and give supporting examples for their ideas they can help other students make connections and solidify their learning.
I found the video Mathematical Connections to be very enlightening. When I was in school K-12, I really struggled with math. I hated it! But I can see from the video that I was someone who saw math “as a lot of isolated methods”. In college I have learned to embrace math and see it as something interconnected to all of the other subjects. It does not matter what the subject is, Math is always a part of the equation.
This concept did not truly hit home until I had to help my son with math. Typically, I would send my kids to my husband because he is “the math guy”. But unfortunately, he is very cut and dry and that does not work for their learning styles. I noticed that the math I was “relearning” in college was the same my son was working on; so I was able to take what I had learned in the past, connected it to what I was learning in the present and then applied it again to helping my son understand. This worked out well because I was having to teach the concepts of Algebra and Geometry in a way that we both could understand. The algebra I learned in the past were concepts like showing how two triangles are congruent and then using algebra to show if the corresponding sides are equal. These concepts will connect to the geometry I will be learning this week.
