Responses to the readings - Week 2

Please post your responses to this week's readings on your blog. Please use your books and the articles as references. Use the terminology and the ideas from the readings in your answers. Point to specific examples in the reading by providing page numbers.

1. How does taking a problem-solving approach to teaching math differ from first teaching children the skills they need to solve problems and then showing children how to use those skills to solve problems?

2. How do you think your experiences, feelings, and beliefs about math will impact the kind of teacher of math that you will be or the kind of teacher of math that you want to be?

3. Not everyone believes in the constructivist-oriented approach to teaching mathematics. Some of their reasons include the following: There is not enough time to let kids discover everything. Basic facts and ideas are better taught through quality explanations. Students should not have to "reinvent the wheel." How would you respond to these arguments?

4. We sometimes want to jump in and help strugglng students by saying things like, "It's easy! Let me help you!" Is this good idea? What is a better way of helping a student who is having difficulty solving a problem?

5. Reflecting on how tasks were defined in the Van de Walle chapters, how did the tasks presented in the Behrand article to Learning-Disabled students help in their mathematical development? Please give specific examples.