Kid Watching...PRICELESS!

One of the things I really enjoy about this class are the videos of students actually doing the problems that we discuss. For me, seeing the ways children actually think when they are contemplating a problem really opens my eyes to how students approach word problems. I think it's really interesting how some students make the problem seem more difficult than it is while at the same time, totally being able to rationalize and explain their thinking.

For example, when one of the students was asked to combine 8 and 3, the student began with 3 and then counted up 8...that's a lot more fingers than are necessary! When asked to explain, she was able to describe her thinking and I think that is what is most important. I am just so amazed by the ways that students describe their thinking. Sometimes it seems really seems convoluted as it comes out of their mouth, but then all of a sudden, you think about it yourself and it not only makes sense, but oftentimes shows a higher order of thinking than what was first expected.

I feel as though watching the videos really puts a valuable spin on the class. I don't understand the point of taking methods classes without connecting them to the students we are going to teach. Every other methods course has only attempted to connect what is being taught in the class to out practicum courses. This class, on the other hand, directly connects the students we will be teaching to the class we are in.