Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Kivamath post response

In response to the article we read as a class about linking students to their world for "real world" lessons in compassion and math.
I am excited to read this article at this particular moment in time. I am a middle school special education teacher working with students with autism and asperger's syndrome. This is my 2nd year at the middle school and my intention here is to build a teaching repertoire with little distinction between work and play.
I can see where my math program could use many improvements after reading this article on the Internet. I understand what she meant by "follow your heart", when you are starting off the curriculum. Emotional engagement is a very powerful medium when it comes to inspiring young minds. I saw a question posed in the article asking if the content was grade appropriate. In a safe and supported environment this information could be very empowering for a young child. Understanding that you can have an impact at such a young age would do wonders for a young persons self-esteem. Students might just learn to enjoy math and see it as a wing man rather than a hindrance.