The article on Assistive Technology for Mathmatics by Marcia Obukowicz, is on the website http://wati.org/?pageLoad=content/supports/free/index.php this website has many different subjects, not just mathematics.
The article about math first states how important mathmatics is for every student. Even if the student does not plan on going into Engineering, there are every day ways that math is helpful. For students who plan on attending college, mathmatics is a pre-requisite for many other classes. For those who are not planning on attending college, math canbe helpful in many different ways. They student will have to maintain their bank account, pay bills, and still have enough money left over. Students will have to know this information for their future no matter what it is that they decide to do.
This article teaches us as future teachers how to teach math so that students can see the value in the subject. We have to make sure that every student takes the subjects that we are teaching seriously. As much as this may not be realistic, it is important. Most students in high school or even middle school just hate school and don't want to learn the subjects that we are teaching them, but if they see a way that the subject can be used in their everyday life, they are more likely to take the time to learn it. If teachers can find a way to show students that subjects are relevant, they will have more interested students.
Mathematics is definitely important to students, even if they will never enter careers that directly deal with solving problems or completing calculations. Assisted learning technologies help teachers give this knowledge to a larger range of diverse students than ever before, and that has to be a good thing!
ReplyDeleteI have been guilty of being "taht" student that whines and says that you never use math in real life. I have to admitt that I am wrong and have used math in everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with your comment in your post Katie, that if teachers made relevancy known, students would be a lot more interested and willing to learn.