Week #10 Reflection

This week in our mathematics course we discussed mean, median , mode and range,   integral concepts which become infused in the everyday lives of an individual. We began by looking at the development and organization of a stem and leaf plot through an estimation activity which involved a jar full of Oreos! I generated my guess by imagining about how many Oeros came in a standard package (48) then visualized the amount of boxes required to fill the jar. I hypothesized about one and a half boxes which would calculate to 72, once the class formulated their estimations we organized the data on a stem and leaf plot. When we input the data onto the graph we were able to calculate the mean, median, mode and range which produced numbers quite similar to the actual amount (106).  This activity was a fun, informative demonstration of how information can be gathered and organized to produce a set of data.

Figure 1
Found under the Statistics tab for students.
 These are more activity based games
 as they work to challenged student thinking
in a fun way.

For this week I thoroughly enjoyed being introduced to and having the opportunity to explore the website “Johnnie's Math Page" as it had an abundant amount of activities available for both students and teachers. This website was unlike any other we have explored so far as it focused less on games but more on activities which can be used to enhance user’s comprehension of different mathematical concepts. I began by investigating an activity which explored inputting collected data presented on a tally chart onto a bar graph. Through the games simplistic nature, in-depth instructions and explanation of different mathematical terminology this resource is one which I would suggest colleges and students. To continue my examination I looked at the resources available for educators and developed my own pie graph where I inputted data which demonstrates the makeup of activities I do in one day (Figure 3).  This resource was a fabulous outlet to investigate as it was not complicated to create a graph. As a future educator I foresee myself utilizing this resource in the classroom for I predict it provide a multitude of assistance for students.

                                                                         

             

The classroom activities presented this week were quite interesting as they were done online through the resource “Gizmos”. This resource allows users access to a multitude of different activities created by a classroom instructor. Students are able to join a classroom and participate in the different resources made available. Over the years the advancement of technology has significantly shifted the face of the traditional classroom. Numerous programs such as “Bring Your Own Device” have been implemented to encourage the exploration of different digital outlets within the classroom in order to promote individuality, creativity and success. The rapid influx of technology has altered the pace and method in which individuals learn, process and retain information and as a result educators must be willing to shift traditional practices and ways of thinking in order to offer the most for their students. The classroom activities provided allowed for a greater exploration of different digital outlets available which becomes essential in our understanding of our role as a twenty first century educator. We must incorporate activities offered online for it will provide students with the greatest opportunity to grow and succeed.