Mathematics education has been
undergoing steady change for the past two decades. One of the factors to the
changes is the public or political pressure for change in mathematics education
due to student performance in national and international studies. Standards and Principles for School
Mathematics (NCTM, 200) provides guidance and direction for teachers and
other leaders in mathematics education. Standards
and Principles includes four grade bands. There are five standards contents
throughout the grades. They are,
- · Number and Operations
- · Algebra
- · Geometry
- · Measurement
- · Data Analysis and Probability
Each content standard has its own
set of goals that are applicable for the different grade bands and expectations
of what they students should know. All the five contents are applicable across
all the grades; there is different emphasis in every grade band.
Following the five standard
contents, are five process standards. They are;
- · Problem solving – Using problem solving as a tool for students to develop mathematical ideas. Students are also encourage to apply and adapt variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems
- · Reasoning and Proof – Students are encouraged to use logical thinking to provide rationale as part of their answers. This is to prove on whether or not their answers make sense.
- · Communication – Being able to talk, write, describe and explain about their mathematical ideas.
- · Connections – Students being able to connect mathematics within and among mathematical ideas or to connect with the real world and other subject areas like art, science, language arts and social studies.
- · Representations – Being able to use symbols, manipulative, charts, diagrams and other materials as tools to express mathematical ideas and relationships.
Mathematics is more than solving
problems or completing sets of exercises. Doing mathematics is to generate
strategies to problem solve, applying different approaches that leads to
solutions and to see if they make sense to prove your answers.
Come on! Let's do Math!
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