November 29, 2018
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Comments Off on In Pursuit of Mathematical Art
In a recent input in Discovering Maths, we had a chance to create some mathematical art and my favourite of these was a curve of pursuit. (MathsMasterOrg (2011)) This is created by choosing a regular shape, making a mark an equal distance from each corner and joining these dots to create a slightly smaller shape. […] Continue reading
November 26, 2018
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Comments Off on Mathematics in Battleships… Hit or Miss?
Even upon just taking the lid off of the box, it is already clear that there are elements of Mathematics in the classic game ‘Battleships’, some of which would be fantastic in the classroom for facilitating learning if used effectively. The most obvious of these to me at first glance is the use co-ordinates. This […] Continue reading
November 26, 2018
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Comments Off on My Discovering of Maths
Today was our last input for the module, Discovering Maths. At the beginning of the module my understanding of mathematics was just the basic sums and problem solving skills that I was taught in primary school, however this module has taught me so much more! From the tuition in Discovering Maths, I have discovered that […] Continue reading
November 26, 2018
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Comments Off on Have I discovered maths?
Today was our last input for discovering mathematics. Throughout this module I have discovered a few things including mathematics. This journey of discovery hasn’t been easy but I can officially say I understand fully the fundamental ideas of mathematics. Essentially, I have discovered: what the fundamental ideas of mathematics is, different aspects of mathematics within … Continue reading Have I discovered maths? → Continue reading
November 26, 2018
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Comments Off on Maths that help
Everyone knows that mathematics can help children in the classroom and academically however, how can they help in real life? In a recent input we discussed how mathematics is involved in medicine specifically, how statistics can help. This is something that has really interested me in the sense that the NHS can be reliant in … Continue reading Maths that help → Continue reading
November 23, 2018
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Comments Off on Maths Outside? No way!
Maths is a difficult subject to study, that’s why it is important for teachers to ask themselves, how can they make maths more entertaining? How can they make it something which is enjoyed rather than something which is a textbook subject? I have always believed maths to be a textbook subject as it was all […] Continue reading
November 21, 2018
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Comments Off on Think 182
Prior to studying discovering mathematics I believed maths to be only about numbers. However following the module, I now understand it is much more than that, it is everything and it is definitely an art form. Mathematics is prominent in many aspects of music such as beats in a bar , notation value ie crotchets […] Continue reading
November 16, 2018
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Comments Off on Should maths be taught inside the classroom?
Mathematics, from personal experience, is a subject I believed I would never need outside of school. Equations and formula’s were driven into my brain and were taught from a textbook. I certainly did not find it pleasurable, useful or important. Ma (2010, p. 104) wrote that basic ideas within mathematics are “simple but powerful basic […] Continue reading
November 16, 2018
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Comments Off on The Daily Mile-matics
Throughout this module, we have often been asked to reflect on our own experiences of learning mathematics at school and my memories are almost exclusively textbooks in the classroom and being excited that you had filled all of the squared paper in your jotter. Fast forward 15 years or so to ‘Miss Duncan’ teaching mathematics […] Continue reading
November 11, 2018
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Comments Off on The Beauty of Maths
From a recent workshop, I truly have found how maths makes us beautiful! Through linking maths and art together, I discovered that maths helps to make the beauty of the human face. I can back this up with the picture below… The drawing on the left is my first attempt. To create this drawing we […] Continue reading
November 9, 2018
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Comments Off on What Would Life be Like if we Lived in System 2?
Despite the fact I was aware that my brain is a house full of many rooms that do many different things, I was unaware that unconsciously my brain was making choices for me from either my system 1 or system 2. David Kahneman (2001) discusses the concept of system 1 and 2 and the fact […] Continue reading
November 7, 2018
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Comments Off on ”4 for £1!”, ”buy 2, get the 3rd free!” Think fast! Or slow…
As a part-time store assistant in a popular discount store providing ”top brands at bottom prices”, my colleagues and I spend a fair amount of time filling up baskets of items considered to be ”Star Buys” with bright, yellow stickers to attract the attention of shoppers as they walk through the door. On the (rare) occasion […] Continue reading
November 7, 2018
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Comments Off on Can Mathematics be Beautiful?
Maths, beautiful? Before I would have never of put these two words in the same sentence. Now I will say maths can be beautiful. After allowing myself to really understand how this can be and how maths can make things more pleasing to the eye I can put maths and beautiful together. The Rule of […] Continue reading
November 6, 2018
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Comments Off on Could the Curriculum for Excellence be a ‘Sunk Cost’?
Could the Curriculum for Excellence be a ‘Sunk Cost’’? The aim of Curriculum for excellence and the reason it was put in place was to help children and young people, across Scotland, gain knowledge, skills and attributes needed for life as well as the skills needed for learning and work (Education Scotland, 2018). The Curriculum […] Continue reading
November 6, 2018
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Comments Off on How Does Maths Affect Beautiful Things?
I would use many words to describe maths, however beautiful would not have been one of them, until very recently. Once I allowed myself to understand how maths can make one thing more pleasing to the eye, I was opened up to a world of beautifully mathematic possibilities. ‘The Rule of Thirds’ (ROT) is the […] Continue reading
November 5, 2018
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Comments Off on Maths Anxiety
Maths anxieties is defined as when a student has a negative reaction to mathematics (University of Cambridge, 2017) These kind of feelings can often be crippling for the students who are learning the subject and result in the students having a negative relationship with maths. I personally have had these feelings often and believe this […] Continue reading
November 4, 2018
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Comments Off on Maths in Music
When I learnt that we were going to be doing an input on Maths and Music, I was confused, to me these two subjects have nothing in common with each other. I was fascinated to see what we were going to be focusing on. I love music but have never had any luck with playing […] Continue reading
November 3, 2018
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Comments Off on “I’ve gotten this far… I may as well finish it”
With the amount of times it has happened already, I should not really be surprised that the next area covered in Discovering Mathematics is another one that not only astounds me, but applies to me directly – and yet, my jaw is once again left near-enough dropped as I began to uncover Counter Intuitive Mathematics. […] Continue reading
November 2, 2018
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Comments Off on The Beauty of Mathematics
CAN MATHEMATICS BE BEAUTIFUL? If you take a look inside a child’s math jotter you will most likely find some numbers written on parallel lines to form equations and answers. But, is it possible to use math to form or create something which is not numbers based? Can we create something more exciting and creative […] Continue reading
October 30, 2018
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Comments Off on Weight a second… Mathematics can improve fitness?
With only 60 days left until Christmas, before we know it we will be sitting down to think about our new year resolutions. This year I had the stereotypical goal of joining the gym and sticking at it for longer than most of us tend to do. To this day I still attend the gym […] Continue reading
