On placement I remember we took a lesson on money and the different ways that we can pay for items in a shop such as: notes, coins, cheque, bank card, credit card ect. So that the children could see the connection with the wider world, we had a class discussion on the use of each. Many children were able to join in saying they had maybe spotted their parents using different forms of payment. Children love to be able to see the relation of their work with the wider world so I could really notice a difference in the quality of work that was being done. 45 minutes of the lesson was also based on a class discussion which meant the last 15 minutes was used to complete their worksheets. By having a group discussion it got all the class engaged and showed them that mathematics did not always have to be calculations out of a text book, which is something they were used to.

However, prior to this lesson, one of the main questions that was raised, when taking a maths lesson had to be “what do we need this for”. It is hard to answer this without saying “everything”. Not only are we dealing with simple usage of mathematics throughout our day but the fact that it is a subject which is needed to achieve acceptance into many jobs or universities. Not to mention going back 22000 years ago when the Ishango Bone was discovered (Wolfram Research, 1999-2016). This bone was found in the Congo, with sets of markings carved into it. The sequence of numbers being “3, 6, 4, 8, 10”. This is now one of the oldest objects dating mathematics back to thousands of years, giving us a great starting point to where it may have all begun. A great topic to touch upon with children.

Noyles (2007, pg 8) states that teachers “rarely engage with their subject outside their work or know little about how it is used in the world around them”. This therefore proves that if adults have not discovered the mathematical world that surrounds then, then the link is not being made for the children. As a result of reading this quote it signified the importance of making the connection, which I therefore included into my lesson. Children need to understand why mathematics is important and useful for everyday life. It is impossible to do this if we do not back this view up in the classroom.

In one lecture our tutor directed task was to take pictures of any places that we spot mathematics. It became clear to me just how many times we use some sort of fundamental mathematics without even realising it. Here are some of my examples:

This gave me the idea that we could ask the children to do this themselves. The class could then create a wall full of pictures where they have found something with some mathematical thinking behind it. This then creates an importance for the subject using real-world context. It also shows them the ideas and relation behind our teaching. This creates a more positive attitude and therefore children can see the subject as something fun rather than something that has to be endured. The Scottish Governments, CfE (2009, pg 39) defines numeracy as a skill for “life, learning and work.” It also states that by being numerate we can function responsibly in everyday life. I have never really thought about this before this module however now it has become clear that without a fundamental understanding of mathematics we would struggle to do even basic tasks.

Noyles, A. (2007). Rethinking School Mathematics. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.

Scottish Government. (2009) Curriculum for excellence, experiences and outcomes for all curriculum areas. Available at: http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/Images/all_experiences_outcomes_tcm4-539562.pdf

Wolfram Research, (1999-2016). Ishango Bone. Available at: http://mathworld.wolfram.com/IshangoBone.html