Number Talks

Using Numbers Flexibly

Tonight, while checking some of the videos that I have saved from Facebook, I came across Jo Boaler's videos on maths and 'Number Talks'.   Jo talks about encouraging students to see how problems can be solved in a variety of ways and to draw the various responses that are provided so that everyone can see the differences - and also see the differences between associative and differentiated solutions.

Jo mentions that many students (especially the more able ones) are not using numbers flexibly to solve problems.   Instead, they are relying on the one method that they feel safe with, but this one method may not be the best.   Students need to be flexible with numbers.  To manipulate numbers in a variety of ways.

While watching the following video, I began to reflect on my current Learners in LH2.  How and what am I doing to enable them to use numbers in a flexible and open way?   At the moment I am preparing for Term 3 so it's a prime opportunity to go back to the drawing board and rethink how I do my best to ensure that every Learner is able to achieve the best math experiences ever!

In her TEDx Talk, Jo describes that having a 'maths mind' is a myth and that your brain grows when making a mistake in maths.  If I think back to my days in college, then my brain must have been growing at an exponential rate!

So, if there is no such thing as a 'maths brain', then how to we change the current belief  to that of everyone having the potential to be a mathematical thinking?