Publications: Math is Like a Scary Movie?
Between 2013 and 2015, I participated in a fellowship sponsored by Schools Out Washington and the University of Washington Writing Project that focused on STEM learning. As a result of the action research I completed during the course of the fellowship, I submitted an article which was published in Afterschool Matters in the Spring of 2016. Afterschool Matters is published by the National Institute of Out-of School Time (NIOST) at the Wellesley Center for Women.
Math is Like a Scary Movie?
Math skills are assessed in the first few tutoring sessions. A plan is then developed for focusing one-on-one instruction on the areas that need remediation or support. Strategies are also established for practicing math facts, problem solving, and understanding mathematical procedures and concepts. Special attention is given to communicating math ideas and defining math terms.
Instruction consists of learning basic math terms and reviewing classroom procedures for performing operations (addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication). Custom- made lessons target specific math skills, so that students can build on their success and tackle more complex problems. In addition to becoming fluent with the procedures of basic operations, other math topics include measurement, algebra, and geometry. Northwest K-8 Learning Support makes use of software, math games, and standard math models to provide hands-on experience with math concepts and the variety of ways to represent math ideas.
Middle School Math: Middle school students are introduced to new concepts related to: geometry (volume and surface area)and measurement, exponents, integers (positive and negative numbers), and real numbers (rational and irrational numbers).
Students are provided opportunities to extend what they learned in earlier grades by practicing the procedures for decimal, fraction, and percent computations. Other topics include ratio and proportion or making comparisons of: two numbers, quantities, or measures.
Hands-on learning experiences are applied to real-life situations that can be solved through math equations and problem solving. Students that are ready for solving algebraic equations are assisted with the foundational concepts of function and graphing linear equations. Students are encouraged to “show what they know,” organizing their work and solving problems step-by-step.