Methods of Math Teaching and Learning

Number Talks 3/ 15/2016 Every week I make an attempt to conduct a Number Talk (NT) with my Preservice Teacher Candidates (PSC). My goal is to experience math discourse so that they will be capable of implementing NT with their future students. This is a ritual I want my PCS to value not just to talk about math to insure students are getting the answer. I want my PCS to appreciate each other’s thinking and sense making of the mathematics being presented. This week I presented to problems involving addition with strategies. 52 +30 52 + 35 Here is the conversation for 52 +30: Teacher: Who wants to defend 82? (I asked this question after everyone agrees the answer is 82). How did you get 82? PSC 1: I visualized the hundreds chart. Teacher: Wow! You are using your tools. PSC 1: Yes. I knew going down is 10 more. I knew 52 +10 is 62. If I go down 10 more, 62+10 more is 72. So far I added 20. I need to add 10 more. 72 + 10 more is 82. So my answer is 82. Teache

Number Talks with Preservice Teachers Using Landmark Numbers My preservice teachers and I were engaged in a Number Talks (NT) involving Landmark Number to strengthen their mental math capacity. My goal is for this NT is to give my students opportunities calculated basic math problems without relying on paper pencil computation and to gain knowledge on NT strategies.  Since we have been working with place value learning using manipulatives, models, and other tools, I thought it was befitting to have NT with the emphasis on landmark numbers. The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) or College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS) calls for the formal teaching of US algorithm for addition and subtraction in grade four. Therefore, preservice teacher should be aware of the different instructional strategies that lends itself to development of place value understanding. This include using place value to add and subtract two and three digit numbers. I presented the following sequence