Trying Technological Teaching

This semester, I took an Elementary Mathematics Curriculum and Instruction course as part of my work for my Elementary Education degree. At the beginning of the semester I was excited at the prospect of teaching math, seeing that it was one of my favorite subjects in school. After spending four months studying how to teach math, actually teaching some lessons, warmups and problems, and reflecting on all of this as it occurred, I have come to a similar, yet more informed conclusion. Mathematics education is essential in todays schools. We need to be teaching students a strong base in number sense, computation, measurement, etc. if they have any hope of getting to college. Even as a university student, I have friends who are uncomfortable with math, and this hurts them in all of their classes, not only those with direct use of math like economics or the sciences. Teaching students to feel comfortable with math and to be excited about it as elementary kids will set them up to succeed later on down the line. Further, in this global economy the competition is incredibly strong, especially in math. If I can teach my kids effectively, they will hopefully go on to be successful math students in high school and on. Also, in teaching math, it is important to show the usefulness of it. The problem solving approach that the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics emphasizes and encourages allows for math to be put in context for students, thus making it an important part of their lives, both currently and in the future. I will make use of this strategy in my classroom.