Reflection 4
EDFX241 starts this week. Reflect on your first professional experience day –
a-week visit. What mathematics did you see, hear, read? Why do you think
the classroom is set up the way it is for mathematics learning? Support your
ideas with literature.
My first professional
experience day-a week visit commenced this week at St Michael's Catholic
Primary School, Belfield. I was nervous to start this practical experience as I
was allocated to a Year 5/6 classroom. It was during the middle section of the
learning day, where the students were handed a short math test based on types
of triangles, properties of shapes and angles. This was an individual task; the
short booklet was to be done in silence and they had 30 minutes to complete it.
When I first walked into the classroom, I took note of how the classroom was
arranged. As seen in the image below, the classroom is set up into groups of
two in rows. My initial thought was that it limits the students to group work
and collaborative learning. In reference from theories addressed by Vgotsky,
Dewey and Piaget (Church et al, 2015), has addressed that young learners
significantly benefit from collaborative learning with peers as well as being
involved in the development of their own learning.
As
mentioned by Derek Haylock and Ralph Manning (2014), "being a successful
learner in mathematics involved constructing understanding through exploration,
problem solving, discussion and practical experience (p.3). Throughout the work
booklet the students required to use a protractor; however, I am yet to see a
math lesson where the use of manipulatives is required. As acknowledged by Paul
Swan and Linda Marhsall (2010), "manipulatives benefit the learning and
teaching of mathematics" (p.18)
Haylock, D., & Manning, R. (2014). Mathematics Explained for Primary Teachers (5th ed.). Retrieved from https://books.google.com.au/books?id=b7mICwAAQBAJ&dq=working+in+groups+primary+mathematics&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Swan, P., & Marshall, L. (2010). Revisiting Mathematics: Manipulative Materials, Australian Primary Mathematics Classroom, 15(2), 13-19. Retrieved from http://search.informit.com.au.ezproxy1.acu.edu.au/fullText;dn=182003;res=AEIPT
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