MPI - Day 4: Number

Today's focus was on knowing and understanding our learners as Mathematicians. We looked at the following areas:

1. Maths Talks
2. Understanding Place Value
3. Fractions as a Number
4. Fractions as Operators
5. Decimals and Percentages
6. Integers - Positive and Negative Numbers

Here are some of my reflections from today:

1. "Use materials and manipulatives to help develop a conceptual understanding."

Teaching place value is essential to ensuring the mathematical success of our students at PES. The slide on the right served as a valuable reminder for me, particularly when mentoring fellow educators in mathematics, of the critical role that materials and manipulatives play in helping students grasp complex place value concepts.

2. I found it extremely beneficial to revisit some of the fundamental concepts involved in teaching fractions. One key takeaway for me is to remind teachers to not only approach problems from whole-to-part but also to ensure that students frequently engage with part-to-whole problems as well.

3. Teaching fractions and percentages in authentic learning contexts is important because it allows students to connect abstract mathematical concepts to real-world situations, making the learning experience more meaningful, relevant and most importantly, fun!

Today provided me with valuable reminders into the key elements of effective place value instruction!