C4T #2

Canadian primary school teacher Jennifer Brokofsky posted ideas to help new teachers create a classroom environment that further cultivates and expands children's interest in mathematics.  The first idea she highlighted was creating a specific math corner in the classroom.  Provided with an assortment of manipulatives such as Base Ten Blocks and Venn Diagrams, students are able to foster their mathematical skills in an independent manner.  Mrs. Brokofsky also stresses the importance of having a special collection of math books in order for students to make a connection between reading and math further compounding their math skills.  Finally, Mrs. Brokofsky suggests having a wall in the class room devoted to math terminology, definitions, and possibly charts and graphs.  Math has quickly become children's least favorite subject in school, whether they naturally understand the concepts or not.  By creating a math rich classroom, students have continuous exposure to mathematical ideas but also enhances their natural curiosity and allows them to relate their disposition to mathematics to make sense of their physical and even social worlds.

The second post of Jennifer Brokofsky's that I read was published some time ago. Despite that it was published a couple months ago, I chose to pay closer attention to this post rather than the others. In response to a challenge posed by Dr. Scott Mcleod to all educators/bloggers, Mrs. Brokofsky lists her ideas on how leaders can support learning in education through technology.  I found this particularly interesting having read Don't Teach Your Kids This Stuff Please?, also by Scott Mcleod, not too long before encountering this post.  In this highly sarcastic poem, Dr. Mcleod vents his frustration with parents and educators who are not willing to become technologically literate and will not allow their children and students to become so also.  Brokofsky offers steps to not only develop a rich Personal Learning Network, but also ideas on how to bridge this gap between the the educators who have opposing view points pertaining to technology and its use in the classroom.