When Will We Ever Use Math in Real Life?
The article “When Will We Ever Use Math in Real Life?”
illustrates how students may incorporate the concepts learned in the classroom
in everyday activities with various professions and how mathematics can be applicable
in future situations. Although students are asking the question, when will we
use math in real life? Educators are now better equipped to respond to their
question by using technology to support their answers. Educators can now help
motivate and teach students through the use of various videos of different
individuals from diverse professions demonstrating how mathematics is used in
their profession. An example of this is an architect, who illustrates how he
uses mathematics when he makes blueprints for a building or home. These videos
illustrate that mathematics can be applied to a broad range of different professional
areas and learning these different concepts has a real application within their
lives. In the videos, professionals even added their own experiences in high
school math classes to relate to students’ experiences. This illustrates to
students that, although mathematics may be a weak subject now, students can
always build up a strong foundation to help them increase their chances of success
in various professional areas in the future. After displaying how mathematics
can have a real application outside the classroom through videos, teachers have
reported an increase in students’ interest in mathematics and even an increase in
students’ test scores. Overall, teachers have successfully found a way to
illustrate the application of concepts within mathematics outside the classroom,
which has established a positive impact on their motivation and interest to
learn mathematics.
I believe this is a great method to illustrate the
application of mathematics outside of the classroom to students. Although
educators may understand the application of mathematics outside of a math
class, students may not understand. Verbally explaining to students how
mathematics is used outside of the classroom is not always the most effective
technique for all types of learners. The videos of different professionals
sharing their experiences with mathematics and how they use mathematics within their
profession may be a more effective tool in giving all types of learners a
better understanding of the real application of mathematics outside the
classroom. This helps educators by allowing them to incorporate these videos
into their curriculum and lesson plans. Rather than having one or two guest
speakers coming into one classroom, videos provide a variety of guest speakers
to reach a larger audience of students. These videos also help reach a bigger
audience of students. After presenting the videos, students can then make
connections between the lessons they are learning in the classroom and
situations outside the classroom. This will not only increase their awareness
of the broad applications of mathematics, but will also help students realize how
many connections are present with what they learn within the classroom to the
situations they experience outside the classroom.
The ideas within the article of videos and visual aids being
incorporated within the classroom regarding how mathematics can be applied in
real life situations and professions integrate a number of NETS-S Standards.
The first standard that is addressed by integrating videos into curriculum and
lesson plans to connect with students is NETS Standard #3: Research and
Information Fluency. Students who watch these videos are required to apply
digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use the information within the videos.
Students have to gather and evaluate the information presented in the videos
and apply the information to their own experiences. Although students’
experiences differ, the various professionals presented in the videos and their
different experiences with mathematics will help ignite students’ interests and
help ensure the videos reach the diverse types of learners that are in a
classroom. Another NETS Standard addressed in the article is #4: Critical
thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Students need to identify and
investigate questions, such as how mathematics can be applied in their lives
currently and potentially in the future. Students will have to investigate the
different ways they may apply mathematics outside of their class and explore
diverse perspectives to gather information so they can educate themselves on
the application of mathematics within their environment. Overall, using
technology to reach a broad range of learners is an excellent method to help students
increase their interest in a subject and understand the application of a
subject within their current and future environments.
References
Ware, J & Stein, S.
(2012). When will we ever use math in real life? Learning and Leading
with Technology, 39(8), 34-35.
with Technology, 39(8), 34-35.
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very informative post! Since I was a student who desperately struggled with math all through my education I think that the use of videos in a classroom that demonstrates how math is used in real life, is definitely a useful tool. I remember thinking to myself, when on earth am I ever going to use math in my future career, however with the videos you explained it sounds like they give students a better picture of how math will stick with them throughout their education and it will also show them that it is a very useful tool for their future. I agree with you also that "Verbally explaining to students how mathematics is used outside of the classroom is not always the most effective technique for all types of learners", this statement is true because many students are visual learners and the use of the videos will depict how math can be used in their future career, rather than hearing their teacher yap in their ears about math's importance. Thanks for your post Michael!
Michael,
ReplyDeleteGreat read, I for one as a person who is shall we say somewhat mathematically challenged found it an informative read. I like the idea of the use of videos to explain how math is used in day to day life, I personally find it a little humor when I come across the need to use math practically every day and wish that I would have grasped it better when I was in school. I think if it was explained to me in such a fashion I might have taken more thoroughness in my studies, as stated verbally explaining does not always carry the same weight as other media. Furthermore when expressed in an outside the classroom context I think students are sometimes more apt to show interest. Good post I should have my son read it.
Don
Hi Michael,
ReplyDeleteThat was a lot of great information. I was that kid that thought that there was no way I would need math outside of school. I thought all I need to do is basic adding, subtraction, multiplication and division, NEVER would I need to do algebra or geometry. I think is it was explained to me through video or guest speakers would have really changed my mind and be more excited when it came to math.