Writing in Mathematics
Using Math Journals in the GED Classroom
Knowing mathematics is doing mathematics. We
need to create situations where students can be
active, creative, and responsive to the physical world.
I believe that to learn mathematics, students
I believe that to learn mathematics, students
must construct it for themselves. They can only do
that by exploring, justifying, representing, discussing,
using, describing, investigating, predicting,
using, describing, investigating, predicting,
in short by being active in the world. Writing is
an ideal activity for such processes.
Joan Countryman,
Writing to Learn Mathematics
(1992)
Writing activities can help students better understand the material they are
trying to learn and ultimately can shift stu-dents from looking at math as a series
of formulas that have to be solved or computations that must be completed to
trying to learn and ultimately can shift stu-dents from looking at math as a series
of formulas that have to be solved or computations that must be completed to
recognizing that mathematics is a process. Most GED students do not recognize
that mathematics is a process; rather, they see each problem with a specific answer
and no real relationship among the wide range of problems that they encounter in
the classroom, on tests, or in the real world. Math journals can be used for many
purposes. The GED teacher should look at math journals as variables rather
that mathematics is a process; rather, they see each problem with a specific answer
and no real relationship among the wide range of problems that they encounter in
the classroom, on tests, or in the real world. Math journals can be used for many
purposes. The GED teacher should look at math journals as variables rather
than constants, providing opportunities for students to:
- Increase their feelings of confidence in being able to learn and use mathematical concepts and skills to solve a
- wide range of problems and thus help alleviate math anxiety.
- Be more aware of what they do and do not know.
- Make use of their own prior knowledge when solving new problems.
- Identify their own questions about an area with which they are less familiar.
- Develop their ability to think through a problem and identify possible methods for solving it.
- Collect and organize their thoughts.
- Monitor their own progress as they gain higher-level problem-solving skills and
- are able to work with more complex problems.
- Make connections between mathematical ideas as they write about various
- strategies that could be used for problem solving.
- Communicate more precisely how they think
https://www.sde.idaho.gov/AdultEducation/docs/Mathtoolkit/Appendix%20To%20Math%20Toolkit/Appendix%206%20-%20Using%20Math%20Journals.pdf
Accessed 12/31/2013