Math for Elementary Teachers I 1510

Reaching a Consensus

After viewing a video watching a classroom figure out an answer to a problem, without too much help fromt he teacher was an eye opener. There is a teacher in the classroom who is there to help the students, but not give away the answer, after seeing how well it worked and how much the students helped each other solve the problem when one was wrong, showed me a new way of teaching. This is the video that I watched demonstrating this technique.



I think reaching a consensus is a great way of teaching, instead of just asking for the answer right away when they don't know it. This way they are hearing several different ways other students have found the answer and seeing different ways of the thinking process. Although, I can see how it might be a little confusing if they are getting the wrong answers for themselves and other students, this is where the teachers presence and leading them in the right direction without giving away the answer is so much more beneficial.

The students in this video had so many different ideas on how to  figure out how many dogs each person had, almost every student had a different way of thinking and showing a different way to come up with their answer, whether it was or wrong it was how they thought. Then when talking with other students they were able to see the correct way to solve the problem and agree on one set answer.