Tuesday, 23 August 2011
:: Day 2: Numbers ... Numbers ... Numbers ::
Recognize this?
Yupz you got it right! It's those harmless, simple pick-up sticks we used to play when we were younger. Don't be fooled by its simplicity, with this, you can challenge children's thinking and problem-solving skills.
Lesson 6: A game for 2 players
Instruction: Take turns with your partner to pick up either 1 or 2 sticks. The last person to pick up the last batch of sticks
(either 1 or 2) will the WINNER.
(either 1 or 2) will the WINNER.
As me and Raudha were engaged in the game, we tried to think of possible strategies that could probably help either of us to be the 'Winner'. It's not that easy though.
After a few attempts, we figured out that the last few sticks will determine who will be the winner.
After a brainstorming session, the class came to a conclusion that the one who starts her move first will always be the 'Winner'.
However.
I put on my 
and ...
and ...I found out that it doesn't matter if you go 1st or 2nd, the trick is to take the opposite number of sticks that your oppenent took. For example: If you partner took 2 sticks, you take 1 stick and if she takes 1 stick you take 2 sticks instead. It's not about picking up any numbers of sticks as you like.
So.
The pattern is (say if your opponent started with 1 stick) [1 , 2, 1, 2,1 ,2 ... and vice versa]
Unsure of my own findings, I tried a couple of time with me starting first and starting later and I always managed to leave my opponent with the "Bad 6 or 3"!
Of course when the rule is tweaked in such a way that you can picked up 1, 2 or 3 sticks or even more, I don't think my strategy would worked though!
Oh well.
At least I managed to crack the 1st 'pick-up sticks code'!
Mummy must be so proud of me!
Lesson 7: Rolllll THAT 
!
!Instruction: Put 2 dice together, get the children to say out the number of dice from each ends of the 2 dices and (assuming that you have magic) tell them that you know the answer of the total numbers of the 2 sets of dots (that were hidden in the centre).
I tried this trick with the K2 kids and boy! They were so easy to impress. And suddenly today, Ms Dwi is the smartest and cleverest person in the whole wide world ...
Awww ... I'm 
already!!
already!!Ok. Let me reveal the secret.
The thing about dices are that whichever sides you turn to, the total number of dots on 2 opposites will sum up to 7. And in this case, we used 2 dices so we just need to multiply (7 x 2 =14)
Therefore, if children read out that they can see the number 1 and 6 at both ends of the 2 dices, you simply subtract 14 from the 2 numbers and you'll get the answer to the total number of dots of the 2 sides that were hidden!
Simple right? Would we even have thought of that?
I didn't. Bummer!
Basically this activity brings us to Chapter 2 where it talked about the importance of content strength as well as the process strength.
Well ... and then we go on exploring the correct method of doing division sums.
You know what? If I can turn back the time, I'll say this to my Math teacher's face, "Hello Sir/Ma'am. You know what? You taught me all the wrong thing! And now I'm SMARTER THAN YOU."
*And I'll flip my hair and walk off*
S.O.P of Math teachers during my time. I teach. You listen. No need to ask for me to explain!
Are YOU kidding me?
Anyway
Let's get back to last night's topic.
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Ok. So the followings are new definitions that I have picked up from yesterday's lesson.
1) Subitize:
(transitive) to judge (the number of objects in a group) rapidly, accurately and confidently without counting them
(intransitive) to have the ability of judging the number of objects in a group in this way
(I don't have this skill yet, btw. I had to count the pick-up sticks one by one and I was spotted by one of my coursemate, Simir. Bummer.)
2) Meta-cognition: Part of the brain function that manages our thinking
And some useful 'notes-to-self':
1) TEACH CHILDREN TO CORRECT THEMSELVES BY CORRECTING THEMSELVES!
2) MATH IS NOT ABOUT MEMORIZATION.
So parents and parents-to-be: Burn or throw away all your time-tables list/chart/books!
5 BIG IDEAS:
-META COGNITION
-GENERALIZATION
-COMMUNICATION
-NUMBER SENSE
-VISUALIZATION
Things to do:
up on Theorist Jerome Bruner, 'The CPA Approach' (concrete,pictorial,abstract)
Things to do:
up on Theorist Jerome Bruner, 'The CPA Approach' (concrete,pictorial,abstract) Alrighty then, till tonight's class!
-Me-
Blogged @ 19:40 |
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