Question 1

For this question, you will design a Mathematical Learning Experience incorporating the elements listed below. You will not be implementing the plan at this time. Your plan should demonstrate your understanding of the focus of the experience that you are providing to children, reflecting the constructivist perspective on mathematical teaching and learning.

Begin your response by providing the name of the learning experience (be it an activity/a series of activities, a project, or a provocation), then write up the following segments. Use the questions to guide your write-up.

a) Describe the planned experience and its goal.

i) Describe the intended context (childcare or kindergarten setting, age group, age/size of group you will work with for this experience) without revealing the name of the center or people.

ii) Briefly summarise the learning experience in 2 or 3 sentences. What will the children and teacher be doing in the learning experience?

iii) Identify the fundamental math concept or topic (use one of the 9 topics listed in the chapters of the textbook) that the learning experience will address.

iv) Identify the Big Idea (as stated in the textbook) that the children will learn from the experience you have created. Use this sentence: Through the learning experience, the children will understand that…

b) Implementation plan: Tell us how you would implement your plans based on your analysis of the children and what is possible within the environment/setting.

i) How will you introduce the learning experience to children or prepare the environment or provocation?

ii) How will you carry out the activity for the children?

iii) Include specific questions you might ask to encourage inquiry, thinking and problem-solving.

c) Discuss how this experience will support and develop children’s mathematical thinking.

i) How will the activity develop the children’s understanding of the Big Idea? Which part(s) of the activity will address the Big Idea?

ii) How will you assess or determine whether the children have understood the Big Idea?

d) How constructivist is your plan?

Identify and discuss TWO (2) features of your activity that reflect a constructivist approach to mathematics learning in contrast to a traditional, drill-and-practice approach.