Mundo Primaria webpage

Hi mates!

Today you will be able to see an interesting webpage where there are everything related with primary education. I mean, there are plenty of activities of different subjects as well as maths.

Its name is Mundo Primaria (https://www.mundoprimaria.com/juegos-educativos/juegos-matematicas/medidas ) where it is suggested different activities that can be carry out in your lessons and kids may like it!

For example, I have chosen the magnitudes and their measurement topic; where is divided since 1º until 6º.

Mostly all the activities that this webpage proposed will make kids to thing!

Learn by playing

Hi again!

Today I would like to deal with the learning through games, which could be even more efficient that the conventional type. Let´s see why!

We have to know that kids need motivation for facing difficult contents, such as the measurement content, so that it is needed to boost it.  For this reason, I have thinking that the best idea for that may be the use of games, where they can show their capacities and skills. In addition, they are an interesting tool for reinforce some fields that may not be clear for pupils.

These two videos above are exellent examples of how we can deal with games in the classroom!

Chance

Hi!

Today I woud like to share an interesting website where kids will be able to learn in a different way maths. This time we are focusing our attention on Chance; how kids can work with this concept and its different levels.

Here you have the link: http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/numbers/probability.html

This is one of the games that this resourse suggests, here pupils will be able to explore in a variety of situations the concept and its levels.

Chance and Uncertanity

Hello everyone!

Today I would like to share with you a Piktochart that I have made some days ago. It is related with Chance and Uncertanity concepts, where it is propossed some activities for pupils to clarify each content and their levels.

Here you have the link: Chance and Uncertanity

Are textbooks necessary in Primary Education?

Today I would like to deal with an interesting topic such as the utility or necessity of textbooks in Primary education; advantages and disadvantages of these.

Textbooks have been being the principal tool or resource that teachers had had over the time. These were seen as the Bible that had to be follow by the teacher and pupils. But nowadays is it right this point of view?

Well, we know that textbooks are a really powerful tool and resource for any teacher since they follow the law as well as they contain a good amount of activities and suggestions in order to work on different themes. In other words, these give a structure sense which, generally, is beneficial to take into account. In addition, for pupils give a kind of support in order to consult the content needed. 

Nevertheless, the general mistake fallen over the use that teachers made of them, why?

There are teachers that still seeing textbooks as the main tool; over focus on them.  In is essential to be aware of the educational reality, which is related with diversity and different needs. In this way, it may be a good idea to consider other ways of reaching knowledge for kids. Though I don´t say no to textbooks, what I´m trying to say is that there is a special time and use for them, but there are more tools as powerful as them.

To sum up, I reckon textbooks can be used in class but they should never be the only existing material inside the teaching-learning process for the reason that not all pupils are able or are their needs covered using these. Moreover, I consider that the most important thing is the use given to them, that is, a teacher can use a textbook with a different focalisation, where it came up as a guide for his teaching process.

The applicability of social networks

Today I would like to deal with an interesting topic in the present, which is the usefulness of the social networks for sharing ideas; showing some Instagram profiles that can be reliable for us.

It is fact that nowadays we live connected to each other’s, we have just to tick and see what is going on or what is someone doing.  Taking this into account, why we don´t project onto education? Why we don´t use these as ways of enriching our lessons?

Teachers are the foundation of everything, in this way we need to be prepare for any possible changes that may occur. The solution for facing this is to be on continuous formation. Hence, we can use social networks such Instagram for this purpose.

I have been looking for some profiles, and the ones I like the most are the following ones:

- @diari_duna_mestra (Here)

This teacher deals with different subjects, but the posts that are the most interesting are related to math. 

Here her pupils have created handmade polygons. It is another way for learning the differences between each shape.

- @profesorademates (Here)

Another example, but in this occasion it is only focused on math. In addition, she has different spaces for each parts that can be found inside maths. 

In this post, she explains who we can facing symmetry in the classroom, which is using Tagram. Within kids can explore easily the different shapes, also we are fomenting their creativity.

For me the both mentioned are the most interesting, but there are other profiles have such interesting posts too: @lanubedeprimaria (Here), @ennuetraclasedeprimaria (Here), among others. 

They vital thing here is the feasibility that we have with internet, and there are teachers that reject the idea of bringing it into their lessons; or even taking ideas from here. 

I hope you have enjoy this post! 

The advantages of hand-made tools

Today I would like to deal with hand-made tools and theirs advantages. It is known that kids learn better when they do things by themselves, so why we don´t give them a try in making measurement objects by themselves?

It can be an interdisciplinary task for the reason that it is concerns with science and even arts. In addition, they will be more interested in the final task, which is measure itself! Here the main idea is to make students the protagonist of their learning.

We can create different tools, but I have found just one good video where it is explained how it can be done. It is supposed to create a situation (problem) that kids have to come up with a solution. I hope you enjoy it!

Here you have another video related to create a rain meter. It could be beneficial to do it in the school and the kids take it at home. In this way we will relate what is teaching with what is learned; they can measure the water themselves. 

Don´t forget pupils learn by doing!

Early Levels

Hi everyone!

Today I would like to start talking about how it can be introducing the concept of measuring in early levels; but without teaching/using any standard units of measurement.

Well, many authors said that  young learners have to face and learn too many concepts, as well as understand their applicability to the reality. So it could be beneficial and more suitable to introduce a kind of measurement sense through comparisons, where they have just to say if one object is bigger than the other. Hence, it would be a brilliant idea to use games where they have to explore and learn by themselves. For instance, I have found a really interesting post, (https://www.icanteachmychild.com/measuring-with-dinosaur-feet/) where it is suggested to do it but creating a context. In this way students would be more motivated in order to take part in the activity development.

It is supposed that kids have to compare a dinosaur track to his/her foot, without any standard units of measure. We have to ask them about the size of both; which is bigger, … In addition, they will have to measure it using their foot.

Once they have an understanding of the basic concept of measurement, then we can introduce them to standard units of measure.

Another way to introduce it is regarded in this video; here you can see how the teacher introduces through comparaisons the concept.

To sum up, it is necessary to give a significant introduction of these new concepts to learners, in this way we can avoid future problems or misunderstandings about them.

Measurement App

Here I am again!

For today I have something related to the application of technology inside math classes, in this case these are apps where some concepts of measure are worked out.

During my recent practice period I have seen that the mixture of technology-kids is a good option for boosting the pupils´ interest in any subject, for the reason that they need something that attract their attention for long period of time in order to be capable of made significant learning success. In addition, if we regarded what is needed to work on in our current law we will realize that it is necessary to give them a try. Therefore, a good option for dealing with both demands could be the use of smart devices, where there can be apps for different purposes and uses. 

Taking what I have just said into account I have been looking for apps (related to measurement) where it needn´t to pay anything for its use or it has a heavy management for kids. So I have chosen one apps due to the fact that it is the most interesting above the others ones for different reasons, but mostly since it is free.

Cambio de Unidades con la Srta. Athenea 

It is for Android system, here you are introduced to measurement unit’s concept beginning with a brief introduction, some practice and lastly a test where you have to prove all what you have learnt. In addition, it is worked through comparisons where pupils can see better the transition between different units. Furthermore, you can modulate its demanding for this reason it is an interesting tool for all learning styles since it can be adapted to each of them.

Besides that it can be use as a  reinforcement tool, where kids can keep practicing on their weaknesses. In addition, it will be solve many doubts that can arise during this topic since it carries testing on.

That´s all for today! 

See you in the next post!

 

What is measurement?

Dealing with a new concept requires an analysis in order to get to know some of it basics ideas that it concerns.

We can say that the term Measure is related to the action of compare two magnitudes; named as units. In this way, it is related to the times the magnitude contains the unit. There are different magnitudes, which are reunited in the International System of Magnitudes.

But Why the metric system matters? Well I have found an interesting video where it appears an explanation in detail.

As future teachers we have to have a global idea of where each concept came from. This video could be used as an introduction to the system itself for our learners.

However, this is related to the theoretical part, what happen with the practical part? Well, we need to make our students aware of the different magnitudes that exit and how they are represented according the International System of Magnitudes. But how?

It can be done through different ways, for instance we can bring products to school in order to create a cooking lesson; here kids would be able to see how to measure liquids or mass through different meters.In addition, I have found an interesting video where it is shown how some teachers have introduce the lenght term to the first cycle.

Don´t miss the next entry where we share an interesting and free app for kids!

Welcome!

Hello everyone!

I´m Sara Mª Pérez Cabello, a Primary Bilingual Teaching student of the University of Málaga. I´m in my last year of it! Meanwhile, this blog belongs to Didactic of Measurement subject, where I will share useful ideas related with measurement.

The blog title is related to the typical expression “Keep going” that refers to never give up. This is a kind of thinking that I have related to all that is related with education.

Whereas the blog content will be linked to measurement articles, videos, etc in order to share and create a useful resource for the educative community. Therefore, I will bet for innovative practices, where maths is teaching in a natural/practical/active way; learning by doing.

I hope you enjoy my blog!