Fish to Infinity

A brief discussion by Dr. Zadina in chapter 6 of our book reminded me of a Sesame Street clip involving numbers and counting. The textbook piece states "cognitive neuroscientist Kathy Mann Koepke stresses the importance of early intervention and suggests that in early childhood, we should teach more than counting aloud and include attaching numbers to items and talking aloud about numbers." The Sesame Street video gives a great description of what numbers are and why we use them in every day life.

I think that even at the high school level, my students lose sight of what numbers are and why we learn to use them. When students get to algebra and begin using variables along with numbers, it is still important that they remember the very basics of numbers and operations. In order to help my students build math skills in a meaningful way, I have tried to make it a point to give them opportunities to form connections between the math being learned and the real world. The video shows why numbers are such an important tool, which seems like a simple concept. But as math gets more and more complex, I think that it becomes increasingly important to connect the math back to real life situations and show what a useful tool math can be.