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USING CUISENAIRE RODS TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT FRACTIONS

USING CUISENAIRE RODS TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT FRACTIONS. Felician Logo. Introduction. Focus is on adult learners Traditional-age college students Older college students We have found that our students often have trouble with basics mathematics skills

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USING CUISENAIRE RODS TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT FRACTIONS

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  1. USING CUISENAIRE RODS TO TEACH STUDENTS ABOUT FRACTIONS Felician Logo

  2. Introduction • Focus is on adult learners • Traditional-age college students • Older college students • We have found that our students often have trouble with basics mathematics skills • Nationwide, over 20% of college freshmen take remedial mathematics courses • About 40% of Felician freshmen take remedial mathematics • About 60% of freshmen at two-year colleges take remedial mathematics

  3. Research Question • Do Cuisenaire rods have a role in helping adult learners make sense of fractions?

  4. Theoretical Framework • Manipulatives can help elementary students make sense of fractions • Maher, Martino & Davis (1994); Steencken (2001); Bulgar (2002); Reynolds (2005) • Manipulatives must be used properly • Kamii, Lewis, and Kirkland (2001) • College students can benefit from rich mathematical experiences • Glass and Maher (2002)

  5. Rationale for This Study • Research has shown that Cuisenaire rods have helped elementary students make sense of fractions • Our students have often been unsuccessful in performing basic operations on fractions when taught via traditional methods • Students are unable to recognize when an answer does not make sense

  6. Our Data • Sample of about 30 students • Students in developmental classes based on placement test scores (Felician) • Students in a math methods class for elementary teachers (Kean) who identified themselves as having difficulties with fractions • Students in a math content class for elementary teachers (Felician) • Data sources • Classroom observations and teachers’ notes • Student work

  7. Background • Common characteristics of students • Relied on rules which were sometimes imperfectly recalled • Did not relate fraction problems to real situations • Did not recognize unreasonable answers • Errors similar to those made by elementary school students • Adding numerator and denominator • Cross multiplying

  8. Focus of This Paper • Using Cuisenaire rods to explore basic operations with fractions • Investigations with rods1 • Exploring relationship among the rods, including fractional relationships • Assigning fraction names to the rods • Comparing fractions with rods 1: Explorations to Build Meaning about Fractions, by Elena Steencken, Robert B. Davis Institute for Learning, Rutgers The State University of New Jersey

  9. Fraction Problems • Rationale • To assess students’ understanding • To improve students’ understanding • Problems discussed • The chocolate bar problem • Division problems • Multiplication problem

  10. The Chocolate Bar Problem • I had a chocolate bar. I gave 1/2 of the bar to Jason and 1/3 of the bar to John. What fraction of the chocolate bar did I have left? • Use Cuisenaire rods to model your answer.

  11. One Chocolate Bar Answer

  12. Division Problems • What is 6 divided by 2? • Build a model to justify your solution • What is 6 divided by 1/2? • Build a model to justify your solution

  13. Division Problem 1

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