Math Games

Reflection 6

                In this week’s module in math class, I explored math and technology as a part of my online modules. I thought that this topic was very relevant because it is 21^st century and technology is all over the place! So, I thought to dedicate my blog today for math games.

Why Play Math Games?

                It does not matter what age you are at, you always want to play some sort of a game. Games are fun and motivating and it gives opportunities to explore and grow your minds. Math games can very accessible because you play them right from the comfort of your home. It can be affordable, might not cost too much, but it can also be expensive. Let us focus on math games in particular now, why play math games?

·         Playing games encourages strategic thinking

·         When you play a game repeatedly, you are supporting development of computational fluency

·         Games give ready-made practice and a teacher can assess while students working on the game

·         Students can build a deeper understanding of ideas

·         Games can also support a school-to-home connection

What is better than sending a student home who is very excited about learning math only because you introduced a game? Take prodigy for example, from personal experience, I have seen students spend a lot of time at home playing prodigy.

                                                                        

What is Next?

                You just sent some students home to play math games or they are playing in class; but now what? What would you do next? You definitely do not want to waste time. Yes it is awesome to get students excited because they are about to play a game and are having fun, but are they really learning? How can you find out? Reflections! Reflections are really important otherwise students would have just wasted an opportunity for learning.  

                I think it is really important that every students reflects on the mathematics involved in the game, the challenges that they faced, and the strategies that were used. So, as some strategic reflection questions, they can either be oral or written. Some good questions can include:

1.       What were the fun bits in your learning when you played the game?

2.       Write two things that were difficult in this game.

3.       What was the tricky part about the game?

4.       Can you connect the math you used in this game to something you already know?

Game Selection

                There are many math games out there, but how can you narrow down your list? Try to think about what you want the students to achieve. Do you want them to concentrate on big ideas? Or do you want them to focus on very specific operation/computation type games? Know your students and their level. It is very important you select a game that will actually benefit the student.

·         Make sure the game matches the mathematical objective

·         Use games for a purpose and not as a time filler

·         Choose a game that makes ideas concrete with interactive visuals

·         Make sure the games are engaging!

There is online YouTube video by Dr. Devlin. He offers parents and teachers important guidelines and four sources for locating high quality math learning games. 

References

Games for teaching and learning Mathematics | Engaging Maths. (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2016, from https://engagingmaths.co/2015/04/12/games-for-teaching-and-learning-mathematics/

Why Play Math Games? - National Council of Teachers of ... (n.d.). Retrieved October 23, 2016, from http://www.nctm.org/Publications/Teaching-Children-Mathematics/Blog/Why-Play-Math-Games_/