DiMatteo Mod1 Application 1

Module 1 Application Assignment

Environmental Components Involved with Doing-Mathematics
Samantha DiMatteo
Marygrove College

There are a number of environmental components that must be

in place in order to create a classroom environment that supports
DiMatteo Mod1 Application 2

student engagement and ensures that the members of the class are
doing mathematics. Van De Walle, Karp, and Bay-Williams (2013)
state, Doing mathematics begins with posing worthwhile tasks and
then creating an environment where students take risks and share and
defend mathematical ideas (p. 14). This occurs when teachers
carefully plan lessons that encourage students to be inquisitive about
the material opposed to simply observing the topics.
When students enter our classroom we need to develop a clear
set of rules and expectations that foster learning. Van De Walle, Karp,
and Bay-Williams (2013) explain, Classrooms where students are
making sense of mathematics do not happen by accidentthey
happen because the teacher establishes practices and expectations
that encourage risk taking, reasoning, sharing, and so on (p. 14).
These expectations should have emphasis on the value of a student
contributing their thoughts as well as listening to the perspectives of
others. Tomlinson (2010) notes, Students learn best when they feel
safe, respected, involved, challenged, and supported (p. 19). It is
important that students take the time to listen to each other and that
they feel comfortable sharing their ideas. When students are exposed
to the ideas of their peers they can gain insight into alternative
strategies needed to solve a problem or complete a task.
Wiggins and McTighe (2010) note, Having learned a concept,
formula, method, principle, theory, or strategy, we need to find out if
students can use it effectively, in a specific, unfamiliar-looking but
ultimately manageable context-with minimal teacher guidance (p.
92). Another important aspect of doing mathematics Students
should be required to make connections, justify their solution, and use
what they have learned in unique real life scenarios. When students
remain persistent while they are tackling a challenging problem they
will feel a greater sense of triumph when they arrive at a solution then
if the answer was revealed to them by the teacher or if the problem did
DiMatteo Mod1 Application 3

not challenge their abilities. Van De Walle, Karp, and Bay-Williams

(2013) explain, Doing mathematics involves monitoring and reflecting
on the processcatching and adjusting errors along the way (p. 14).
Students need to recognize that making mistakes should be viewed as
an opportunity for growth and as teachers we need to continuously
encourage the efforts of our students and not praise them solely for
correctness.
A recent example in which students were doing mathematics
occurred during our unit on perimeter and area. Students had to
design a table to accommodate twenty-six people for a Thanksgiving
dinner. Each person would take up two-feet of space for their place
setting; additionally they had to choose a table that not only had
enough room for everyone to sit, but plenty of room for the food on top
of the table. Lastly, opposite sides of the table had to have the same
number of chairs. Tomlinson (2010) states, To grow academically,
students must work consistently with tasks that are sharply focused on
essential knowledge, understanding, or skills and that are a bit too
difficult for their current level of readiness (p. 16). Although we had
discussed the concept of area and perimeter prior to this problem,
students had never been exposed to the concept of maximizing area
with a fixed perimeter. This required them to use prior knowledge to
solve a problem that was applicable to the real world. Van De Walle,
Karp, and Bay-Williams (2013) state, applications of mathematics
should be explored in real world contexts (p. 4). The careful design of
such performance tasks can help my students extend their basic skills
of recall to those of genuine understanding and transfer.
Creating a teaching environment that supports constructivism is
an excellent way to get student to do mathematics. According to
Keengwe and Onchwari (2011), Constructivism is an educational
theory that emphasizes hands-on, activity based teaching and learning
during which learners develop their own frames of thought (p. 2). As
DiMatteo Mod1 Application 4

educators we can create a classroom environment in which our

students thrive; not through the regurgitation of facts but through the
experience of the material.

References

Guillaume, A. M., & Kirtman, L. (2005). Learning lessons about lessons:

Memories of mathematics instruction. Teaching Children Mathematics, 11(6), 302309

Keegnwe, J. & Onchwari, G., (2011). Fostering meaningful student

learning through constructivist pedagogy and technology integration.
International Journal of Information and Communication Technology
Education, 7, 4. pp. 1-10.

Tomlinson, C. A., & Imbeau, M. B. (2010). Leading and managing a

differentiated classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Van de Walle, J. A., Karp, K. S., & Bay-Williams, J. M. (2013). Elementary and
middle school mathematics methods: Teaching developmentally (8 th ed.). Pearson:
Boston.

Wiggins,G.,&McTighe,J.(2011).Theunderstandingbydesignguidetocreatinghigh
qualityunits.Alexandria,Va.:ASCD.
 DiMatteo Mod1 Application 5

Because of high living costs, Kimberly, Terry, and Omar each work
two jobs, but none have the same occupation. The occupations are
doctor, engineer, teacher, lawyer, writer, and painter. Given the
following information, determine the occupations of each individual.

1 The doctor had lunch with the teacher.

2 The teacher went fishing with Kimberly, who is not the writer.
3 The painter is related to the engineer.
4 The doctor hired the painter to do a job.
5 Terry lives next door to the writer.
6 Omar beat Terry and the painter at tennis.
7 Omar is not the doctor.

Kimberly Terry Omar

Job 1 2 1 2 1 2
Doctor X X O X X X
Engineer X X X O X X
Teacher X X X X X O
Lawyer X O X X X X
Writer X X X X O X
Painter O X X X X X

InordertoapproachtheproblemaboveIfirstsetupaLogicMatrix.Thisallowedmeto
stayorganizedasIprogressedthroughthestepsoftheproblemandidentifiedthe
occupationofeachindividual.Eachindividualwasequipwithtwocolumnsthat
representedtheirfirstandsecondjobs.Theleftofthematrixlistedallofthepossible
occupations.[Seeabove]

Iwasabletosolvethisproblembyreadingtheseriesofcluesatotalofthreetimes.Each
timeIreadthroughthestepsIwasabletonarrowthepossibilitiesusingmymatrixandas
aresultIdiscoveredthefollowing:

Name Job1 Job2

DiMatteo Mod1 Application 6

Kimberly Painter Lawyer

Terry Doctor Engineer
Omar Writer Teacher

Blue: represents information I was able to obtain from the first read
Red: represents information I was able to obtain from the second read
Green: represents information I was able to obtain from the third and final read

O: represents the Jobs associated with the individual

X: represents the Jobs not associated with the individual

First progressions through steps:

1 The doctor had lunch with the teacher.
2 The teacher went fishing with Kimberly, who is not the writer.
- [Kim cannot be the teacher]
- [Kim cannot be the writer]
3 The painter is related to the engineer.
4 The doctor hired the painter to do a job.
5 Terry lives next door to the writer.
- [Terry cannot be the write]
- [Since we already know Kim is not the writer, and now know that
Terry is not the writer
this implies that Omar must be the writer]
6 Omar beat Terry and the painter at tennis.
- [Omar is not the painter]
- [Terry is not the painter]
- [This implies that Kimberly is the painter]
7 Omar is not the doctor.
- [Omar is not the doctor]

Second progressions through steps:

1 The doctor had lunch with the teacher.
2 The teacher went fishing with Kimberly, who is not the writer.
3 The painter is related to the engineer.
- [We know that Kim is the painter so she cannot be the engineer]
4 The doctor hired the painter to do a job.
- [We know Omar is not the doctor, we know Kimberly is the
painter, so Terry is the doctor]
- [By default our matrix now reveals that Kimberly must be the
lawyer]
5 Terry lives next door to the writer.
6 Omar beat Terry and the painter at tennis.
7 Omar is not the doctor.
DiMatteo Mod1 Application 7

Third progressions through steps:

1 The doctor had lunch with the teacher.
- [We know Terry is the doctor, Kimberly is the painter & lawyer, so
Omar is the teacher]
- [By default our matrix reveals that Terry is the Engineer]
2 The teacher went fishing with Kimberly, who is not the writer.
3 The painter is related to the engineer.
4 The doctor hired the painter to do a job.
5 Terry lives next door to the writer.
6 Omar beat Terry and the painter at tennis.
7 Omar is not the doctor.