EDBED3112 Portfolio week 1- Assumptions

Students should learn to reflect on their work- I agree with this statement as students
need to reflect to fully understand the work that they have completed. This may be in the
form of going over how they worked out an equation or physically demonstrating a part
of their work that they have undertaken.
It is important for students to be self- confident- I sit on the fence with this statement
as there are different types of being self-confidence. I think it is important for the students
to be confident in the right manner that reflects the way they do their work. Some
students may be quiet and get the job the done with little fuss but have that inner
confidence that doesnt need to be echoed.
Content is important in mathematics teaching- Agree, Content is important as it can
shape a students interest in a particular topic. For example, if a student enjoys
multiplication and is ordered to complete equations off a whiteboard then they are going
to be less interested and have less concentration on the topic.
Students should have practical tasks to enhance understanding of concepts- I agree
that this can be used every now and then as catering for all types of learners can increase
class involvement and also enjoyment.
Group work is important- I disagree, group work can be important in some ways but I
feel that it should be used only sparingly. Group work often finds out who the hard
workers and who the bludgers are which can result in students not learning the content as
well as they should.
Teachers need to know their students- I agree, teachers need to understand how the
student learns best and what type of activities will benefit them from gaining knowledge
on a particular topic. This may involve undertaking a test to identify what type of learner
each student is and then you can cater the work to suit their needs.
Knowledge can be transmitted from teacher to student- I agree, but also believe
knowledge can also be transmitted from student to student as well as parents to students.
Students can learn just as much from each other as they can from the teacher.
A supportive learning environment is essential- Agree, self explanatory as a supportive
learning environment will encourage students to challenge themselves and expand their
knowledge to the best of their ability.
A main aim for students to make sense of their world- I disagree, I think is important
for students to make sense of their world, although I do not think it is a main aim.
Language and conversation are essential to mathematical learning- Agree,
understanding maths for a student is a difficult thing but if it is voiced across and
discussed properly, the students will understand the content as well as challenge
themselves to deeper thinking.
Mathematics is a fixed set of known truths- Disagree
Teachers should reflect on their learning- Agree, teachers should reflect on their
learning so that they can understand what worked well in class, and what didnt work
well so that they know for next time what sort of stuff they can teach effectively.
Quiet classrooms are learning classrooms- Disagree, quiet classrooms can be effective
but I believe chat between students that is relevant and constructive about the topic is
effective as students can understand things better coming from a classmate.
Assessment directs future teaching- Disagree, Gauging the students abilities throughout
the lessons you undertake can affect future teaching more in my opinion.

Mathematics should relate to real life- Agree, I think that in some cases it can relate to
real life, although it depends on what sort of topic you are teaching. If it is irrelevant to
the students then it may not be as effective as it could be.