I'm an elementary education student and teaching math seems to daunting to me because I struggle with math myself, but your videos actually make me excited to teach math! Thank you
I so agree. I felt bad about skipping the Butterfly Method this year, but it has never been a logical go-to for me. Students have a hard time carrying the comparison of fractions forward once you take fractions away manipulative. I found it easier to use real-life examples that all children can relate to, like eating pizza and comparing fractional size with friends they're sharing with at a party.
Hi Kimberly! ABSOLUTELY! I hope this helped you to not feel as bad skipping over the butterfly method, because you are so right! It bypasses all thinking. You are definitely on the right track incorporating real world scenarios that your students can reason through to build understanding. Thank you so much for sharing!
students must first understand the concept of like fractions in order to compare unlike fractions, you outlined these 4 mistakes very well, hope teachers are listening
If you tell the students that the division symbol is supposed to represent a fraction. The two dots are the numbers and the line in the middle of the division symbol is the same as the line in the middle of the fraction then they will have a better idea of what a fraction is. If you translate the mathematical symbols into English when you read the question out to them this also helps. Instead of saying "equals" say "is the same as". Instead of saying 10/5 say "How many 5's in 10" Instead of saying 10 ÷ 5 say "How many 5's in 10?" Instead of saying 1/10 say "How much of 10 is in 1?" or "What fraction of 10 is in 1?" or sometimes "1 out of 10" or "1 divided by 10". Maths symbols are a foreign language to children. The first thing you should do is translate those symbols into English.
Thank you for mentioning the butterfly method, but we can’t use it in school for one specific reason. It’s fake math. For example, the butterfly method is basically a fraction without a denominator. This method is very useful, but it doesn’t improve your child’s mind. Like really, imagine you are a teacher and you said “Compare 3/4 and 1/2.” And their work: 3/4 is greater because 3/4 is 6/ and 1/2 is 4/. 6/ and 4/ is not even a fraction.
The butterfly method is exactly the same as, the making the denominators the same method. All of the same steps have to be carried out. I show students both methods and prove that they are in fact the same. I am a big fan of maths tricks, faster methods of carrying out tedious arithmetic. All of the breakthroughs in mathematics were motivated by this type of intelligent laziness.
Most American students will not take the time to reason and understand - this is not the teachers fault. We can talk conceptual learning and try to meet CCSS all we want, but scores will continue to decline.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment! Please don’t underestimate the power a teacher has to create a classroom culture that values reasoning and productive struggle 🙂Time and time again I’ve seen students you’d never expect rise to the occasion and think deeply about math! Yes, there will be students who resist this because it’s uncomfortable or they aren’t used to it, but I think this is the exception rather than the rule 🙂
![Comparing Fractions Using Common Denominators - [4-6-7]](/img/1.gif)
I'm an elementary education student and teaching math seems to daunting to me because I struggle with math myself, but your videos actually make me excited to teach math! Thank you
You have no idea how much this means to me! Thank you!
I so agree. I felt bad about skipping the Butterfly Method this year, but it has never been a logical go-to for me. Students have a hard time carrying the comparison of fractions forward once you take fractions away manipulative. I found it easier to use real-life examples that all children can relate to, like eating pizza and comparing fractional size with friends they're sharing with at a party.
Hi Kimberly! ABSOLUTELY! I hope this helped you to not feel as bad skipping over the butterfly method, because you are so right! It bypasses all thinking. You are definitely on the right track incorporating real world scenarios that your students can reason through to build understanding. Thank you so much for sharing!
students must first understand the concept of like fractions in order to compare unlike fractions, you outlined these 4 mistakes very well, hope teachers are listening
Thank you so much for taking the time to watch 🙂
If you tell the students that the division symbol is supposed to represent a fraction. The two dots are the numbers and the line in the middle of the division symbol is the same as the line in the middle of the fraction then they will have a better idea of what a fraction is.
If you translate the mathematical symbols into English when you read the question out to them this also helps.
Instead of saying "equals" say "is the same as".
Instead of saying 10/5 say "How many 5's in 10"
Instead of saying 10 ÷ 5 say "How many 5's in 10?"
Instead of saying 1/10 say "How much of 10 is in 1?" or "What fraction of 10 is in 1?" or sometimes "1 out of 10" or "1 divided by 10".
Maths symbols are a foreign language to children. The first thing you should do is translate those symbols into English.
We want to see you while you teach fractions in real classes
3. They love to go to the short cuts they have learned in the past. UGH
It’s definitely so challenging when they’ve already learned the tricks! It makes our job to build real understanding more difficult for sure!
Thank you for mentioning the butterfly method, but we can’t use it in school for one specific reason. It’s fake math. For example, the butterfly method is basically a fraction without a denominator. This method is very useful, but it doesn’t improve your child’s mind. Like really, imagine you are a teacher and you said “Compare 3/4 and 1/2.” And their work: 3/4 is greater because 3/4 is 6/ and 1/2 is 4/. 6/ and 4/ is not even a fraction.
The butterfly method is exactly the same as, the making the denominators the same method. All of the same steps have to be carried out. I show students both methods and prove that they are in fact the same. I am a big fan of maths tricks, faster methods of carrying out tedious arithmetic. All of the breakthroughs in mathematics were motivated by this type of intelligent laziness.
PS If I ever had to teach a real class rather than just individual students I would never be able to do it.
3
2
They avoid fractions
Most American students will not take the time to reason and understand - this is not the teachers fault. We can talk conceptual learning and try to meet CCSS all we want, but scores will continue to decline.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment! Please don’t underestimate the power a teacher has to create a classroom culture that values reasoning and productive struggle 🙂Time and time again I’ve seen students you’d never expect rise to the occasion and think deeply about math! Yes, there will be students who resist this because it’s uncomfortable or they aren’t used to it, but I think this is the exception rather than the rule 🙂