HOW IS "INTERACTIVE" MATH INSTRUCTION VALUABLE FOR LEARNERS?

INTERACTIVE LEARNING HAS POSITIVE IMPLICATIONS FOR STUDENTS ON MANY LEVELS. FIRSTLY, IT IS BASED ON "DOING". STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT REQUIRE THEM TO BUILD, CREATE, MANAGE, APPLY, AND STRATEGIZE. THIS "HANDS ON" FOCUS REQUIRES STUDENTS TO BE INVOLVED. INTERACTION EMPOWERS STUDENTS BY MAKING THEM THE FOCUS OF THE LEARNING.

COMMUNICATION IS ALSO A CENTRAL FOCUS OF INTERACTIVE LEARNING. STUDENT TO STUDENT COMMUNICATION AND STUDENT TO TEACHER COMMUNICATION INFLUENCE QUESTIONING, COMMITTING, AND UNDERSTANDING. SHARING ALLOWS STUDENTS TO BUILD ON THEIR UNDERSTANDINGS BY EXPLAINING, COMPARING, AND CONFIRMING. ASKING STUDENTS QUESTIONS LIKE, "HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE CORRECT? WHAT WERE YOU THINKING WHEN YOU COMPLETED THIS TASK?" HELPS TO PAINT A CLEARER PICTURE OF THE LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING FOR THE STUDENT. IT AIDS IN FURTHER INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING AND PROVIDES INSIGHT FOR EVALUATION OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE.

FURTHER, COMMUNICATION, BOTH ORAL AND WRITTEN PROVIDES FOR THE MODELLING AND DEVELOPMENT OF "MATH LANGUAGE". THE TERMS AND VOCABULARY USED WHEN DEALING WITH MATHEMATICS CAN BE INTRODUCED AND EXPANDED DURING ANY COMMUNICATIVE ENVIRONMENT. INTERACTIVE COMMUNICATION REQUIRES THOUGHTFUL, MEANINGFUL RESPONSES THAT HELP TO FURTHER SOLIDIFY UNDERSTANDING OR EXTEND THINKING IN SOME WAY.

BEYOND DOING AND COMMUNICATING, THE PURPOSEFUL INTERACTIVE LEARNING OBJECTS OF THIS SITE ALSO DEMAND CRITICAL THINKING IN PROBLEM SOLVING SITUATIONS. MEANINGFUL MATHEMATICS LEARNING IS DIRECTLY TIED TO PROBLEMS THAT ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO DEVELOP AND USE STRATEGIES THAT MAKE SENSE. PROBLEM SOLVING OBJECTIVE ARE THREADED THROUGHOUT THE SPECIFIC STRAND ACTIVITIES, PRESENTING STUDENTS WITH CHALLENGING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT INFLUENCE INDIVIDUAL AND CREATIVE THOUGHT, EXTEND UNDERSTANDING AND STRETCH THE STUDENTS TO NEW LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE.