Reflection

I have now completed my math blog about probability and I feel as through I have a much greater understanding of the topic. When reflecting on why I originally chose to research this idea in the first place, the reason was because I had always been challenged by probability throughout my school career. It was an area of math that I had difficulty with and since I am going to be required to teach probability to my future students in the years to come, I wanted to make sure I knew more about the subject.

In doing my research and reading plenty of material, I found a great deal of valuable information about the wide range of topics that are involved in probability. One of the things that I value the most from doing my research was learning different methods on how to teach probability to children. Coming to the realization that this area of math does not have to be taught strictly through paper and pencil tasks was somewhat of an eye opener for me because this was how I had been taught while in school. Children need to be involved in hands-on experiences that they are able to relate to there own lives if they are to truly have a valuable learning experience. Also, the creation of many new hands-on computer simulations is a great additional resource that can be used in the classroom when teaching probability. From my own personal experiences, I know most children enjoy getting away from their desks and having time to play on the computer. Learning probability through this means will be both fun and enjoyable for children.

Although I learned a lot while researching for this assignment there are still some questions that I would like to answer. The one area that stands out in my mind as feeling a little incomplete is learning about children's understanding of probability. I found it really hard to find information and I feel as though there are many contradicting ideas out there involving this topic. I plan on doing a bit more research in order to get a better understanding. Some other questions that I would still like to find the answers to are:

1. When do you introduce the formula for probability to students?
2. Besides coins, dice or spinners, which are most commonly used when teaching probability, are there any other hands-on manipulative's that can be used to assist children?
3. What is the history of probability and who was the first people to research it?

Although there remains a few areas that I hope to look into further, in general, I feel as through I am now much more prepared to teach this topic to primary/elementary students.

Thanks!