YouCubed Review

YouCubed has the potential to be a great resource in the classroom due to the wide array of activities and resources which it provides. It also presents some great points in the article "Unlocking Children's Math Potential" which I think are very relevant in today's classroom. One specific point that really stood out to me was the fact that students' ideas about their math ability determine their learning pathways and math achievement. The article outlines two specific mindsets when it comes to mathematics - fixed mindsets, and growth mindsets. I completely agree with this concept, as I personally fell in to the fixed mindset during most of my K-12 schooling. I was well in to my university career when I realized that I could do well in mathematics as long as I kept up on my assignments and put in some good old-fashioned hard work. One point I disagree with however, pertains to the idea that every student can achieve at the highest levels in math. Achieving at the highest levels of mathematics requires the student to not only have the intellectual ability (which I believe all students have), but also the drive, motivation, and work ethic to do so. A classroom will have students from every background under the sun - some students will be used to working towards a goal, some will not have had the time to develop these skills, and sometimes never will. The idea that every child has the ability to succeed isn't incorrect, it's a combination of intelligence and a persons characteristics which will contribute to math achievement. Another positive point pertains to the Parents Make Math Fun Link; although these twelve steps initially seem like a lot to digest, the author provides some great points which any parent could benefit from. I'll end off with one last point which is still bothering me after watching the video twenty minutes ago. The "Window in to the Classroom" video paints this spectacular picture regarding math in the primary/elementary classroom. Although it's nice to see students enjoying math, the video focuses on a class of SEVEN students who clearly love mathematics and also appear to be from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. I realize the video is made to demonstrate how fun and engaging mathematics can be, I would just like to see some real footage from a classroom rather than a group of hand-picked (and politically correct) students who seem to excel in mathematics already. As pre-service teachers we need to learn how to help the student who's still struggling to learn basic addition/subtraction. In saying this, I don't mean that the needs of more "gifted" students go by the wayside, simply that through my own observations the student struggling on a daily basis gets far less attention than they really need.