Catalina Dvila

February 16, 2015

EE 333
Assignment Five

Principles of Action
pg. 42-48
Understanding how and what is procedural fluency is important.
Procedural fluency is defined by the following: conceptual understanding,
strategic reasoning, and problem solving. When students possess procedural
fluency they are able to explain their work and thinking. In elementary
school I do not remember having to explain, summary, or reflect on my work
unless it was a word problem. After being at Prieto I see the value of the
three components of procedural fluency. Students at Prieto are learning to
solve the problems presented to them using a variety of strategies and then
are expected to explain in writing what they have do. For example, I was
almost in shock when I saw
how math was being taught
with the first graders. I am
almost positive that is not
how I learned how to add or
subtract. I wish I had
learned in that manner.

Last Wednesday I was observing Ms. Vazquez third grade class. She
was introducing the concept of equivalent fractions. However the students
were having a difficult time understanding. Ms. Vazquez did only went go
over the steps they take for solving the problem and allowed the students to
try the problem on their own. At the end, I was able to see that the class did
not understand the problem and wondered by she took this approach but
after reading these pages I am able to understand her teaching method. Ms.
Vazquez was providing students with opportunities to use their own
reasoning strategies and methods for solving problems.
As I read I had a couple of questions. To build procedural fluency for
conceptual understanding I understand that allowing the students to solve
the problem on their own is important but I was wondering when do we as
teachers step in to help them without? How do we help without hindering
them from thinking? How do we help or present questions that will guide
them to figuring the problem by themselves? In all my math classes I have
had to practice. The idea was the practicing would teach me how to solve
the problems.
I clearly remember that in third grade I had a bubble in sheet that had 60
multiplication questions. I had 60 seconds for 60 multiplication problems. I
learned my multiplications. However, the method by which I was taught
math caused me to not like math. As teachers how do we know how much
practice to give the students? Also, how do teachers avoid setting time
constraints, especially with younger grades? As I read I learn many things for

example, like at Prieto not allowing the students to erase their attempts
because students can then learn from their mistakes. For our unit plan I
want to be able to address the mistakes that the students. As the pages
said, it is very valuable to use the mistakes to teach and to create a positive
attitude towards math.