The Cornerstones of Mastering Math 2/4: Social Learning

The qualities needed in the future life and jobs are for example being able to find, analyze, and use information in new and unfamiliar situations. We see also lists of those most needed skills and many list include problem-solving and team player skills, detail-oriented and the ability to prioritize.

We teachers want also to prepare our students to believe in themselves and to be curious about the surrounding world. We want them to take charge of their own learning so that they could reach their full potential.

Social learning

One student has a figure and she/he tells to another what to draw. The drawer is not allowed to show what she/he has done. Students have fun while practicing math vocabulary and trying to understand each other!

Jean Piaget (1896-1980), a French scientist, stated that assimilation and accommodation require an active learner, because problem solving skills cannot be taught — they must be discovered. Learning should be student-centered in the classroom, an accomplishment through active learning.

How to develop and support these skills at school and during math lessons? One way is to work in groups which strongly support many qualities of the social learning. Most of us have experienced that the team can be stronger than its members total.

Math can give students an experience, which strengthens their confidence to solve problems and develop their own critical thinking. Working together they can talk, test and interpret solutions. We can give them a learning environment where they enjoy working on problems. Learning situations where students are working and solving problems in groups facilitate them with the opportunity to discuss math – and adopt a “math language”. Social learning includes activities like action tasks in groups, board games, cards and dice games.

Social learning

In this activity students are investigating dependency between two variables.