Paper Topic:

22D4 DESIGNING ACTIVITIES FOR SPECIFIC AUDIENCES

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Methods and approaches that entrench learning in activity and make conscious use of social and physical contexts help to improve learning and cognition in students (Brown , Collins Duguid , 1989 Situated cognition asserts that learning is a social activity that depends on the context in which it is applied and happens in a community or group through active participation . In any field of study , educators should endeavor to teach learners in an environment where they can acquire knowledge and skills in contexts that illustrate how they are useful in everyday

life

In any mathematics class , the concept of numbers is a fundamental one that has to be properly understood by the students in to be able to apply it to more complex s in the curriculum The categories of numbers are natural numbers , whole numbers , integers rational or fractional numbers , and irrational numbers . Each type of number contains the previous type within it . Whole numbers are natural numbers including zero . Integers are whole numbers which may either be positive or negative . Fractions are the results of dividing integers The rational and irrational numbers however , have no overlap but both fall under the category of real numbers (Stapel

The concept map is best used to illustrate these relationships and involves drawing and labelling links between nodes (number types ) using lines . The key principle in concept mapping is that concepts are related to other concepts and are not individual entities on their own (Mwakapenda , 2003 . School curricula should be organized in a manner that reveals potential connections between concepts so that teachers can direct learning to show relationships between concepts (Mwakapenda , 2003

With this approach , students are able to understand the various types of numbers at a glance , see how the knowledge can be applied to solving word problems , and learn the context of applying this knowledge to everyday life

According to Brown et al , situations produce knowledge through activity . Learning and cognition are fundamentally situated and concepts should be taught through authentic situations . When coherent meaningful , and purposeful activities are involved in teaching students it provides an authentic learning experience (1989

References

Brown , J .S , Collins , A Duguid ,

(1989 . Situated Cognition and the Culture of Learning . Retrieved April 16 , 2008 from HYPERLINK "http /www .educ .msu .edu " www .educ .msu .edu

Mwakapenda , W (2003 .Concept mapping and context in mathematics education . Retrieved April 17 , 2008 from HYPERLINK "http /www .math .unipa .it " http /www .math .unipa .it

Stapel , E . Number Types . Retrieved April17 , 2008 from HYPERLINK "http /www .purplemath .com /modules /numtypes .htm http /www .purplemath .com /modules /numtypes .htm

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