Mālō e Lelei,
For the past few weeks in maths, Ruma Tekau has been learning about algebra. After spending a few weeks learning how to solve and figure out certain questions ourselves, we were given the task of recording ourselves explaining how to solve an algebraic question using Polypad. This gave us a chance to show what we had learned and explain our thinking in our own words.
If you don’t know what Polypad is, it is a website where you can explore maths concepts using virtual tools and manipulatives. Manipulatives are physical or digital objects that students use to explore mathematical concepts through hands-on learning. I found this activity pretty difficult and different from the usual maths activities, but it was definitely worth the time. It required a lot of patience and understanding, especially when trying to explain each step clearly. Out of all the activities I have completed, I would say that maths-based activities are probably the hardest for me.
Based on this week’s maths, learning algebra can be pretty difficult at first, but once you start to understand what the letters and numbers mean, you slowly begin to get the hang of it.
Making this video also helped me understand the process better because I had to explain each step clearly. Here is my video! Please forgive me if my speaking is a little muddled, as I tried my best to explain everything as simply and clearly as possible. I hope you enjoy it and learn something new!
Do you enjoy algebra?
What is your favourite type of mathematics?