We use numbers in EVERYTHING to add meaning to our lives! Don’t believe me? Try this:
How old are you? Where do you live? How much do you earn? When were you born? How far is it to Muscat? How long will it take you to get there? Can you answer any of these questions without using numbers? I’m sure you get the picture!
Numbers add meaning to our lives and we do basic calculations automatically (or with our calculators). But do we ever stop to understand how the system was constructed? (-3) + (-4) = -7 WHY? (-3)-(-4)= (+1) WHY? We can easily do these calculations. We know the rules so well, but we have forgotten the reasons and meanings as to why we do this. If you would like to rediscover the meaning of these calculations, ask your 7th graders. ?. Learning is so much more than calculations. It is appreciating the deeper concepts and creating meaning through numbers. If we understand how math is constructed, its purpose and meaning in life, we can go on to develop new ideas, new constructs and help in answering more complex questions that life throws at us!