Geometry

Here is your reflection question for the week:

After learning about the Van Hiele Geometric Levels of Thinking- where do you think you generally fit into this framework? How will you use this information in your instructional practice?

After learning about the Van Hiele Geometric Levels of Thinking, I think I generally fit into Level 2: Informal Deduction. I can see relationships between shapes and recognize that some shapes are "subclasses of other shapes." I remember a significant portion of the vocabulary that I have been taught about geometry and shapes. I am able to determine relationships between shapes using the information I know about their properties.

I will use this in instructional practice by pointing out similarities and differences between shapes. I will try to guide students to think about relationships between shapes. For example, I might ask what a square and a rectangle have in common (equal angles) and what they have different (length of sides). I will assess what level of thinking students are in and will determine my instruction to meet their understanding. When students are in Level 0, I will begin to gradually introduce vocabulary and provide 3-D manipulatives. When students are in Level 1, I will also introduce ideas about relationships to help students begin to think about concepts that are understood in the 2nd level. I will use the Van Hiele Geometric Levels of Thinking to guide my instructional practice in mathematics. By using this system, I can determine what students understand about shapes and I can guide them to more complex understandings.