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=**Counting and Recording of Numbers** =

**EDU 361 - Math Methods**
**If students fail to understand place value, much of mathematics will not make sense. The evolution of counting and recording numbers has allowed humanity to transform a physical quantity into an abstract one. From there, we began creating sequenced symbols to represent numbers. Sometimes those numbers were small, other times they were large. As Richard Guy claims, "The bulk of mathematics has really always been recreational...Only a tiny fraction of all mathematics is actually applied or used". It may be recreational, but without a solid understanding of place value, no recreational mathematics activity of any sort will be successful.**

 This site is to help you, as a secondary mathematics teacher, clear up misconceptions regarding the counting and recording of numbers. We will take an in-depth look at how to fix misconceptions regarding place value, and offer ideas to help students with subjects pertaining to combinatorics and large numbers.

**Why do students struggle with place value?**  Visit this[| website]to find out!

It is also important to note that misconceptions do not lie at any one level. Misconceptions can occur at //any// level of mathematics. Below is a list from this [|website] addressing the most common misconceptions in __Undergraudate__ mathematics courses. Some of the reasons are:
 *  Communication Errors
 * Algebraic Errors (including sign errors, everything is additive, everything is commutative)
 * Confusion about Notation
 * Errors in Reasoning
 * Unwarranted Generalization
 * Other Common Calculus Errors

Take a look! You may even learn something that you can use in the middle or high school classroom!