The World As Seen Through Writing

Sitting in the library with about twenty colleagues the conversation is interesting and inspiring. We are discussing what the meaning of really understanding something means. If teacher want students to discuss information then the students say that they really need to understand a concept. But what does it mean to truly understand? One program which was brought up is the Mathscape program which focuses on one topic or concept for an entire book. The students really get to know the material if they are immersed in it. We need to be careful to not do superficial things were students get off the hook by thinking they only need to know it for a test or a short period of time. It is the feeling of really understanding for every student that really makes the understanding come alive for that student.