Do you think using probes are helpful?

I think that probes are very helpful and useful for the classroom. When we were learning about them we did a probe that involved using a motion detector. This was something I did in two different math classes, once in middle school and once in high school. I didn't realize until we learned about them exactly what the purpose of it was; I just knew how much I enjoyed it. I think probes are useful because it makes it relatable to the students. In my EDLF 501 class we learned that students are about to learn better when it is something they can connect to and relate to. When I heard this I thought that it was very smart but also very difficult to implement in math. But after going through the probes exercise I realized that math can be made much more relatable to the students. It's been six years since I first used a motion detector and I still remember the lesson that we learned that day. Probes bring the subject from something on a page to something used in every day life. I think probes are especially useful in classes like math or PE where it is hard to see, especially at the more advanced math levels, how what they are learning has any connection to their every day lives. With math I think there are times where it is difficult to find a direct connection but by using probes the teacher is able to put the information in a context that is more understandable. I am excited to think about different ways to bring probes into the math classroom. Using a motion detector is the only first hand experience with a probe I can recall from high school so I think it is going to be more of a challenge for me but I feel very strongly that it is worth it.