Chances Are: You Use Probability

Math tends to have a mindset where you need it for the degree then can forget it. After all, most  students are not going to be presented with a multi-step equation to solve in their daily life. While students do not need to pull out the Pythagorean Theorem while shopping for their groceries, the probability is high that students will be faced with math, whether they realize it or not. 

Common Middle School Probability

Oftentimes the focus of probability in middle school math is based on coin flips, spinners, and dice rolls. Unfortunately, this overlooks the real-world applications of probability that students will face. Middle schoolers are asked to “use proportionality and a basic understanding of probability to test conjectures about the results of experiments and simulations” (Common Core State Standards Initiative, n.d., p. 248). As they are looking into the probability of events and simulations, why stop with basic probability contexts? Yes they can find the probability of picking an ace of hearts rolling, but they can also apply these skills to determine the probability of getting a special Pokemon card. 

The material really comes to life when students are asked to make conjectures and evaluate real world models. As a teacher I can improve my Common Content Knowledge (Hill & Ball, 2009) by exploring the connections of probability in various real world applications. From predicting outcome of an election to  determining which favorite foods, probability is everywhere. Probability is not just spinning a spinner or flipping a coin. There is so much real world data easily available- almost too much at times. By giving students a context they will not only learn probability skills but can also become more aware of what is occurring in the “real world.” 

Throughout understanding the probability of an outcome students learn to make predictions, analyze data, and make conjectures. This helps students to make informed decisions and determine if it is safe to ride a roller coaster or if they are likely to win the lottery. Additionally, students can use probability in a way that is "culturally relevant [which] points teachers and students toward social change" (Clark, 2021, p. 26). Through Teaching Math for Social Justice (TMFSJ) students increase their social understanding and can be critically aware of how to make a difference in the world. When given the opportunity to explore the world with a mathematical context they can become aware of the probability at the root of injustices such as profiling. By incorporating TMFSJ into the classroom students can see that activism is explicitly taught and students are valued for who they are in the community as a whole (Cochran-Smith, 2004) These applications can bridge the learning from probability being just something found in the classroom to an awareness that math is woven throughout many elements beyond the classroom walls.

References 

Cochran-Smith, M. (2004). Walking the road: Race, diversity, and social justice in teacher education. Teachers College Press.

Clark, C. P. (2021). An opportunity or change: Groundbreaking scholar Gloria Ladson-Billings on culturally relevant pedagogy and why education as we know it needs to be transformed. Literacy Today, 38(5), 24–27.

Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI). (n.d.). Mathematics standards. Mathematics Standards | Common Core State Standards Initiative. http://www.corestandards.org/Math/

Hill, H., & Ball, D. L. (2009). The curious - and crucial - case of Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(2), 68–71