msakowski
10-15-2007, 09:29 AM
Hi, my name is Mike and I am new to this forum. Let me introduce myself.
I am a community college math instructor and I am currently on a sabbatical leave project. The project I am working on consists of two components:
Find or develop resources that I can use in my classroom to motivate students to want to learn algebra. What I want to do specifically is show my algebra students that in addition to preparing themselves for calculus and careers in science, they are developing skills in deductive reasoning and symbolic reasoning. In addition to using the resources myself, I am hoping that high school and community college math instructors all across the nation will make good use of them. The resources are posted at this link (http://www.mathmotivation.com/all-applications.html) and are free for any teacher, student, or parent to use. This is not a commercial site but rather a place for me to post and share my research efforts. Last spring in my precalculus course, I would take the first 5 minutes of nearly every class and share such resources - it really makes a difference!
The second component of my project involves the method I use for instruction. I am developing a new teaching method for my precalculus course. In the past, I would lecture, do examples, and have the students do a few problems on their own. Standard teaching methods. I have found, however, that the students in our community college have become more and more disengaged. So I am going to change my standard format a bit. I am structuring the course so students will work in groups working pretty much the same problems except from more of a "Prove and/or Justify" standpoint. For example, rather than have them solve for x, have them show why x=... is the solution. Or perhaps rather than simply use the quadratic formula, algebraically derive it. They would refer to properties that I would have listed on handouts and justify all steps using the properties. Also, I am hoping to run this all somewhat like a competition. The first group to get an exercise would write it's solution on the board. The group with the most exercises per day would get an extra credit point. I would start each new unit by covering the new properties (lecture in disguise!). But after that, the students would take the reins and I would facilitate. My hope is that I will get the students to use a more deductive approach in solving problems and thinking in general, and by constantly justifying each step with properties, they will become well-schooled in these properties. What I have so far on this aspect of the project is posted at Math Lessons Using Deductive Approach (http://www.mathmotivation.com/lessons/lessons.html) . I will be working on these lessons throughout this year to develop an entire College Algebra (precalc w/o trig) course. And these materials will be free to any teacher that wants to make use of them. Please take a look and comment.
In addition, I must say "Hats off" to all you K-12 math teachers - I know that your job is a lot more demanding than mine! Thanks for doing what you do!
I am a community college math instructor and I am currently on a sabbatical leave project. The project I am working on consists of two components:
Find or develop resources that I can use in my classroom to motivate students to want to learn algebra. What I want to do specifically is show my algebra students that in addition to preparing themselves for calculus and careers in science, they are developing skills in deductive reasoning and symbolic reasoning. In addition to using the resources myself, I am hoping that high school and community college math instructors all across the nation will make good use of them. The resources are posted at this link (http://www.mathmotivation.com/all-applications.html) and are free for any teacher, student, or parent to use. This is not a commercial site but rather a place for me to post and share my research efforts. Last spring in my precalculus course, I would take the first 5 minutes of nearly every class and share such resources - it really makes a difference!
The second component of my project involves the method I use for instruction. I am developing a new teaching method for my precalculus course. In the past, I would lecture, do examples, and have the students do a few problems on their own. Standard teaching methods. I have found, however, that the students in our community college have become more and more disengaged. So I am going to change my standard format a bit. I am structuring the course so students will work in groups working pretty much the same problems except from more of a "Prove and/or Justify" standpoint. For example, rather than have them solve for x, have them show why x=... is the solution. Or perhaps rather than simply use the quadratic formula, algebraically derive it. They would refer to properties that I would have listed on handouts and justify all steps using the properties. Also, I am hoping to run this all somewhat like a competition. The first group to get an exercise would write it's solution on the board. The group with the most exercises per day would get an extra credit point. I would start each new unit by covering the new properties (lecture in disguise!). But after that, the students would take the reins and I would facilitate. My hope is that I will get the students to use a more deductive approach in solving problems and thinking in general, and by constantly justifying each step with properties, they will become well-schooled in these properties. What I have so far on this aspect of the project is posted at Math Lessons Using Deductive Approach (http://www.mathmotivation.com/lessons/lessons.html) . I will be working on these lessons throughout this year to develop an entire College Algebra (precalc w/o trig) course. And these materials will be free to any teacher that wants to make use of them. Please take a look and comment.
In addition, I must say "Hats off" to all you K-12 math teachers - I know that your job is a lot more demanding than mine! Thanks for doing what you do!