This assignment is due Thursday, September 12, at the start of class.
Assignment. Choose ONE of the following two topics. Write a reply to this post, responding to the topic. Begin by telling us which topic you chose. (1-2 paragraphs).
Topics.
- Sometimes people can recognize a time when their opinion of math dramatically changed either for the better or the worse. If such a time happened to you, tell us about it.
- Choose an experience you had in which you suddenly understood a math concept (it could be any kind of math, from elementary school up through college). Describe what happened. Do you think you could explain it to others in a way that they could have the same flash of understanding?
Extra Credit. For extra credit, write a response to one of your classmates’ comments. Do you feel the same, or different? Did you learn anything? Did you get any ideas about teaching, or about learning?
Why are we doing this, anyway? We are following two ideas that have come up already in class — things that may not seem related to learning math, but research shows that engaging in these activities can dramatically increase the amount that you learn, and change the way you learn it. The first is writing – something not typically associated with mathematics. When you express your ideas in words, it forces you to think them through very carefully, detail by detail. A great way to check and see if you really understand something is to try to explain it to someone else, either out loud or in writing. Example: if you know how to add fractions, try teaching it someone who doesn’t know how. The second is called metacognition, or “thinking about thinking.” This happens when you think about what was going on in your head while you were working on a problem or trying to learn a new idea. What train of thought did you follow? Where did you get stuck, and what did you do next? What were you feeling at the time? and so on. Combining writing and metacognition can be a tremendously powerful tool in identifying the ways we learn best and the ways we make mistakes, and learning to improve. However, like any skill, it takes practice. That’s why we’re getting started by writing a little about our past experiences with mathematics.
Sometimes people can recognize a time when their opinion of math dramatically changed either for the better or the worse. If such a time happened to you, tell us about it.
From a very young age, I had developed a positive relationship with the idea of school and learning. In fact, I used to declare with great certainty that, “I loved school,” – a phrase not commonly stated by most children. While I enjoyed learning, I was not nearly as interested in mathematics as I was with science, history, and art. Once I began taking more advanced math classes in high school, I began to truly dislike the subject. I was often confused and frequently sought out peer tutoring. As someone that could be identified as an “over-achiever,” the difficulty I experienced with math heightened my disinterest and fustration. This was further amplified after taking calculus I at Hunter College. This course was extremely difficult for me and I continued to feel frustrated, especially because I knew my journey to becoming a Dentist would require me to take upper level math courses. Due to hours of tutoring and studying, I managed to do well in the course; however, I was dreading taking calculus II.
After transferring to City Tech, one of the first courses I took was calculus II. While I was nervous, I was hopeful that a smaller class size and a new professor would aide me in successfully completing the class. When Professor Ilanit Helfand, began teaching the course, I grew more and more interested in the class. Her teaching style allowed me to effectively understand new concepts and I even began to enjoy calculus! I believe learning from a professor who was so passionate about the subject peaked my interest and made me excited to learn. After doing very well in that course, I felt prepared enough and ready and to begin enrolling in higher level courses and I now look forward to learning new ideas in mathematics.
I feel the same was in the sense that being good at something is the best way to stay interested. It takes practice and hard work but the results are worth it because for a whole semester you wouldn’t feel insecure and dreading if or when you’ll be called on.
That’s great to hear, Youshmanie – it’s true, finding the right teacher can make all the difference (I think Prof. Helfand is great, too)!
Responding to #1:
A time when math drastically changed for me was when I had to do math using a computer. It was absolutely the worst. This is because you have to know coding and all kinds of boring other stuff to do it. Plus, if you make one error like forgetting a (.) or something everything goes wrong. Computer math has changed me in the sense that I no longer can say I love all math. My when I become president is to ban computer math. Nothing beats brain power!
While computers can be an extremely powerful tool, one of the things I like about math is that you can do it without much more than a chalkboard, or a pencil and paper, (or just your mind – I like to do math on long walks). Great 🙂
I remember in my high school a time when I finally understood a math concept. It was about polynomial division. Up until that time, I only thought about multiplying and dividing numbers. Then, in 10th grade class, I realized that not just numbers, but also functions such as polynomials, could be multiplied. This was a huge revelation for me. I remember clapping in delight after understanding that concept.
For me, polynomial division also stood out, because after I learned it I found I had a better understanding of the process of long division (for numbers). This was surprising (and gratifying!).
Choose an experience you had in which you suddenly understood a math concept (it could be any kind of math, from elementary school up through college). Describe what happened. Do you think you could explain it to others in a way that they could have the same flash of understanding?
I’m choosing this topic because from starting Kindergarten all the way through high school, I always had a love for math. It was the easiest subject in the world for me. I always excelled in my math courses up until my high school junior/senior year. I decided to finally take a break from the academics as I had already completed the requirements for the advanced regent’s diploma. As a senior, I dropped my pre-calculus course and entered college eligible to take calculus because of my SAT score in math. This was the only time I ever had trouble with a subject i always understood easily. I had a lot of trouble with calculus starting my first two semesters at Queens College. I took another break of math my second semester, so during my third semester, I took Calculus II, which to my surprise helped me understand Calculus I better.
Every semester afterward I started helping my peers who were just starting on their calculus courses and my girlfriend who also had trouble with the subject. For a solid year I felt very accomplished helping others accomplish something i barely understood during my first trial run at calculus. My passion of wanting to become a teacher grew more knowing I can help others connect pieces of the math puzzle so they can see the picture as a whole. It gives me satisfaction knowing i’ve made a difference.
They say you don’t really know a subject until you have tried to teach it to someone else, and I’ve definitely had this experience. I still learn new things about math while I’m teaching (one of the reasons I love it!).
Respond to #2:
I hated math before I went to college because I didn’t like the way that teacher teaching. I studied math in China from elementary school to Middle school. The teaching system has huge different than here; the teacher focus more than 2 sections per lesson and teachers were not explained the section/examples in detail. I feel pressure to studied math; therefore, I had the lowest grade in school When I came here, the teaching system is more. I became interested in math, I like the feeling that finds out the solution step by step. Also, I like the way that teachers teaching students by showing real-life examples and encourage students to work on the problems. I suddenly understood a math concept was in high school, it was polynomials. I felt joyous at that time. Later on, I enjoy working on math problems and felt confident to ask teachers question after classes.
That’s wonderful to hear – there is a lot of discussion about how terrible math education in the US is, and while that is true in many cases, it’s not uniformly the case. I’m so glad you found a positive math experience in US schools!