Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sunday, November 29, 2009
“Relational and Instrumental Understanding"
Comments on “Relational and Instrumental Understanding"
Going through Dr.R. Skemp article, I liked the fact that he contrasted relational and instrumental understanding by emphasizing on “faux amis” (a word which sounds the same or alike in two languages, but whose meanings are different). According to Skemp, "understanding" is also a faux amis.
In his article, Skemp, mentions that “instrumental mathematics is usually easier to understand; sometimes much easier.” Instrumental mathematics might be easy to understand, but not for “all” the students. Students have different abilities in learning. Sometimes they learn visually, they have to see things, or touch things in order to understand the concepts better. In this case, in a class with thirty or more students, instrumental method is not making things easier. On the other hand, I also agree with the fact that “‘some’ topics… are difficult to understand relationally” and therefore, they must be taught instrumentally. Thus, instrumental methods could be used but within a limit.
According to Skemp, “it is nice to get a page of right answers” by using instrumental method, but the work, or the mark has no value since everything was memorized and students would not be able to remember anything after a week or so.
A page of right answers might “restore [a student’s] self-confidence”, but it also can do the opposite in long-term since the material learnt by instrumental method are easy to forget. Skemp also chains this idea by saying: “It is easier to remember [using relational method]” which is true indeed.
Going through Dr.R. Skemp article, I liked the fact that he contrasted relational and instrumental understanding by emphasizing on “faux amis” (a word which sounds the same or alike in two languages, but whose meanings are different). According to Skemp, "understanding" is also a faux amis.
In his article, Skemp, mentions that “instrumental mathematics is usually easier to understand; sometimes much easier.” Instrumental mathematics might be easy to understand, but not for “all” the students. Students have different abilities in learning. Sometimes they learn visually, they have to see things, or touch things in order to understand the concepts better. In this case, in a class with thirty or more students, instrumental method is not making things easier. On the other hand, I also agree with the fact that “‘some’ topics… are difficult to understand relationally” and therefore, they must be taught instrumentally. Thus, instrumental methods could be used but within a limit.
According to Skemp, “it is nice to get a page of right answers” by using instrumental method, but the work, or the mark has no value since everything was memorized and students would not be able to remember anything after a week or so.
A page of right answers might “restore [a student’s] self-confidence”, but it also can do the opposite in long-term since the material learnt by instrumental method are easy to forget. Skemp also chains this idea by saying: “It is easier to remember [using relational method]” which is true indeed.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
project on oragami and polyhedral
2) Benefit of the project:
• It is a hands on activity
• Helps students to visualize the 3 dimensional worlds. For instance, how many vertices there are, finding information about edges, sides, and etc?
• Avoids boredom in the classroom and incorporates other subjects such as Arts.
• It makes students familiar with the background and history of polyhedral.
Weaknesses of the project:
• The project is indeed very time-consuming due to making origami. That might be annoying for students and as a result it might leads to frustrations and confusion. Furthermore, students might loose their interest toward the subject.
• Time wise, might be hard to fit this project in the curriculum.
Uses of the project :
• Making the students to feel for 3-D world.
• Make them familiar with what geometry is, in particular polyhedral.
• It might be a fun classroom activity to follow.
How to modify the project:
• We can avoid making the students to do the origami in the classroom.
• Give them other options for origami. For instance, cut the segments and tape them together. This way, it is less time consuming and it gives the students the same result.
Extension of the project:
• We can ask our students to think about volume, surface area, and some other physical properties such as the number of edges, angels, and etc afterward, or for future
3) Our project (Surface Area):
• Grade level : Grade 9
• Purposes: To make a fun activity in the class, avoid boredom about the teaching subject, make the students to get a notion for a 3-D object/world, practicing the concept of “Area” in mathematics.
• Description: There are two choices for this project:
1. Students must build a “Reasonable” shape object such as a house, car, flower, and etc using at least two 3-D objects.
2. Or build a complex structure using only one 3-D object of their choice.
Students must choose only one of the above options. For either one they must follow the below criterions.(2-3 people per group)
o Students must hand in an informal proposal for this project.
o They must build the structure.
o They must write a report including the followings:
i) How they got the surface area of the object they made in details. This includes a verbal explanation and diagrams.
ii) Measuring and calculating the surface area of the object in two different units. ( cm, and mm)
• Time:
o First session: 20 min for proposal in the class.
o Second session: A full class time for material and making objects.
o Giving them a week for the final work.
• Production:
o Reports and structures.
• Marking Criteria:
o Communication ( how well they explain the work) 35%
o Calculations(how they got the surface area and units) 50%
o Structure ( what they made) 10%
o Creativity 5%
• It is a hands on activity
• Helps students to visualize the 3 dimensional worlds. For instance, how many vertices there are, finding information about edges, sides, and etc?
• Avoids boredom in the classroom and incorporates other subjects such as Arts.
• It makes students familiar with the background and history of polyhedral.
Weaknesses of the project:
• The project is indeed very time-consuming due to making origami. That might be annoying for students and as a result it might leads to frustrations and confusion. Furthermore, students might loose their interest toward the subject.
• Time wise, might be hard to fit this project in the curriculum.
Uses of the project :
• Making the students to feel for 3-D world.
• Make them familiar with what geometry is, in particular polyhedral.
• It might be a fun classroom activity to follow.
How to modify the project:
• We can avoid making the students to do the origami in the classroom.
• Give them other options for origami. For instance, cut the segments and tape them together. This way, it is less time consuming and it gives the students the same result.
Extension of the project:
• We can ask our students to think about volume, surface area, and some other physical properties such as the number of edges, angels, and etc afterward, or for future
3) Our project (Surface Area):
• Grade level : Grade 9
• Purposes: To make a fun activity in the class, avoid boredom about the teaching subject, make the students to get a notion for a 3-D object/world, practicing the concept of “Area” in mathematics.
• Description: There are two choices for this project:
1. Students must build a “Reasonable” shape object such as a house, car, flower, and etc using at least two 3-D objects.
2. Or build a complex structure using only one 3-D object of their choice.
Students must choose only one of the above options. For either one they must follow the below criterions.(2-3 people per group)
o Students must hand in an informal proposal for this project.
o They must build the structure.
o They must write a report including the followings:
i) How they got the surface area of the object they made in details. This includes a verbal explanation and diagrams.
ii) Measuring and calculating the surface area of the object in two different units. ( cm, and mm)
• Time:
o First session: 20 min for proposal in the class.
o Second session: A full class time for material and making objects.
o Giving them a week for the final work.
• Production:
o Reports and structures.
• Marking Criteria:
o Communication ( how well they explain the work) 35%
o Calculations(how they got the surface area and units) 50%
o Structure ( what they made) 10%
o Creativity 5%
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Reflection on problem solving and 2 col
When I started solving the problem, I was not quite sure how to solve it. By doing the col and writing about what I am going through and where I am stuck, I really felt the difference. I was no more staring at the blank sheet of paper and wasting time. By writing out my feelings, or the steps that I was taking I have noticed that I came to the conclusion( which I am not sure if it is 100% right, or not) faster than I thought and I need to admit that this is the most productive way of solving problems. As I was solving and writing, I did indeed enjoy the process more and understood the steps way better. Great experience it was.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
practicum
I must admit that I enjoyed my practicum very much. My school was great and all the kids were well behaved. The most memorable part for me was to make a quiz for them and it was so much of fairness and judgment that I had to use. I totally found out that in order to be a good teacher you need to be a good judge and apply fairness everywhere. Also, I got to teach the adapted grade 8 and 9 class and I was really surprised that how much I enjoyed this particular class more than any other regular classes that I taught. I also found out that teaching is something that it comes to you gradually and it is not something that you can learn it over a night. You need to make your mistakes and you need to learn from them. Teacher are indeed long time learners. I got to watch other classes such as music and social studies which were a lot different than math and saw how classroom management was different in each class. I found out that in order to be a successful teacher we need to think that we are teaching our own kids instead of thinking that we are teaching others kids. I also had experiences that I found out that we need to be firm and show students that we are not their friends, but we can be friendly to them. Students need to understand that there is boundary between teachers and students and they cannot cross that at all. All in all, my two weeks practicum was great and I enjoyed every bit of it.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Reflection on the poem
Reflection on the poem
There are times that we think of math as an abstract, rigid subject that we are dealing with. However, there are methods and tricks that we can use to hide that abstractness and by doing so we can deliver our points more sufficiently to our students. One of these methods was writing my thoughts and a poem on the two subjects, zero and division; I found that we can give a little bit of softness in the abstractness. This is a great method to use in order to understand the concept better. For instance, it is difficult for some people, especially high school students to understand or remember that if we are dividing any number by zero, our answer is infinity, or goes to infinity. By using methods like writing poems and thinking about each concept differently and then combining them together we might feel division and zero as two real things. This method takes away the stress about the abstractness and it makes it more fun and attractive to listen to. Also, we are able to lead our students’ attention to the main concept in a better way. It is also useful to give such activity to our students to understand what and how they think about math and how they can learn it better. So I believe it is both ways, one way is that the teacher who makes the poem and provide the information in the it, and the other way it to get the students do that , so that we as teachers can understand their thoughts about the concept.
There are times that we think of math as an abstract, rigid subject that we are dealing with. However, there are methods and tricks that we can use to hide that abstractness and by doing so we can deliver our points more sufficiently to our students. One of these methods was writing my thoughts and a poem on the two subjects, zero and division; I found that we can give a little bit of softness in the abstractness. This is a great method to use in order to understand the concept better. For instance, it is difficult for some people, especially high school students to understand or remember that if we are dividing any number by zero, our answer is infinity, or goes to infinity. By using methods like writing poems and thinking about each concept differently and then combining them together we might feel division and zero as two real things. This method takes away the stress about the abstractness and it makes it more fun and attractive to listen to. Also, we are able to lead our students’ attention to the main concept in a better way. It is also useful to give such activity to our students to understand what and how they think about math and how they can learn it better. So I believe it is both ways, one way is that the teacher who makes the poem and provide the information in the it, and the other way it to get the students do that , so that we as teachers can understand their thoughts about the concept.
2 poems / combined / zero + division
Poem)
Division combined with zero:
Dividing and dividing and diving,
Oh, what is dividing?
It is tilted or straight,
Oh does it have a zero in it?
Bigger or smaller I don’t know
But what goes on the top I call numi
And what goes on the bottom I call deni
My numi travels to infinity ,
If and only if my deni is a zero
Oh division division,
What did you do to my numi
My deni was a zero
Cannot find my numi!
Where is my numi
Is it traveling into infinity?
It is going faster that the light
It is going into the space
It is meeting all the dark matters
It is meeting all the big zero shape planets
Oh division division,
Look what you did to my numi
My numi is still going to infinity
Traveling into the space
Finding all its zero friends
Oh gosh cannot stop my numi
Because my deni was a zero
And look what you did division
Poor numi is going and going into the space
Going into infinity but why it is so
You poor thing numi, you were anything except zero
Your friend deni took you away
Since the deni was a zero
Good luck my numi in the space
Meeting all your zero friends
Cannot find you any more numi
You are traveling faster than I thought
Bye Bye my numi
Hope you can stop one day :S
Division combined with zero:
Dividing and dividing and diving,
Oh, what is dividing?
It is tilted or straight,
Oh does it have a zero in it?
Bigger or smaller I don’t know
But what goes on the top I call numi
And what goes on the bottom I call deni
My numi travels to infinity ,
If and only if my deni is a zero
Oh division division,
What did you do to my numi
My deni was a zero
Cannot find my numi!
Where is my numi
Is it traveling into infinity?
It is going faster that the light
It is going into the space
It is meeting all the dark matters
It is meeting all the big zero shape planets
Oh division division,
Look what you did to my numi
My numi is still going to infinity
Traveling into the space
Finding all its zero friends
Oh gosh cannot stop my numi
Because my deni was a zero
And look what you did division
Poor numi is going and going into the space
Going into infinity but why it is so
You poor thing numi, you were anything except zero
Your friend deni took you away
Since the deni was a zero
Good luck my numi in the space
Meeting all your zero friends
Cannot find you any more numi
You are traveling faster than I thought
Bye Bye my numi
Hope you can stop one day :S
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Refelction on our Micro-Teaching "Arithmatic Sequences"
Reflection on our microteaching “arithmetic sequences”
The evaluation sheet that everyone filled out after me, Jenny, and Candice finished our micro-teaching taught me a lot of valuable lessons. Our micro-teaching had both many strengths and weaknesses that I would like to share.
Most people were happy about our lesson plan. They said that it was really clear and well prepared. We also got great comments about the worksheet that we provided our students with. Our worksheet basically got most of our students engaged with the key ideas that we were putting on the board and helped them to develop a better understanding of “arithmetic sequences”. Also, if someone had a difficulty seeing the board, they could at least rely on the worksheet.
In contrast, our microteaching had some weaknesses that I, as a student teacher must focus on more. One of the problems that I even noticed myself when I finished, was that I only looked at half of my students and left the other side of the class with no eye contact. It was really interesting that I found the same problem with other teacher candidates while they were teaching and as one of their students, I felt not really happy about it. Thus, I must make sure to have my eye contact with everybody in my class so that no one feels left out. Another concern was about our writings. I totally admit that what we put on the board was a little messy. Some people asked for some visual explications which was a little difficult for us to push with the subject that we were teaching. However, as teacher candidates we must make sure to provide our students with different methods and ways that help our students learn better.
In summery, I learned many precious lessons from this microteaching and I must make sure that next time to make a better eye contact with my students. Also, I must keep in mind that writing messy on the board is not going to help my students learn math better. In addition to that, I should be aware of the fact that providing my students with different methods of learning is a crucial part of the teaching.
The evaluation sheet that everyone filled out after me, Jenny, and Candice finished our micro-teaching taught me a lot of valuable lessons. Our micro-teaching had both many strengths and weaknesses that I would like to share.
Most people were happy about our lesson plan. They said that it was really clear and well prepared. We also got great comments about the worksheet that we provided our students with. Our worksheet basically got most of our students engaged with the key ideas that we were putting on the board and helped them to develop a better understanding of “arithmetic sequences”. Also, if someone had a difficulty seeing the board, they could at least rely on the worksheet.
In contrast, our microteaching had some weaknesses that I, as a student teacher must focus on more. One of the problems that I even noticed myself when I finished, was that I only looked at half of my students and left the other side of the class with no eye contact. It was really interesting that I found the same problem with other teacher candidates while they were teaching and as one of their students, I felt not really happy about it. Thus, I must make sure to have my eye contact with everybody in my class so that no one feels left out. Another concern was about our writings. I totally admit that what we put on the board was a little messy. Some people asked for some visual explications which was a little difficult for us to push with the subject that we were teaching. However, as teacher candidates we must make sure to provide our students with different methods and ways that help our students learn better.
In summery, I learned many precious lessons from this microteaching and I must make sure that next time to make a better eye contact with my students. Also, I must keep in mind that writing messy on the board is not going to help my students learn math better. In addition to that, I should be aware of the fact that providing my students with different methods of learning is a crucial part of the teaching.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Reflection on "Citizenship Education in the Context of School Mathmatics"
Reflection on “Citizenship Education in the Context of School Mathematics”
In compliance with Elaine Simmt, the author of the article Citizenship Education in the Context of School Mathematics, “Mathematics has a role in citizenship education because it has the potential to help us understand our society and our role in shaping it.” As teacher candidates, it is crucial for us to understand that mathematics is more than teaching students about numeracy and looking for “right” answers. It is important to know that mathematics is all about “truth” and we must teach our citizens, our students, to “understand and critique the formatting power of mathematics in society.” There are techniques and methods that we can offer in our classes in order to educate our youth for active involvement in society. One of the techniques that I would use in my classroom is that I would attempt to provide my students with problems and questions that force them to utilize their “powers of patterning, generalizing, specializing and reasoning”. By doing so, I encourage the youth to focus on their interactions with mathematics and to look for the truth rather than looking for the “right” answer. In addition to that, our demand for more details and explanations in problems and question that we are giving our students is really essential. Teaching our young students to pose problems, explain themselves in such way that others can understand is a way to help them develop their interactions and involvements with society and community that they live in.
In compliance with Elaine Simmt, the author of the article Citizenship Education in the Context of School Mathematics, “Mathematics has a role in citizenship education because it has the potential to help us understand our society and our role in shaping it.” As teacher candidates, it is crucial for us to understand that mathematics is more than teaching students about numeracy and looking for “right” answers. It is important to know that mathematics is all about “truth” and we must teach our citizens, our students, to “understand and critique the formatting power of mathematics in society.” There are techniques and methods that we can offer in our classes in order to educate our youth for active involvement in society. One of the techniques that I would use in my classroom is that I would attempt to provide my students with problems and questions that force them to utilize their “powers of patterning, generalizing, specializing and reasoning”. By doing so, I encourage the youth to focus on their interactions with mathematics and to look for the truth rather than looking for the “right” answer. In addition to that, our demand for more details and explanations in problems and question that we are giving our students is really essential. Teaching our young students to pose problems, explain themselves in such way that others can understand is a way to help them develop their interactions and involvements with society and community that they live in.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
"Sequence" worksheet for Micro-teaching!
Sequence worksheet
We have a sequence such as: 3, 7, 11, 15,19,23,27...
Part (l): Sequence Terms:
1. What is the first term? _____
2. What is the second term? _____
3. What is the difference between first and second term? _____
4. Now what is the third term? _____
A.Finding difference “d”:
1. What is the difference between second and third term? _____
2. What is difference between any consecutive numbers in the sequence? _____
Call this “d”.
3. Thus d = _____
Part (II): Relationship between each term!
Each number in the sequence is called a “term” and they are indicated as “tn”; for instance, t1 is first term, t2 is the second term, t3 is third term and so on. Now please note that 3+4=7
1. What is 3 in terms of “term”? t? _____
2. What is 7 in terms of “term”? t? _____
3. What is the relationship between t1 and t2?
4. Yes that's right t1 +d= t2
5. Now what is the relationship between t2 and t3? _____
6. What is the relationship between t4 and t3? _____
Part (III): Finding the nth term in the sequence/final formula:
A.Writing each term in terms of t1 and d:
Back to part (II) questions 4 and 5, we found out that
a) t1 +d= t2
b) t2 +d= t3
Now, using a) and b) above, we can write t3 in terms of t1 and d
(Hint: substitute t1 +d= t2 into t2 +d= t3)
t2 +d= t3 and since t1 +d= t2 ------ t1 +d+d= t3 -----
t1 +2d= t3
1.Now using the result above try to write t4 in terms of t1 and d (hint: write t4 in terms of t3 and substitute the above result for t3 and simply the work) what do you get?
2.Again using the result above do the same thing for t5, what do you get?
B.Finding n th term using general formula:
1.Writing each terms in terms of t1 and d using the same method that was shown above we see a trend! By looking at the above examples that we did you notice any trend for writing tn in terms of t1 and d?
The above question leads us to the general formula for finding nth term in the sequence. For instance in our sequence that we had in part (I) by using the general formula we can easily find 5th, 6th term, ……, 100th term and so on.
2.Now using the general formula found above, can you find the 20th and 10th term of the sequence?
We have a sequence such as: 3, 7, 11, 15,19,23,27...
Part (l): Sequence Terms:
1. What is the first term? _____
2. What is the second term? _____
3. What is the difference between first and second term? _____
4. Now what is the third term? _____
A.Finding difference “d”:
1. What is the difference between second and third term? _____
2. What is difference between any consecutive numbers in the sequence? _____
Call this “d”.
3. Thus d = _____
Part (II): Relationship between each term!
Each number in the sequence is called a “term” and they are indicated as “tn”; for instance, t1 is first term, t2 is the second term, t3 is third term and so on. Now please note that 3+4=7
1. What is 3 in terms of “term”? t? _____
2. What is 7 in terms of “term”? t? _____
3. What is the relationship between t1 and t2?
4. Yes that's right t1 +d= t2
5. Now what is the relationship between t2 and t3? _____
6. What is the relationship between t4 and t3? _____
Part (III): Finding the nth term in the sequence/final formula:
A.Writing each term in terms of t1 and d:
Back to part (II) questions 4 and 5, we found out that
a) t1 +d= t2
b) t2 +d= t3
Now, using a) and b) above, we can write t3 in terms of t1 and d
(Hint: substitute t1 +d= t2 into t2 +d= t3)
t2 +d= t3 and since t1 +d= t2 ------ t1 +d+d= t3 -----
t1 +2d= t3
1.Now using the result above try to write t4 in terms of t1 and d (hint: write t4 in terms of t3 and substitute the above result for t3 and simply the work) what do you get?
2.Again using the result above do the same thing for t5, what do you get?
B.Finding n th term using general formula:
1.Writing each terms in terms of t1 and d using the same method that was shown above we see a trend! By looking at the above examples that we did you notice any trend for writing tn in terms of t1 and d?
The above question leads us to the general formula for finding nth term in the sequence. For instance in our sequence that we had in part (I) by using the general formula we can easily find 5th, 6th term, ……, 100th term and so on.
2.Now using the general formula found above, can you find the 20th and 10th term of the sequence?
Micro-teaching lesson plan "Sequences"
MAED 314A – Arithmetic Sequence Microteaching
Bridge:
3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27…..
Does anyone know what is the 100th or 1000th term of this sequence?
If you don’t know, don’t worry about it. After this lesson, you all will be able to find the 100th and 1000th terms of this sequence. Actually…you can find any term you want to!
There are different types of sequences: geometric, arithmetic and other sequences. In our lesson, we will focus on arithmetic sequence.
Definition: An arithmetic sequence is a sequence where each term is formed from the preceding term by adding a constant (positive or negative)
Learning Objectives:
-Students will be able to calculate and predict terms in an arithmetic sequence where the first term and common difference are known
-Students will be able to calculate and predict terms in an arithmetic sequence where only one of the first term or common difference is known
-Students will be able to write an expression to represent general terms for an arithmetic sequence and be able to apply these expressions to solve problems
Teaching Objectives:
-To teach the students to predict and calculate the terms and common difference in an arithmetic sequence
-To engage students in classroom discussions of arithmetic sequence
-To guide students to formulate an expression for calculating the terms and common difference in an arithmetic sequence
Pre-test:
These questions will be asked during the bridge phase:
-Does anyone know much about arithmetic sequence?
Can anyone predict the 100th or 1000th term in the sequence?
Participation:
-Students will be encouraged to participate in class discussions and/or answer questions posed by the teacher
Post—test:
-Students will be asked to solve a challenge problem which will test them on the material just covered
Summary:
In this lesson, we taught students to write an expression for arithmetic sequence. After this lesson, students will be able to find the common difference and any term in an arithmetic sequence. However, there is more to that. Next class, we will focus on the case of calculating and predicting terms in an arithmetic sequence where both the first term and common difference are unknown. In the class after, we will introduce arithmetic series, which is the sum of a sequence. And in the near future, we will also introduce other types of sequence, such as geometric sequences.
Bridge:
3, 7, 11, 15, 19, 23, 27…..
Does anyone know what is the 100th or 1000th term of this sequence?
If you don’t know, don’t worry about it. After this lesson, you all will be able to find the 100th and 1000th terms of this sequence. Actually…you can find any term you want to!
There are different types of sequences: geometric, arithmetic and other sequences. In our lesson, we will focus on arithmetic sequence.
Definition: An arithmetic sequence is a sequence where each term is formed from the preceding term by adding a constant (positive or negative)
Learning Objectives:
-Students will be able to calculate and predict terms in an arithmetic sequence where the first term and common difference are known
-Students will be able to calculate and predict terms in an arithmetic sequence where only one of the first term or common difference is known
-Students will be able to write an expression to represent general terms for an arithmetic sequence and be able to apply these expressions to solve problems
Teaching Objectives:
-To teach the students to predict and calculate the terms and common difference in an arithmetic sequence
-To engage students in classroom discussions of arithmetic sequence
-To guide students to formulate an expression for calculating the terms and common difference in an arithmetic sequence
Pre-test:
These questions will be asked during the bridge phase:
-Does anyone know much about arithmetic sequence?
Can anyone predict the 100th or 1000th term in the sequence?
Participation:
-Students will be encouraged to participate in class discussions and/or answer questions posed by the teacher
Post—test:
-Students will be asked to solve a challenge problem which will test them on the material just covered
Summary:
In this lesson, we taught students to write an expression for arithmetic sequence. After this lesson, students will be able to find the common difference and any term in an arithmetic sequence. However, there is more to that. Next class, we will focus on the case of calculating and predicting terms in an arithmetic sequence where both the first term and common difference are unknown. In the class after, we will introduce arithmetic series, which is the sum of a sequence. And in the near future, we will also introduce other types of sequence, such as geometric sequences.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Problem Posing Strategy , "What_If_Not"
Problem Posing using “What-If-Not” strategy
Problem posing is one of the essential elements in teaching mathematics. As teacher candidates, we must be able to pose valuable problems that lead our students’ attitude toward exploring and discovering math. One of the great problem posing strategies that I just learned is “What-If-Not.” The strength of this problem posing strategy is that it makes many questions available for the teacher to use. In addition, posing problems using “What-If-Not” strategy leads to having more valuable questions that are ambiguous rather than very “clear” and “easily understandable” ones. However, sometimes dealing with such problem posing strategy is difficult since it is time consuming and it may get confusing in some cases.
Our microteaching project is about determining the nth term in a sequence, or its sum. The way that I related this problem posing strategy, “What-If-Not”, to our project was really simple. First, I started from a “concrete material”, level (0), and thought about infinite random numbers; then, I moved to level (I) and listed some its attributes such as: they are infinite, they are random, they start from 1, and so on. Next, I thought about negating each attributes, or in the other words “What-If-Not [ing]” them (level II). For instance, what if these numbers are not infinite, then they are finite, and what if they are not random, then they are non-random numbers and the difference between the two consecutive ones is d. After doing so, I used these new alternatives as a basis for my new questions (level III). For example, ‘what is the sum, or nth term of this finite sequence?’ After selecting some of my new questions I tried to analyze them (level IV) and come up with a logic answer which finally I did. Overall, posing problems by using “What-If-Not” strategy helped me a lot in posing my micro-teaching questions and provided me with more questions than I ever thought.
Problem posing is one of the essential elements in teaching mathematics. As teacher candidates, we must be able to pose valuable problems that lead our students’ attitude toward exploring and discovering math. One of the great problem posing strategies that I just learned is “What-If-Not.” The strength of this problem posing strategy is that it makes many questions available for the teacher to use. In addition, posing problems using “What-If-Not” strategy leads to having more valuable questions that are ambiguous rather than very “clear” and “easily understandable” ones. However, sometimes dealing with such problem posing strategy is difficult since it is time consuming and it may get confusing in some cases.
Our microteaching project is about determining the nth term in a sequence, or its sum. The way that I related this problem posing strategy, “What-If-Not”, to our project was really simple. First, I started from a “concrete material”, level (0), and thought about infinite random numbers; then, I moved to level (I) and listed some its attributes such as: they are infinite, they are random, they start from 1, and so on. Next, I thought about negating each attributes, or in the other words “What-If-Not [ing]” them (level II). For instance, what if these numbers are not infinite, then they are finite, and what if they are not random, then they are non-random numbers and the difference between the two consecutive ones is d. After doing so, I used these new alternatives as a basis for my new questions (level III). For example, ‘what is the sum, or nth term of this finite sequence?’ After selecting some of my new questions I tried to analyze them (level IV) and come up with a logic answer which finally I did. Overall, posing problems by using “What-If-Not” strategy helped me a lot in posing my micro-teaching questions and provided me with more questions than I ever thought.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Letter from a students who hated me :(
Dear Ms.Alam,
I have always tried to put away all my bad memories and not think about them, however I decided to write this letter and get it out of my chest. I wanted to let you know that in the year 1997 when you taught our grade 8 math class, I didn't enjoy your class at all because of our every other day mini quizzes.I also hated your voice so much since it was too loud. Also, you called everybody "guys" and I was a girl.Just wanted to tell you how much I hated you and your class. That's all.
Hope to never see you again in my life and never hear your voice!
Eliana
I have always tried to put away all my bad memories and not think about them, however I decided to write this letter and get it out of my chest. I wanted to let you know that in the year 1997 when you taught our grade 8 math class, I didn't enjoy your class at all because of our every other day mini quizzes.I also hated your voice so much since it was too loud. Also, you called everybody "guys" and I was a girl.Just wanted to tell you how much I hated you and your class. That's all.
Hope to never see you again in my life and never hear your voice!
Eliana
Letter from a student who liked me :)
Dear Ms.Alam,
It is interesting that how some teachers have bad and good influences on their students' life. You were one of those who impacted my life in such way that I am pursing a career in teaching since you made me fall in love with this career. Your passion and love for teaching and educating your students has been always beyond words. You taught me how to be strong and fight for goods. You indeed taught from heart and not from the book. You were always had this positive energy that it really made me want to be a teacher like you. I can never forget how much you patiently listened to our problems and tried your best to be there for each of us. I just wanted to thank you for all these and god bless you.
yours,
Joanna
It is interesting that how some teachers have bad and good influences on their students' life. You were one of those who impacted my life in such way that I am pursing a career in teaching since you made me fall in love with this career. Your passion and love for teaching and educating your students has been always beyond words. You taught me how to be strong and fight for goods. You indeed taught from heart and not from the book. You were always had this positive energy that it really made me want to be a teacher like you. I can never forget how much you patiently listened to our problems and tried your best to be there for each of us. I just wanted to thank you for all these and god bless you.
yours,
Joanna
10 questions from the Author
1)Why do you believe that it is necessary first to get “caught up in” (p.2), or “trapped by in” (p.2) the activities in order to know where we are headed?
2)How we can we avoid any “foolish” (p.4) problem posing?
3)In posing a problem, how can we make it more “significant [and] meaningful” (p.5) as you mentioned?
4)How we can relate the role of problem posing in education of different gender? In other words, if problem posing has any role in education of women? If so how?
5)What is the hardest part of problem posing? And why?
6)How “general” we should think when posing problems compare to the level of understanding of each student in class?
7)What do you think about posing open ended problems (referring back to x²+y²=z²: while reading that I thought about an open ended problem and their benefits)? Are there any benefits into it?
8)What are the things/ aspects/ criteria that we need to be “cautious” (p.17) about when posing a sensible mathematical problem?
9)Are the “standards” in problem posing part of schools’ curriculum nowadays?
10)Do you think problem posing(from the title of your book) itself is an art? Why?
2)How we can we avoid any “foolish” (p.4) problem posing?
3)In posing a problem, how can we make it more “significant [and] meaningful” (p.5) as you mentioned?
4)How we can relate the role of problem posing in education of different gender? In other words, if problem posing has any role in education of women? If so how?
5)What is the hardest part of problem posing? And why?
6)How “general” we should think when posing problems compare to the level of understanding of each student in class?
7)What do you think about posing open ended problems (referring back to x²+y²=z²: while reading that I thought about an open ended problem and their benefits)? Are there any benefits into it?
8)What are the things/ aspects/ criteria that we need to be “cautious” (p.17) about when posing a sensible mathematical problem?
9)Are the “standards” in problem posing part of schools’ curriculum nowadays?
10)Do you think problem posing(from the title of your book) itself is an art? Why?
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Comment and Reflection on in class video that was watched on Sep 30th regarding “teaching by patterns”:
Comment and Reflection on in class video that was watched on Sep 30th regarding “teaching by patterns”:
There are many diverse techniques that assist teachers to help their students learn math better. One of them is learning by patterns that we watched last class. The method that the class teacher was using to teach his students was amazing. He was using patterns and sounds by hitting a ruler on the board and wall to teach students how to count from smaller to bigger number and vice versa, additions, subtractions, and etc. It was really interesting that he started off teaching his students really simply and then introduced them to more difficult terms and concepts such as “unknowns.” I personally think that introducing students to new concepts, which are not really necessary for them to learn at that grade, is a great idea because when they confront it later in higher grades, they will not panic as much and face it easier than usual. I also really liked the idea that the teacher drew his students’ attention by hitting on the wall and the board. Most students in specially math classes have high tendencies to get bored; thus, as student candidates we must learn how to draw students’ attention in the classroom to avoid any boredom. Overall, watching this tape aided me to learn about various methods of teachings on top of many other valuable tips, which I mentioned above, that I can utilize in my classroom to assist my students learn math better.
There are many diverse techniques that assist teachers to help their students learn math better. One of them is learning by patterns that we watched last class. The method that the class teacher was using to teach his students was amazing. He was using patterns and sounds by hitting a ruler on the board and wall to teach students how to count from smaller to bigger number and vice versa, additions, subtractions, and etc. It was really interesting that he started off teaching his students really simply and then introduced them to more difficult terms and concepts such as “unknowns.” I personally think that introducing students to new concepts, which are not really necessary for them to learn at that grade, is a great idea because when they confront it later in higher grades, they will not panic as much and face it easier than usual. I also really liked the idea that the teacher drew his students’ attention by hitting on the wall and the board. Most students in specially math classes have high tendencies to get bored; thus, as student candidates we must learn how to draw students’ attention in the classroom to avoid any boredom. Overall, watching this tape aided me to learn about various methods of teachings on top of many other valuable tips, which I mentioned above, that I can utilize in my classroom to assist my students learn math better.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Reflecion& Comments on "BattleGround Schools"
Comments and reflection on BattelGround Schools:
While I was reading the article “BattleGround Schools”, the first part of the article drew my attention to an interesting word which was ‘math phobic’. I used to be a math phobic myself and it was really interesting for me that this article was describing how and why people become a math phobic. Overall, I think this article gave me a great clue about the history of mathematics curriculum in America from early nineteenth century. I also think that learning about those three movements was required for us since mathematics curriculum is something that we always must deal with. In addition, I believe that the mathematics curriculum must be designed in a way that it can develop students’ abilities in understanding math deeper and help them to overcome their fear in problem solving. All in all, I am glad that I got a little bit familiar with the history of mathematics curriculum.
While I was reading the article “BattleGround Schools”, the first part of the article drew my attention to an interesting word which was ‘math phobic’. I used to be a math phobic myself and it was really interesting for me that this article was describing how and why people become a math phobic. Overall, I think this article gave me a great clue about the history of mathematics curriculum in America from early nineteenth century. I also think that learning about those three movements was required for us since mathematics curriculum is something that we always must deal with. In addition, I believe that the mathematics curriculum must be designed in a way that it can develop students’ abilities in understanding math deeper and help them to overcome their fear in problem solving. All in all, I am glad that I got a little bit familiar with the history of mathematics curriculum.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Summery of "school battels
Summery of "BattleGround Schools"
Among people in North America, there has been always an existence of the “math phobic” attitude. Most people who have math phobias are the ones who do not have a good understanding of math and always attempted to memorize math rather than comprehending it. This is extremely endemic among element teachers who unfortunately transfer the same attitude to their students. Due to such attitudes, mathematics education in North American has been varying between two poles, progressive and conservative, since early nineteenth century and it resulted in battles around three periods and movements.
The first movement, “Progressivist Reform (circa 1910-1940) which was originally led by John Dewey, was based more on “activities” and “inquiries” rather than “sitting still and taking in what the teacher presented”. Back to early nineteenth century, there were many analysis/critiques about the mathematics curriculum which was based on complex trials that were led to an answer “with no sense of why those particular procedures worked.”After a growth in population through immigration, and some other factors such as urbanization and World War (I), demands raised for more practical mathematics curriculum; and as a result, John Dewey’s teaching techniques was accepted the most since it was all about “ ‘programming the environment’.”
The second movement, The New Math (1960(s)), appeared as soon as American sensed that USSR was “beating” the US in the “space race”. The launch of the Soviet Sputnik significantly shocked Americans which led to a change in America’s mathematics curriculum. The new curriculum was completely based on abstractions and set theories to make students ready to compete with USSR. But not much after, this curriculum failed because teachers found it highly complicated to teach abstract math. Also, parents found themselves powerless in helping their kids with their math homework since they learned math differently. This was the end of “The New Math” curriculum which opened the space for third movement, “Math Wars”.
After the second movement, in the late 1970(s) and 1980(s) education policies started to put their emphasis on “back-to basic” curriculum. In addition, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) started building its own standard program which later led to a “Math War.” After NCTM started publishing their own curriculum, which was “well-received” by governments and teacher, governments saw this as teachers’ agreement however, most of the educators were not pleased with the content of the curriculum and they believed that the content of the standards are “supporting a balanced, progressive approach.” In 1996, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) found America’s grade eight students in 28th rank which was shocking for American and brought anxiety. They found that the key is a deeper conceptual understanding of mathematics that most countries like Japan, Hong Kong Singapore and South Korea were following. Currently, the media, which come with their own beliefs and philosophies, are playing a significant role in “creating” education in North America.
Among people in North America, there has been always an existence of the “math phobic” attitude. Most people who have math phobias are the ones who do not have a good understanding of math and always attempted to memorize math rather than comprehending it. This is extremely endemic among element teachers who unfortunately transfer the same attitude to their students. Due to such attitudes, mathematics education in North American has been varying between two poles, progressive and conservative, since early nineteenth century and it resulted in battles around three periods and movements.
The first movement, “Progressivist Reform (circa 1910-1940) which was originally led by John Dewey, was based more on “activities” and “inquiries” rather than “sitting still and taking in what the teacher presented”. Back to early nineteenth century, there were many analysis/critiques about the mathematics curriculum which was based on complex trials that were led to an answer “with no sense of why those particular procedures worked.”After a growth in population through immigration, and some other factors such as urbanization and World War (I), demands raised for more practical mathematics curriculum; and as a result, John Dewey’s teaching techniques was accepted the most since it was all about “ ‘programming the environment’.”
The second movement, The New Math (1960(s)), appeared as soon as American sensed that USSR was “beating” the US in the “space race”. The launch of the Soviet Sputnik significantly shocked Americans which led to a change in America’s mathematics curriculum. The new curriculum was completely based on abstractions and set theories to make students ready to compete with USSR. But not much after, this curriculum failed because teachers found it highly complicated to teach abstract math. Also, parents found themselves powerless in helping their kids with their math homework since they learned math differently. This was the end of “The New Math” curriculum which opened the space for third movement, “Math Wars”.
After the second movement, in the late 1970(s) and 1980(s) education policies started to put their emphasis on “back-to basic” curriculum. In addition, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) started building its own standard program which later led to a “Math War.” After NCTM started publishing their own curriculum, which was “well-received” by governments and teacher, governments saw this as teachers’ agreement however, most of the educators were not pleased with the content of the curriculum and they believed that the content of the standards are “supporting a balanced, progressive approach.” In 1996, the Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) found America’s grade eight students in 28th rank which was shocking for American and brought anxiety. They found that the key is a deeper conceptual understanding of mathematics that most countries like Japan, Hong Kong Singapore and South Korea were following. Currently, the media, which come with their own beliefs and philosophies, are playing a significant role in “creating” education in North America.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
MAED 314A – Summary to Interviews with Teacher and Students
In compliance with BCCT standards, “educators will engage in career-long learning”. Similarly, as teacher candidates and future educators we will continue to learn from our professors as well as from teacher and student interviews. In this interview, we have in our group of three collaboratively created a list of nine questions we most wanted to ask high school math teachers and students. From our interview with a math teacher and two high school students, we learned of the various resources and styles of teaching that we can make available to students to facilitate their learning in math.
Our first two interviewees were high school female students in grades nine and twelve respectively. We asked these students if they have troubles doing math, what would they do and why? The grade nine student said “if I have problem[s] doing math, I will go and ask my teacher” since she felt her teacher was approachable. The second student said that she will ask her friends because “discussions with her friends are good enough”. As teacher candidates then, we must recognize that our availability and approachability for students plays an important role in helping them learn math.
We also asked our two interviewees which area of math they find difficult and how their teachers can help them learn the topic better. One student has difficulties with volumes and angles and she prefers to learn “by sitting and taking notes” whereas the other student has difficulties with trigonometry and prefers to learn math “visually.” Thus, as teacher candidates we must keep in mind that each individual’s ways of learning is as different as the colors of the rainbow.
Our forth question was what can teachers do to motivate the students to learn math. In general, both students said it was hard to motivate them in a subject they disliked. However, they suggested that their teachers can try to interest them by making “the lesson a funner [group] activity.” Ironically, this ties into our last question, in which we asked the students how they would define a good math teacher. The grade nine student described “a good math teacher [as] someone [who] makes the class a little more fun and keeps everyone from NOT falling asleep.” On the other hand, the grade twelve student said a good math teacher “shoudn’t be monotone” and should make her “feel interested in what he/she teaches.”
In our interview with the high school math teacher however, we asked her what is the hardest thing to be a good math teacher? She replied “the most difficult part of being a math teacher is getting the students to get excited about Math.” What is interesting, however, is that she told us “some students say that they were once interested in Math” Therefore, as teachers it’s important that we try our best to teach math in fun and interesting ways.
This led into our second question inquiring any teaching advice(s) that our interviewee can give to teacher candidates. In her response, she told us we should avoid getting “disillusioned with teaching especially if the students are unmotivated.”In other words, it is important for teachers to overcome any teaching difficulties or harsh criticisms that she/he may encounter in the profession by approaching these problems optimistically and continuing to learn and develop professionally. For example, if a student is distracted, we shouldn’t take it personally and lose our initiative in teaching. Rather, we can refocus students back to the math lesson by “asking the distracted student to answer the question.” Distracted students also serve as a valuable sign in how well teachers are engaging their students in the class.
Thus, we asked the interviewee which is/are the most effective techniques she has used in teaching and why? She replied “I try to use real life examples…so that the seemingly abstract concepts can be more concrete.” This method however, “works only most of the time.” The reason for this as reflected by the interviewee is that she “wasn’t accommodating other learners especially those who have learning differences.” She also noted that “it was challenging to NOT teach the way she learned the concept.” Therefore, as teacher candidates, we should be flexible and adaptive in our teaching so that we are able to accommodate most if not all our students. Another effective teaching technique the interviewee had used all the time was “simplifying a complex concept using simpler examples.”
In conclusion, the interviews with the students helped us gain insight into their expectations from their math teachers and the methods that can be used to facilitate their learning in math. Generally, a great math teacher should be flexible and open-minded in his/her teaching to create a comforting classroom environment that involves plenty of excitement and fun group activities for students to engage in.
In compliance with BCCT standards, “educators will engage in career-long learning”. Similarly, as teacher candidates and future educators we will continue to learn from our professors as well as from teacher and student interviews. In this interview, we have in our group of three collaboratively created a list of nine questions we most wanted to ask high school math teachers and students. From our interview with a math teacher and two high school students, we learned of the various resources and styles of teaching that we can make available to students to facilitate their learning in math.
Our first two interviewees were high school female students in grades nine and twelve respectively. We asked these students if they have troubles doing math, what would they do and why? The grade nine student said “if I have problem[s] doing math, I will go and ask my teacher” since she felt her teacher was approachable. The second student said that she will ask her friends because “discussions with her friends are good enough”. As teacher candidates then, we must recognize that our availability and approachability for students plays an important role in helping them learn math.
We also asked our two interviewees which area of math they find difficult and how their teachers can help them learn the topic better. One student has difficulties with volumes and angles and she prefers to learn “by sitting and taking notes” whereas the other student has difficulties with trigonometry and prefers to learn math “visually.” Thus, as teacher candidates we must keep in mind that each individual’s ways of learning is as different as the colors of the rainbow.
Our forth question was what can teachers do to motivate the students to learn math. In general, both students said it was hard to motivate them in a subject they disliked. However, they suggested that their teachers can try to interest them by making “the lesson a funner [group] activity.” Ironically, this ties into our last question, in which we asked the students how they would define a good math teacher. The grade nine student described “a good math teacher [as] someone [who] makes the class a little more fun and keeps everyone from NOT falling asleep.” On the other hand, the grade twelve student said a good math teacher “shoudn’t be monotone” and should make her “feel interested in what he/she teaches.”
In our interview with the high school math teacher however, we asked her what is the hardest thing to be a good math teacher? She replied “the most difficult part of being a math teacher is getting the students to get excited about Math.” What is interesting, however, is that she told us “some students say that they were once interested in Math” Therefore, as teachers it’s important that we try our best to teach math in fun and interesting ways.
This led into our second question inquiring any teaching advice(s) that our interviewee can give to teacher candidates. In her response, she told us we should avoid getting “disillusioned with teaching especially if the students are unmotivated.”In other words, it is important for teachers to overcome any teaching difficulties or harsh criticisms that she/he may encounter in the profession by approaching these problems optimistically and continuing to learn and develop professionally. For example, if a student is distracted, we shouldn’t take it personally and lose our initiative in teaching. Rather, we can refocus students back to the math lesson by “asking the distracted student to answer the question.” Distracted students also serve as a valuable sign in how well teachers are engaging their students in the class.
Thus, we asked the interviewee which is/are the most effective techniques she has used in teaching and why? She replied “I try to use real life examples…so that the seemingly abstract concepts can be more concrete.” This method however, “works only most of the time.” The reason for this as reflected by the interviewee is that she “wasn’t accommodating other learners especially those who have learning differences.” She also noted that “it was challenging to NOT teach the way she learned the concept.” Therefore, as teacher candidates, we should be flexible and adaptive in our teaching so that we are able to accommodate most if not all our students. Another effective teaching technique the interviewee had used all the time was “simplifying a complex concept using simpler examples.”
In conclusion, the interviews with the students helped us gain insight into their expectations from their math teachers and the methods that can be used to facilitate their learning in math. Generally, a great math teacher should be flexible and open-minded in his/her teaching to create a comforting classroom environment that involves plenty of excitement and fun group activities for students to engage in.
Self Reflection on our interview
Self Reflection on our interview
As future educators and new teacher candidates, we must keep in mind that we are all long-time learners. This interview was a great opportunity for me to learn more about students and their needs in different level math classes. It also taught me styles of teaching that I can offer to my future students to help them understand math better. What I understood from our interview candidates, a teacher and two high school students, was that teenagers especially in math classes get bored easily, or they simply fall into asleep. To keep the students away from boredom I, as a new teacher candidate, must be able to make a fun environment for my class. In order to do so, I sometimes need to provide the students with some interesting math puzzles, or engage them with fun actives in group works. Another way to avoid any boredom in classrooms is to let the students talk more. I have also learned that being available for students is very essential. As a future educator I have to be open and show them that I am accessible anytime they need me to. This interview also made me realize that each individual ways of learning and understanding are as different like the colors of the rainbow. Thus, as an educator that I will be, I should be able to provide my students with different types of methods of teaching so that each student can learn and understand math better.
As future educators and new teacher candidates, we must keep in mind that we are all long-time learners. This interview was a great opportunity for me to learn more about students and their needs in different level math classes. It also taught me styles of teaching that I can offer to my future students to help them understand math better. What I understood from our interview candidates, a teacher and two high school students, was that teenagers especially in math classes get bored easily, or they simply fall into asleep. To keep the students away from boredom I, as a new teacher candidate, must be able to make a fun environment for my class. In order to do so, I sometimes need to provide the students with some interesting math puzzles, or engage them with fun actives in group works. Another way to avoid any boredom in classrooms is to let the students talk more. I have also learned that being available for students is very essential. As a future educator I have to be open and show them that I am accessible anytime they need me to. This interview also made me realize that each individual ways of learning and understanding are as different like the colors of the rainbow. Thus, as an educator that I will be, I should be able to provide my students with different types of methods of teaching so that each student can learn and understand math better.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Comments on H. J. Ronbinson's article
Comments on “using research to analyze, inform, and assess changes in instruction” by Heather J. Robinson
I truly believe that the instructional techniques that are used by teachers play an important role in students’ achievements. Students’ lack of attention that starts from the begging of the class shows the teacher’s poor instructional methods. That is why “beginning with an essential [, or an interesting] question” is a crucial step to take in order to draw students’ attention to the subject. I also agree with the fact that teachers must “let the students talk more” in the class rather than them lecturing the whole time. “[L]ecturing a lot curtails the student opportunity to think” more because they must comprehend and write at the same time. This indeed brings confusion for most of the students. Thus, teachers must be aware that multitasking is not for everyone. My last comment would be on the sentence that says: “Math teachers just tell you stuff…learn this skill so that you can get it right on the test”. I am somehow convinced that this sentence refers back to the teachers who do not provide any opportunities for their students to think more deeply about their leaning subject. It also may refer to the teachers who like to teach instrumentally more than relationally since they want their students to get a nice page of “right” answers on their “test”. All in all, a great educator is the one who has the right tool for his/ her students to learn more effectively.
I truly believe that the instructional techniques that are used by teachers play an important role in students’ achievements. Students’ lack of attention that starts from the begging of the class shows the teacher’s poor instructional methods. That is why “beginning with an essential [, or an interesting] question” is a crucial step to take in order to draw students’ attention to the subject. I also agree with the fact that teachers must “let the students talk more” in the class rather than them lecturing the whole time. “[L]ecturing a lot curtails the student opportunity to think” more because they must comprehend and write at the same time. This indeed brings confusion for most of the students. Thus, teachers must be aware that multitasking is not for everyone. My last comment would be on the sentence that says: “Math teachers just tell you stuff…learn this skill so that you can get it right on the test”. I am somehow convinced that this sentence refers back to the teachers who do not provide any opportunities for their students to think more deeply about their leaning subject. It also may refer to the teachers who like to teach instrumentally more than relationally since they want their students to get a nice page of “right” answers on their “test”. All in all, a great educator is the one who has the right tool for his/ her students to learn more effectively.
My second memorable teacher
My Second Memorable teacher
In my life, I have always tried to remember people for their good manners and leave behind any negative memories from them; however, this particular chemistry teacher that I had in grade 11 was one the worst. That is why he is one of most memorable teachers that I have ever had in my entire life.
I remember him having a chalk in hand and writing without paying any attention whether students really understood the material that he was offering. Even when students raised their hands to ask a question, he would tell them to ask their questions at the end of the hour. However, with many questions piled up at the end, he would answer a couple of them in a rush and leave the rest unanswered due to different excuses. By doing so, he would fulfill his duties as a teacher, but not as a real educator. I truly believe that “It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.” (Tom Brokaw)
However, I decided if I see him one day I would thank him because I have learned a lot from his manner. I have learned that a real educator is the one who should be the opposite of him. Indeed he was one of my most memorable teachers that I have ever had.
By: Maryam.A
In my life, I have always tried to remember people for their good manners and leave behind any negative memories from them; however, this particular chemistry teacher that I had in grade 11 was one the worst. That is why he is one of most memorable teachers that I have ever had in my entire life.
I remember him having a chalk in hand and writing without paying any attention whether students really understood the material that he was offering. Even when students raised their hands to ask a question, he would tell them to ask their questions at the end of the hour. However, with many questions piled up at the end, he would answer a couple of them in a rush and leave the rest unanswered due to different excuses. By doing so, he would fulfill his duties as a teacher, but not as a real educator. I truly believe that “It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference.” (Tom Brokaw)
However, I decided if I see him one day I would thank him because I have learned a lot from his manner. I have learned that a real educator is the one who should be the opposite of him. Indeed he was one of my most memorable teachers that I have ever had.
By: Maryam.A
who was my most memorable teacher?
Who was one of my most memorable teacher
In my life, there have been many teachers who have influenced me by their good professional and personal manners. Out of those teachers my grade 12 math teacher was one of the most memorable one since she influenced me the most.
Mss. Swaniak was a great educator rather than a teacher. She always paid extra attention to her students’ social and personal issues along with their educational needs. That indeed inspired me the most to pursue a career in teaching and educating. I would never forget how patiently and uncomplainingly she listened to me.
Since I was little, I have always suffered from teachers whom I saw sings of inequality in their classrooms. However, I never witnessed any sings of unfairness in her classroom.
By creating a fun environment in our class, she made math much easier and that made me interested and confident to count this subject as my undergraduate major and that is why she is one of the most memorable teachers.
By: Maryam
Sunday, September 20, 2009
comments on my sewing lesson
Comments my sewing lesson:
The lesson that I taught on Friday afternoon, went really well. I was really happy with my timing ,and I managed to go though all my peers’ work. I got the same feed back from my peers too, however the only thing that bothered me and them was my standing position. Since it was a sewing lesson I could not teach them on the table because we were too separated. I took my peers to the corner of the classroom but still it was difficult for some people to see my hand movements. In order to control students, a teacher must have a good standing position. Hope that next time I can take a better standing position so that everyone can take a better advantage of the lesson.
The lesson that I taught on Friday afternoon, went really well. I was really happy with my timing ,and I managed to go though all my peers’ work. I got the same feed back from my peers too, however the only thing that bothered me and them was my standing position. Since it was a sewing lesson I could not teach them on the table because we were too separated. I took my peers to the corner of the classroom but still it was difficult for some people to see my hand movements. In order to control students, a teacher must have a good standing position. Hope that next time I can take a better standing position so that everyone can take a better advantage of the lesson.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Sewing lesson :>
A lesson plan to teach how to sew like a sewing machine by:
Maryam Alamzadeh
Bridge:
I am in no doubt that we have had situations that we bought something and it was either too big or too long. Today I want to show you how to do your own alterations without using a sewing machine. My focus it to teach you how to sew properly by hand so that you can save money.
Teaching object:
In order to sew, all you need is a needle and thread. They can be bought from Walmart, home-Sense, and most of other places.
Pretest:
Before getting to this, I would like to know how many people are familiar with sewing , or if anyone has ever worked with a needle and thread?
Learning Object:
- First, we need to know how much thread we are required.
- Then we pass the thread through the eye of the needle which sometimes is not an easy task to do and we make the thread even from both sides of the needle’s eye. Then, make a nod at the end of the thread. The size of the nod has to be big enough so that it doesn’t pass through the material while sewing.
- In order to make sure we are sewing the right place, we can draw the patter that we want to sew by a dry soap since it is easier to erase.
- The place that we start sewing is 2 cm from the origin. we leave about 2 cm space from the begging of our line and push the needle from underneath the material toward up and pull it fully out.
- Instead of going forward we go backward to the origin about that 2 cm that we left at the beginning, then in order to fill it with our thread, or sew it, we push the needle in from above ( since our needle is above the material now ) .
- Now we sewed a little dash and the needle is now located underneath the material.Think about a 2 cm space after the dash-line that we just sew and push the needle from beneath to there. Pull the needle fully out and go backward to the end of the dash-line that you just sewed.
- Continue the same patter. Think about drawing a spring on a horizontal line. Your material is that line and your hand movement is exactly like drawing a spring.
Participatory:
Now I would like you all to try it out and if you have any question please don’t hesitate to ask me. I will give you 2 min to make your first dash-line.
Test assessment:
Now I would like to see how you all did to make sure everybody understands the process.
Summery:
The best way of fixing your clothes if you don’t have a sewing machine handy is to sew them by hands. This way you can save more money and enjoy your work as well.
by Maryam Alamzadeh
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