Professor Peterson,
I would like to present you with a summary of my mathematical education as well as what I hope to walk away from your class with. I hope that this information gives you a little insight into my journey with mathematics and shows you where I would like to take it. I am working on cultivating my knowledge base, not just for the purposes of obtaining my degree but because I truly wish to have a greater understanding of how our world works. The language of mathematics coupled with science helps sate my curiosity and fuels an interest in what we have yet to discover.
The majority of my math skills were gained prior to this class through formal education. In public school I acquired basic arithmetic, critical thinking, geometry,
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(Huettenmuller, 2004)
The geometry skills acquired are as follows: working with points/lines/angles, working with triangles and recognizing the types of triangles, working with quadrilaterals, working with perimeters and areas, working with circles and ellipses, using a compass and straight edge tools, working with area and volume, and working with vectors. (Gibilisco, Geometry Demystified, 2003)
The trigonometry skills acquired are as follows: working with the Cartesian plane, working with circles in the plane, working with circular functions, Pythagorean theorem, working with identities, working with graphs of circular functions, working with inverses of circular functions, working with hyperbolic inverses, working with special coordinates, working with vectors, scientific notation, and arcs and triangles. (Gibilisco, Trigonometry Demystified,
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I could not even begin to understand or hope to keep up with the class if I did not have knowledge of these skills. That being said, there is a large gap in my mathematics education. Prior to taking this class I have not taken a mathematics course for eight years. The reason for this gap is that I dropped out of school to have and raise my daughter, who is now seven years of age. So although I have been taught the material I must confess that I have not done the best job retaining all that I had learned. I am currently playing catch up with all of the fore mentioned skills in order to pass Calculus. Now looking back I most certainly wish that I had kept up with my skills as they would serve me well in the years to
The following assignment shows the progress I have made throughout unit EDC141: The Numerate Educator. Included are results from the first and second round of the Mathematics Competency Test (MCT). Examples from assessment two, which, involved me to complete sample questions from the year nine NAPLAN. I was also required to complete a variety of ‘thinking time problems’ (TTP’s) and ‘what I know about’ (WIKA’s). These activities allowed me to build on my knowledge and assisted me to develop my mathematical skills. The Australian Curriculum has six areas of mathematics, which I used in many different learning activities throughout this study period (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009). These six areas will be covered and include number, algebra,
Ankle sprains are one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries and are especially relevant at all level of sport.1 Of all sports, the incidence of ankle sprain is higher in volleyball considering its non-contact nature.2 The most common ankle sprain occurs on the lateral or outside part of the ankle.3 Reports estimate that ankle sprains account for approximately 24% to 54% of all sport-related injuries and 23,000 persons get them per day in the United States.4
Study of Geometry gives students the tools to logical reasoning and deductive thinking to solve abstract equations. Geometry is an important mathematical concept to grasp as we use it in our life every day. Geometry is the study of shape- and there are shapes all around us. Examples of geometry in everyday life are- in sport, nature, games and architecture. The game Jenga involves geometry as it is important to keep the stack of tiles at a 90 degrees angle, otherwise the stack of tiles will fall over. Architects use geometry everyday- it is essential when designing buildings- shape, angles and area and perimeter are some of the geometry concepts architects
When explaining the topic, I was completely lost and had trouble catching up but as soon as there was a demonstration, I soon caught on and was able to complete each equation with confidence.
Basic math skills may sometimes be needed to complete a job; ie counting money, counting tips where all necessary functions Rosie needed to fulfill her tasks at the restaurant. She needed basic writing and reading skills in order to process the information she was given on a daily basis. Where it be using the register, reading menus, or specials she needed these basic skills to complete her job.
A key aspect of developing skills in maths is that the purpose of it is understood and that they can go on to apply this to real life situations i.e. to solve problems, to process information, to check answers, to interpret data, charts and diagrams, the understanding of money and how to manage finances, to use in practical every day activities. Mathematical skills are therefore developed in the earliest stages through practical work, which provides a child with a grounding in various aspect of maths such as shape, pattern, counting, sorting etc. these basic skills are then built upon as a child progresses..
Mary Wollstonecraft, a women’s rights advocate in the year 1792 summed it up perfectly when she said, “I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.” She is describing the fight within every woman in the Feminist Movement that began in the 1700’s and extended throughout the late 20th century. This powerful motion was a drive to address the debated issues of reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, women’s suffrage, sexual harassment, and sexual violence. As time has passed, feminists have pushed extremely hard to gain equal rights and respect from their male counterparts. Unfortunately in today’s world, society still puts an emphasis on a women’s exterior beauty. They emphasize it in magazines, television commercials, and even the infamous beauty pageant. The industry of beauty pageants is growing rapidly, jeopardizing the continuous work of many women’s rights advocates, throwing away the continuing efforts for equal rights (Miss America, 2011).
James Baldwin’s works were influenced by the times in which he lived, as an African American writer he strove for equality and used his pen to work for civil rights through elements of his childhood among other aspects.
Barr, C., Doyle, M., Clifford, J., De Leo,T., Dubeau, C. (2003). "There is More to Math: A Framework for Learning and Math Instruction” Waterloo Catholic District School Board
I particularly enjoyed the YouTube Videos with Khan Academy to learn different mathematical concepts. Because Math did not come easily like other subjects, I would repeatedly replay videos after videos until I started a library with all my videos in one place. Between Mrs. Goggins’ after school tutorials, long nights of studying, the use of Khan Academy and other YouTube videos, I made up for my loss in first semester Algebra by successfully completing second semester Ninth Grade Algebra with a
...S. and Stepelman, J. (2010). Teaching Secondary Mathematics: Techniques and Enrichment Units. 8th Ed. Merrill Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, NJ.
A somewhat underused strategy for teaching mathematics is that of guided discovery. With this strategy, the student arrives at an understanding of a new mathematical concept on his or her own. An activity is given in which "students sequentially uncover layers of mathematical information one step at a time and learn new mathematics" (Gerver & Sgroi, 2003). This way, instead of simply being told the procedure for solving a problem, the student can develop the steps mainly on his own with only a little guidance from the teacher.
The case of such skills incorporate capability or experts in specific fields like math, accounts, finance, financial matters, knowledge, science, measurements.
Logic and mathematics starting with basic arithmetic showed me how to follow steps, one at a time and one after another, to arrive at the results, one step at a time and after another. I learned that an error in one step will make all the following steps and results wrong. Mathematics like any other rule and pattern based discipline may show through experience and trial or error, how to solve problems first by following given methods and later, if needed, by combining and exploring different methods.
Throughout out this semester, I’ve had the opportunity to gain a better understanding when it comes to teaching Mathematics in the classroom. During the course of this semester, EDEL 440 has showed my classmates and myself the appropriate ways mathematics can be taught in an elementary classroom and how the students in the classroom may retrieve the information. During my years of school, mathematics has been my favorite subject. Over the years, math has challenged me on so many different levels. Having the opportunity to see the appropriate ways math should be taught in an Elementary classroom has giving me a