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Current Understanding (December 2007): Mathematics is such a fun discipline to teach because there can be so many hands-on and creative ways to reach out to students while introducing new material. Not only that, many of the best practices in mathematics encourage a discovery-based approach for the curriculum. My beliefs on mathematics education have not changed since my previous reflection, but this past semester has given me a hands-on opportunity to create lesson plans and work with students in the field of math. I have included several of the lessons I created over the past semester, a few of which I actually taught to students or to my peers. I believe these lesson plans demonstrate my knowledge of the subject matter and my beliefs on instructional strategies in the classroom. I am a firm believer that technology, when used correctly in the classroom, really enhances the student's learning experience in the field of mathematics. The technology-based lesson plan is an introductory unit on graphing calculators which walks students through a step-by-step process on how to create lists of data, graph bar and circle graphs, and then analyze those graphs to make a decision. This one lesson touches on all six of the NCTM principles for mathematics. I am excited to teach this lesson next semester during my student teaching experience to see how students react to the mathematics involved. August 2007 Understanding: Having a sound understanding of one's subject matter is essential in teaching. We must truly understand the intricate details in order to explain the subject matter in a clear, concise, and enthusiastic way, and to answer student's questions correctly. Mathematics is an interesting subject because there are so many real world applications for students to explore and discover. It is important to encourage students to discover relationships, formulate algorithms, and test their hypotheses regarding topics being discussed. Using these techniques will help students fully engage in the lesson. It is also important, especially in math, to encourage multiple ways of thinking. In many cases, there is no one correct way to complete a problem, and other methods should be explored and discussed. This allows students to generate their own ideas and fully grasp the key ideas of the problem at hand. This also allows students to use a method that makes the most sense to them, making the concept easier to remember and apply in other settings. Baseline Understanding: I believe that math is an essential language that everyone should be familiar with. We use math in many day-to-day activities without even thinking about how they are connected. It also teaches a basic knowledge of logic which can be used in other subjects and in life in general. As a math teacher, it is my responsibility to help instill this numeric language to all my students. Back to Standard 1 |
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(507) 625-8256 l karipratt@charter.net |
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