ImagineIT: Phase 2
I teach mathematics at William J. Bogan Computer Technical High School on the southwest side of Chicago in the Ashburn neighborhood. Bogan High School was the first 1:1 Chromebook high school in CPS. Three years ago, Bogan began the transformation process for underperforming schools. With new administration, Bogan has grown academically and continues to improve. I am the Mathematics Department Chair and a member of the Instructional Leadership Team. For the 2015-2016 school year, I will teach Advanced Algebra, a junior course, and AP Calculus AB, a senior course. I will have three classes of 25-30 students daily for 50 minute periods. Our school year is divided into semesters. My ImagineIt Project will reshape my instruction in both classes but with an emphasis in Advanced Algebra.
The big idea for my project is to create interest in exploring math. My ImagineIT project looks at the big picture of mathematics through understandings and misconceptions. The project will focus on several key questions. What is math? Why do we study it? How can we better understand it? How does math connect to our world and our daily lives? Exploring these questions throughout the year will create an environment where students discuss their mathematical thought process and become true mathematicians.
Many people do not understand what is a mathematician. I recently read a New York Times article called “The Singular Mind of Terry Tao” about a prodigy discussing his understanding of mathematics.
It turned out that the work of real mathematicians bears little resemblance to the manipulations and memorization of the
math student.
The ancient art of mathematics, Tao has discovered, does not reward speed so much as patience, cunning and, perhaps
most surprising of all, the sort of gift for collaboration and improvisation that characterizes the best jazz musicians. (Cook 2015)
I want my students to experience the art of mathematics through patience and collaboration. I chose this big idea because I find that my students have a disconnect between what we do in class and what they see in the real world. I want my students to discuss their understandings and misconceptions with a growth mindset. To build their understandings, they must deconstruct their misconceptions. This is done through exploring, creating and sharing.
The broad content ideas covered for the AP Calculus AB course will be limits, derivatives and integrals. For Advanced Algebra, the content will be non-linear relationships (exponential, logarithmic, radical, polynomial and rational), families of functions and trigonometry. In order to look at the content through new eyes, I will implement more inquiry based activities where the students find patterns and make connections to prior knowledge while deconstructing any misconceptions and developing new understandings. I will use 3 ACT Math and the resource links from La Cucina Matematica to develop these activities. I will also use the growth mindset resources from PERTS to help students persevere through obstacles. For incorporating technology, I will use Alice Keeler’s blog to integrate more Google into my classroom.
Performances of understanding will occur several ways. Daily, there is a class discussion about why our objective is important. The main goal is a shift away from safe answers like, “it will be on the ACT or AP exam” and towards real life examples. I want the students to search for the connections and see how math is all around them. At the end of each class, we will discuss what they learned, why they learned it and how they reached this understanding. Other performances of understanding will include Think, Pair, Share, Exit Tickets, Math Talks, Padlet and Google Forms. Weekly, students will submit their favorite mistake of the week. They will share what misconception they had and how they persevered through it. As a class, we will celebrate our mistakes by playing part of the chorus from “It’s a mistake” by Men at Work. This approach will help create a safe environment to take risks. I will use Teach Inquiry to help shape my goals for understanding. I will also rework by unit plans to make sure I am incorporating the essential questions that I developed.
The content, pedagogy and technology will be woven together using the TPACK model. The content will be either 11th or 12th grade math. The pedagogy will be the 3 ACT math approach to learning with growth mindset. The technology will be instructional videos that I create and find along with a class website to make learning accessible to everyone. The instructional videos will be either direct instruction or inquiry based. I chose instructional videos to enhance the learning experiences of my students. The direct instruction videos will allow for students to watch the process several times. This technology will be used to inform. The inquiry based videos will allow students to see the real world connections and ask questions. This technology will be used to inspire. Through all of this, I will share my successes and failures with others. I will open my classroom and my understanding to the world and allow for further grow. My students and I will learn together.
Cook, Gareth. "The Singular Mind of Terry Tao." The New York Times Magazine 24 July 2015. Print.
The big idea for my project is to create interest in exploring math. My ImagineIT project looks at the big picture of mathematics through understandings and misconceptions. The project will focus on several key questions. What is math? Why do we study it? How can we better understand it? How does math connect to our world and our daily lives? Exploring these questions throughout the year will create an environment where students discuss their mathematical thought process and become true mathematicians.
Many people do not understand what is a mathematician. I recently read a New York Times article called “The Singular Mind of Terry Tao” about a prodigy discussing his understanding of mathematics.
It turned out that the work of real mathematicians bears little resemblance to the manipulations and memorization of the
math student.
The ancient art of mathematics, Tao has discovered, does not reward speed so much as patience, cunning and, perhaps
most surprising of all, the sort of gift for collaboration and improvisation that characterizes the best jazz musicians. (Cook 2015)
I want my students to experience the art of mathematics through patience and collaboration. I chose this big idea because I find that my students have a disconnect between what we do in class and what they see in the real world. I want my students to discuss their understandings and misconceptions with a growth mindset. To build their understandings, they must deconstruct their misconceptions. This is done through exploring, creating and sharing.
The broad content ideas covered for the AP Calculus AB course will be limits, derivatives and integrals. For Advanced Algebra, the content will be non-linear relationships (exponential, logarithmic, radical, polynomial and rational), families of functions and trigonometry. In order to look at the content through new eyes, I will implement more inquiry based activities where the students find patterns and make connections to prior knowledge while deconstructing any misconceptions and developing new understandings. I will use 3 ACT Math and the resource links from La Cucina Matematica to develop these activities. I will also use the growth mindset resources from PERTS to help students persevere through obstacles. For incorporating technology, I will use Alice Keeler’s blog to integrate more Google into my classroom.
Performances of understanding will occur several ways. Daily, there is a class discussion about why our objective is important. The main goal is a shift away from safe answers like, “it will be on the ACT or AP exam” and towards real life examples. I want the students to search for the connections and see how math is all around them. At the end of each class, we will discuss what they learned, why they learned it and how they reached this understanding. Other performances of understanding will include Think, Pair, Share, Exit Tickets, Math Talks, Padlet and Google Forms. Weekly, students will submit their favorite mistake of the week. They will share what misconception they had and how they persevered through it. As a class, we will celebrate our mistakes by playing part of the chorus from “It’s a mistake” by Men at Work. This approach will help create a safe environment to take risks. I will use Teach Inquiry to help shape my goals for understanding. I will also rework by unit plans to make sure I am incorporating the essential questions that I developed.
The content, pedagogy and technology will be woven together using the TPACK model. The content will be either 11th or 12th grade math. The pedagogy will be the 3 ACT math approach to learning with growth mindset. The technology will be instructional videos that I create and find along with a class website to make learning accessible to everyone. The instructional videos will be either direct instruction or inquiry based. I chose instructional videos to enhance the learning experiences of my students. The direct instruction videos will allow for students to watch the process several times. This technology will be used to inform. The inquiry based videos will allow students to see the real world connections and ask questions. This technology will be used to inspire. Through all of this, I will share my successes and failures with others. I will open my classroom and my understanding to the world and allow for further grow. My students and I will learn together.
Cook, Gareth. "The Singular Mind of Terry Tao." The New York Times Magazine 24 July 2015. Print.