Ranting

The issue of education starts at the top. It is a problem that needs to seen from a perspective further away. Colleges are setting admissions standards without really understanding the damage they’re causing at the secondary level. Some of their reasoning can be justified but taken with a grain of salt. Colleges believe that Algebra II is the gateway to getting their students to obtain high paying jobs. They also believe that having students know Algebra II that it will fulfill a shortage of people who have technical skills.

I don’t have the hands on experience of the classroom, but from what I’ve gathered from my cousins in high school as well as listening to our discussions in class. It seems as though there is just way too much asked of students and teachers. From trying to teach the curriculum to making sure students pass a standardized test, there is not enough time and energy to properly to complete the tasks. It seems as though there is call for the need to simplify things or stream line.

Our students are just getting diluted education as teachers and schools try to produce “college ready” students. Rather than cram everything, schools should make sure our students have a solid foundation of mathematics so they can build off that. Not everyone will need Algebra II nor will they use it in their life time. Quite frankly, I find it laughable that colleges think that they have the right to put these required courses in place. I’m sure a lot of people will agree, college did not make them any smarter than they were when they entered. A lot of the education learned is done while on the job. Colleges should be a shamed of themselves.

On a random side topic, I’ve noticed our children have become lazier or spoiled, whichever side you want to look at it. The issue is that the kids today have reaped the benefits of what the past decade (before the recession) has brought to them and their families. I’m not completely blaming the children on this, because they only learn from their environment, but that needs to be looked at as our society has definitely changed. Education needs to change because right now its like fitting a square peg in a round hole. Don't blame the teachers!

Post Presentation

Happy April!
After going through each curriculum, it was very educational to see the strengths and weakness of each one. I found that it may not be feasible to always get a school to use a curriculum, but taking bits and pieces from each one can come in handy when trying to teach math. I don't teach yet, but to know that there are different methods, and techniques for mathematics helps me to know that there are always alternative ways to teach math and to get students engaged and more proactive towards learning.

Topic of the week

Pythagorean Theorem

I wanted to write about this diagram. I actually learned this recently and really enjoyed it as my teacher showed it to me. It provides a great way to visually introduce the topic to students. The triangles has sides a,b,c. The square has 4 triangles that form two squares with areas b^2 and a^2. It can be a quick activity where the students can cut out the triangles and fit the pieces. When the triangles are rearranged to create another square, where all the c sides create a square, the student can see that the area of the square is c^2.

It's a visual proof to help students to see how the pythagorean theorem works. It helps students to reinforce that a^2+b^2=c^2.

What's so great about math? Why do we need to learn it?

Math is important. As an engineer, I got to see an in-depth application of it. Students should learn it for several reasons. Math reaches every product they use. An easy examples are the iPhone and computers. Without math, these popular products would not exist and not redefine the way we live. Now I know not every student will want to be an engineer or scientist. They need to see the applications to their lives everyday, such as using money. I don’t think any student wants to be ripped off or lose more money than they need to. I’ve also realized that math is a good tool to develop problem-solving skills, so even if students don’t love math, they gain the ability to problem solve. I hope that students can see why math is important to learn. It's not just about numbers and greek letters.

First post!

Reasons for being a teacher...

My name is Jin Lee. I have no real teaching experience. The extent of my know how of schooling and education is that I have a few friends that are teachers, who share their frustrations with students, parents and administration, but that's as far as it goes. I started off as a lab technician for 2 years and then an engineering consultant for 2 more, but found it to be really unsatisfying. Something about standing around in a lab or staring at a screen was just not doing it for me.

Teaching was sort of my last choice. I applied to other schools for physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician's assistant, and a few others. I chose to be a teacher because prior to attending undergrad, I debated between engineering and teaching, so with the opportunity to go back to school, my curiosity has led me to teaching. I feel that I am good at explaining math to others and those I have tutored showed great signs of improvement. I came to Montclair St. for my MAT to further those skills and learn other strategies to teach to a classroom effectively and efficiently. All the dominoes seemed to fall in place to become a teacher, and here I am! Three semesters away from actually teaching!

As naive as it sounds, I feel as though teaching gives me the opportunity to be a great influence on our future, not only in math, but also in life.

The question remains... Did I make the right choice? Who knows, but I hope I'm right.