Reflection Logs

Your reflection log questions will be posted here as they are presented in class.

August 27:  Before coming to class today, what were your expectations about this class?  After the first class, reading the syllabus, and reading the preface from the explorations book, what are your expectations now? 

August 29:  Excellent job on the first day of group work!  How did you feel about solving an unfamiliar problem while working with others?

August 31:  How did watching actual children in an actual classroom fit with your prior expectations about teaching?  Describe the experience both socially and mathematically - that is, be sure to comment on the mathematics of the teacher and the students.

September 5:  What are your personal goals for this course?  What do you hope to get out of this course?  Are your personal goals in-line with the course goals as described?  What will you put into the course in order to acheive your personal goals?

September 7:  Today you and your classmates presented number systems as if to someone who hadn't learned them before.  This is something you are likely to do repeatedly in your  career.  What challenges did you notice in this that you hadn't previously considered?

September 10:  How does discussing the Chinese verbal system reinforce our English verbal system?

September 12:  Why do we learn other bases in this class if we will not be teaching our students other bases?

September 14:  Frequently styles of mental arithmetic vary greatly across generations.  Find someone at least as old as your parents (preferably older), and interview them about their mental arithmetic.  Perhaps use our questions as suggestions, but feel free to share any techniques they have.

September 17:  Do you ever use any of the methods for addition discussed today?  Which?  Are there any that are new to you that you may begin to use?

September 19:  Do you ever use any of the methods for subtraction discussed today?  Which?  Are there any that are new to you that you may begin to use?

September 21:  What difficulties did you or your groupmembers have with addition and subtraction?  How do you think they will be seen in your students?

September 24:  Today we were challenged by giving constructive feedback.  Is there ever a situation in which no feedback would possibly be useful?  Perhaps consider the "does what it's told" discussion at the beginning of the course.  

September 26:  How do you feel entering the exam?  What aspects are you confident about?  What aspects are concerning you?

September 28:  How did you feel about the exam after having taken it?  Was it what you expected?

October 1:  Now that you have had your exam returned, what have you learned from the experience?  Were there any surprises in evaluation?

October 3:  Do you ever use any of the methods for multiplication discussed today?  Which?  Are there any that are new to you that you may begin to use?

October 5:  Many people said today was fun.  Why?  What can you use from this experience in your own classrooms?

October 10:  How do you feel about elementary school students memorising multiplication tables?  (There is not a right answer - there are good points on both sides.)

October 12:  Wednesday we saw several interpretations of division and today several different situations for remainders.  How have these affected your thoughts and understandings regarding the process and meaning of division?

October 15:  How do you feel about your new (assigned) group?

October 17:  What were your childhood experiences with long division?  How have our discussions and study affected your views?

October 19:  We've begun round two of basic skills checks.  Sometimes these are the least popular aspect of 140.  Why do we have them?  What is the use?  Do you see any other (perhaps more effective way) to reach the same goal?

October 22:  For the past two days we have had some number theory explorations into factors.  We have learned something many people do not know (how to find the number of factors a number has).  How do you feel about this exploration and searching for patters and problem solving rather than merely attempting to understand basics?

October 24:  It seems that cycles are a topic not frequently discussed in mathematics classes.  What are some important or interesting cycles that occur in life not mentioned in today's activity?

October 26:  We seemed to have a good day with integers.  Due to that and my recent lapses in posting questions on time, let's have a day off of reflection logs.

October 29:  Describe your experiences with rational numbers (fractions and decimals) before entering this class.

October 31:  How do you feel entering the exam?  What aspects are you confident about?  What aspects are concerning you?

November 2:  How did you feel about the exam after having taken it?  Was it what you expected?

November 5:  Now that you have had your exam returned, what have you learned from the experience?  Were there any surprises in evaluation?

November 7:  You are preparing to teach children.  Some ideas for that future are being modeled in our class, and some are not.  How do you feel teaching and learning is different for adults (in our class) than for children (in your future classes).  Please include comments on social/emotional issues as well.

November 9:  Comparing fractions is a common daily activity.  Did any of our methods today appeal to you?  Are there any you may use occasionally in the future?

November 12:  Find someone not in this class.  Interview them.  Ask:  do you like fractions?  Why, or more likely why not?

November 14:  Were there any surprises today about multiplication and division of fractions?  And, related, why was class so lethargic on this day?

November 16:  When are fractions easier to work with than decimals?  When are decimals easier to work with than fractions?   (Note:  neither answer is 'always'.)

November 19:  Which is more accurate:  4/3 or 1.33333?  Contemplate.  What do you think most people would say?  Why?

November 26:  No question for today.  Please work to refine your weekly questions and final projects.  

November 28:  Please reflect on the course as a whole.  Good questions to address:  What was most surprising?  What are you most pleased to have learned?  Is there anything you wish you had learned (please remember teaching children mathematics is the subject of CURR 316)?  Please include any other summarial thoughts.