Instructor, Virginia Tech
Summer 2015: Mathematics: Basic notions of vector geometry (Math 1224) and calculus (Math 1205)
Spring 2015: Mathematics: Calculus of single variable (Math 1225)
Summer 2014: Mathematics: Basic notions of vector geometry (Math 1224) and calculus (Math 1205)
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Virginia Tech
Fall 2014: Vector geometry (Math 1224)
Spring 2014: Math Emporium (Courses: Math 1015, Math 1016, Math 1114, Math 1526, Math 1536)
Fall 2013: Math Emporium (Courses: Math 1015, Math 1016, Math 1114, Math 1525, Math 1535)
Learning is the fact of knowing something new. In a successful learning, students will notice their growth before and after that learning. They will be interested to know more. In my discipline, applied mathematics, there are two parts, a theoretical part (that most of the time, students do not like it), and a practical part. Students have to know and learn the basics and the fundamentals, in order to be able to apply them in a real problem situation.
When I was at high school, I was really good at Math. I was applying the formulas correctly; and that’s what the professor wanted us to do. The professor who taught me was teaching my sister too. He was complaining about her to our parents. My sister wanted to understand why are we doing this. She knew how to apply the formula, but she didn’t understand why? What’s the purpose behind that. Since she didn’t get answers, she chose science instead of math as major. Since I had excellent grades, I chose math. When I went to pre-college school, the key of success was understanding the material and having a great imagination and problem solving skills, that I unfortunately didn’t acquire them since high school. I worked so hard to catch up and get good grades that allowed me to go to the college I wanted. I have been taught by many professors and was inspired by some of them. There are professors who make the material like stories that students love and follow. I believe that the student must not only understand the material but also the reason behind that, the story and the purpose of learning that. I want them to have a acquire a problem-solving skill that could be acquired when they understand the context and master the tools is needed to solve that problem. A perfect teaching situation is when the teacher explains a problem and the students understand it, apply the tools correctly in order to solve it, and ask questions that are more challenging!
In order to help the students acquire these skills, I plan, at the beginning of a new lecture, to expose to them a real life problem and let them think about it. We discuss the ways and tools that we can use to solve the problem. After that, I explain to them that amazing math formula that helps us solve the problem (may be a little background about it). I do examples, and then give them an example to work on it as a group. After that, I will assign a homework problem to let them work on it individually. Since students love technology, I will try to use digital tools during class; may be some coding or simulations could help; depending on students’ level.
The most important thing I want to do as a teacher is to show the students the need of the theoretical parts by a practical example. Sometimes it is difficult to do so, but I will try my best to get them engaged and interested to learn the material.
The ideal student has to have the ability to apply all the theorems correctly. He should acquire the problem solving skills. He should think about the results he got if they make sense or not.
Group work is important to let the students discuss with each other new materials and help each other solving some problems. However, individual work is important as well, because at the end of the day, the student has to learn how to solve a problem by himself.
I like hearing their creative ideas, their open questions (that sometimes I don’t know how to answer), their passion to learn more. I will give them lecture, discuss with them. Work on an example on the board. Go through groups to check on them, answer their questions, and advise them.
When the student moves from solving an easy problem to a more complicated one, that means that he learned. Grading in math classes is counting the number of correct answer. I can not see a different way of assessing. To me, it is a good method for assessing. However, the rubric and assignments might change. Instead of giving them an exam, homework and classwork will be better (less stressful). It depends on which level I am teaching, projects are a very good option.
I like to incorporate coding with math. I feel that could be more exiting for students.
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