Look at them as superordinate categories. As you look at conjecturing
ask where would it fit? Under WHAT IF? with estimating.
Defining fits undetr the WHAT category. What is this?
Generalizing would fit under WHY?
Exploring is definately a WHAT IF?
Properties are a WHAT, but they also explain some WHYs?
The proposed reasoning approach takes students with little or no math
schema to a place where they can at least start a problem.
See if you can apply the system in you instruction first then see how
the students respond. The first thing our instructors noticed was they
spent most of the time writing out HOW and explained WHY orally.
Eldon L. McMurray
Director
Faculty Center for Teaching Excellence
Assistant Professor
College Success & Academic Literacy
Utah Valley State College
800 West University Parkway
Orem, UT 84058
(801) 863-8550
>> sandowda(a)msu.edu 03/08/05 6:43 PM >>>
Dr. McMurray,
I agree that the three things you list are useful in solving math
problems whose solution methods are already known; however, I
wouldn't say they're sufficient for "fully understand[ing]
mathematics." How do you address central mathematical practices like
conjecturing, defining, generalizing, exploring whether different
solution methods yield different insights, etc.? Or are those kinds
of things not goals for you in teaching undergraduates?
Dara Sandow
At 11:30 PM -0700 3/7/05, Eldon McMurray wrote:
The following article is an example of using
predominant learning
styles and Bloom' Taxonomy to teach mathematical reasoning. It is
the model all of our tutors are trained with. This has been very
helpful to our instructors as they mentor adjuncts.
The WHAT, HOW, WHY, and WHAT IF of Mathematics: Teaching
undergraduates to think up Benjamin Blooms cognitive Levels
By Carole Sullivan and Eldon McMurray of Utah Valley State College
To fully understand mathematics, it is important to know three
things:
1. WHAT precisely the problem is asking;
2. HOW to do the problem; and
3. WHY certain steps give you the correct answer.
Then to consider this: WHAT IF the problem were a little different.
...
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