Due Monday, February 14, 2000
Math 0306 - Lab Assignment Week 5
Part 1
Practice your journal writing. Work on the following:
1. Write your math-autobiography.
a. Describe your earliest math experience.
b. Remember one of your math teachers. What was his/her opinion of math? What would you tell him/her if you would see him/her now?
c. Describe a moment when you had difficulty understanding a math concept which you later understood. What helped you understand it later? What techniques did you use to increase your understanding?
d. Watch yourself doing math. How do you approach math problems? Which techniques do you use? Which techniques are helpful, which ones are not? Do you have different approaches for different kinds of problems? Do you have different feelings regarding different kinds of problems? What makes the feelings different?
e. Finish the following sentence. When I think about learning math, I feel....
2. Improve your problem-solving skills.
a. Each time you have difficulty with a math problem (either a homework problem or a real life problem), write the problem in your journal. Then, in your journal, analyze your feelings regarding the problem. Analyze the problem, what about the problem do you understand? Narrow down the exact part of the problem which you don't understand. What about it is confusing? Investigate several options in solving the problem.
b. Create your own mini-quiz about the problems you just learned to solve. Write down 3 problems similar to the one you just solved in your journal. Solve the quiz problems in your journal.
3. Create a summary of your learning.
Go back over the last few weeks. Think about rules and concepts you have learned. Write everyone of them in your own words. From now on, use the journal to reword every concept in your own words. Imagine you having to explain the concept to another student. How would you best explain it?
4. Review your class.
After each class, spend some time writing in your journal. Which concepts were easy, which ones hard? What made the hard ones difficult? What helped you understand? What was confusing? What did you like about this class, what did you dislike?
Part 2
For the second part of your assignment, you have a choice:
Interact Math Tutorial Software
Interact Software can be found on the Computers in the Math area of the ELC. Click on the "puzzle" icon, and choose MATH 0306.
Choose the chapter which gives you the most difficulties.
Don't forget to make a print-out after you are done. Turn-in the print-out (add your name) on Monday.
Or
Steps to Success Videotapes
Videotapes accompanying the textbook can be checked out in the Library.
Find the correct tape by checking the icon in your book. After watching the tape, write a short evaluation about what did/did not help you, and what could be improved. Make sure you indicate which sections of the tape you watched.