1. Positive Statement
I am most proud of using up all of my time for my 2-Hour presentation. I thought I would have trouble making the minimum requirements, but it turns out that I had extraordinary amounts of information.
2. Questions to Consider
A. I would give myself an AE on my 2-Hour Presentation for going above time, having plenty of information and credible sources backing it up, and having a logical sense of organization.
B. I would give myself a P for my overall senior project, mainly because I did have trouble with my first independent component.
3. What worked for you in your senior project?
What worked for me was all the information and the first-hand experiences that I obtained. It was fairly simple to acquire research articles, mentorship showed me personally how to deal with students, and my interviews were easy to schedule and I received more than what I was expecting from each.
4. What didn't work?
I would go back in time and do more hours in Mrs. Murillo's classroom for Saturday School. I had been going to them, but I would miss one every other time. Going to all of the saturday schools would have allowed me to finish earlier, instead of asking Mrs. Murillo to stay longer for the future saturday schools.
5. Finding Value
The senior project has been helpful because I now have a stronger understanding of mathematics, more than I had ever had before. This will allow me to finish my major (mathematics, minor in statistics) in college much easier than if I had not done my senior project. I am also a much better tutor than I was in sophomore and junior year. I have all the techniques to help students, and I intend to use them all in order for them to succeed. As for the future, I believe having this sort of background on future resumes will help me acquire jobs, or qualify me as an expert tutor.
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Individual Blog Post #10
Again, I am helping Brian Arteaga. He received a test back, and if he could explain all the questions he got wrong he would get half credit for each one. I tutored him in basic Geometry principles involving circles and applying algebra to circles.
Individual Blog Post #9
In this picture, I am helping one of the students I tutor for community service hours, Brian Arteaga. He is a sophomore, and because of this he was taking the CST's that week. He needed some review on the mathematics section, so I helped him with a practice CST.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Blog 25: Mentorship
Literal:
- Total mentorship hours and description of what I did: Mentorship
- My mentor is Laura Murillo. Her work number is (562) 801-5088. Her email is murillo@erusd.org
Interpretive:
I believe the most important thing I gained from this experience is knowing how to communicate with the students. I saw first-hand how Mrs. Murillo taught her students and how she kept them interested with the work they needed to do. She was very informative with the concepts, especially if the students did not understand a thing. She grabbed their attention by included them into the class discussions. She was even witty with her students if they were getting off task. After seeing all this, I was able to communicate with the students when I helped them in saturday school. I also used these techniques to tutor the students at I-Poly.
Applied:
This experience has helped me back up my second answer for my essential question, which is connecting with the students. I realized that the students who were more open to Mrs. Murillo and asked for help were the ones that did better in her class. When Mrs. Murillo included shy students into their discussions, they were able to understand how to do a problem. If the students were getting off task, Mrs. Murillo would use them as examples in problems to grab their attention and keep them focused. It was basically a confirmation that connecting with students is, indeed, an important answer to my EQ.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Blog 24: Exit Interview Questions
1. What is your essential question? What is the best answer to your question and why?
My essential question is "What is the best way to teach mathematics so that it is retained?" My best answer is connecting mathematics to real life. This is my best answer because through my research I found that students become more interested when mathematics relates to them. Some students have trouble thinking abstractly. Also, the Common Core State Initiative will focus on applying mathematics to real life, so it is obviously important. It is better than my other two answers because it requires the use of both. Conceptual Understanding, Problem Solving, and Procedural Fluency can be easily obtained if real world applications are taught. Applying mathematics to students' lives make it seem more relevant, so therefore connecting with the students is also involved.
2. What process did you take to arrive to your answer?
I started off my EQ with "What are the most important steps to teaching the California Algebra Standards?" I realized that next year it would not matter because the Common Core State Initiative will replace the California standards. What I came to realize was that one of the major problems with mathematics is that students always forget what they learned. In the end, I changed my EQ to "What is the best way to teach mathematics so that it is retained?", because students need to remember what they are taught.
My potential answers were knowing the right teaching steps, connecting with students, and connecting mathematics with real life. I came up with my first answer after my 3rd interview. Cesar Covarubias, my former middle school math teacher, told me about his 3 teaching steps: Conceptual Understanding, Problem Solving, and Procedural Fluency. I came up with my second answer when researching articles on connecting with students. There were many helpful sources that included being respected and being less intimidating. However, the most helpful one was "7 Strategies for Teachers to Connect with Students", written by Tara Brown. I came up with my third answer after requests from my teachers at I-Poly. Mr. Ogden and Mr. Purther agreed that it was important to connect mathematics to real life, so that caused me to research that topic more.
After reviewing an article titled "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics", receiving new activities from Mr. Estrada, and getting confirmation from my final interviewee, Tor Ormseth, I came to the conclusion that my best answer was connecting mathematics to real life.
3. What problems did you face and how did you resolve them?
My first problem was with mentorship. My mentor works at Rivera Middle School in Pico Rivera, and her school days are from 8:00AM to 3:00PM. I am not able to go from I-Poly to Pico Rivera without it taking longer than 3 hours on the bust, which is my only means of transportation. To resolve this I have been going to Saturday school that lasts for 2 hours, and once in a while I go when I have a vacation day and that school does not.
My second problem was with my essential question. As I have stated before, I needed to change my essential question in the second semester. It was a problem because most of the information I received from the first semester was focused on California Algebra standards, so it was not that useful. I did not have much to back up my second and final EQ. To solve this, I asked many math teachers to help give me answers to the EQ so that I can research the suggested ones. I asked Mr. Estrada, Mr. Ogden, my mentor Mrs. Murillo, my old teacher Mr. Covarubias, and Mr. Ormseth. From what they told me, I was able to arrive at my 3 most important answers.
4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My essential question is "What is the best way to teach mathematics so that it is retained?" My best answer is connecting mathematics to real life. This is my best answer because through my research I found that students become more interested when mathematics relates to them. Some students have trouble thinking abstractly. Also, the Common Core State Initiative will focus on applying mathematics to real life, so it is obviously important. It is better than my other two answers because it requires the use of both. Conceptual Understanding, Problem Solving, and Procedural Fluency can be easily obtained if real world applications are taught. Applying mathematics to students' lives make it seem more relevant, so therefore connecting with the students is also involved.
2. What process did you take to arrive to your answer?
I started off my EQ with "What are the most important steps to teaching the California Algebra Standards?" I realized that next year it would not matter because the Common Core State Initiative will replace the California standards. What I came to realize was that one of the major problems with mathematics is that students always forget what they learned. In the end, I changed my EQ to "What is the best way to teach mathematics so that it is retained?", because students need to remember what they are taught.
My potential answers were knowing the right teaching steps, connecting with students, and connecting mathematics with real life. I came up with my first answer after my 3rd interview. Cesar Covarubias, my former middle school math teacher, told me about his 3 teaching steps: Conceptual Understanding, Problem Solving, and Procedural Fluency. I came up with my second answer when researching articles on connecting with students. There were many helpful sources that included being respected and being less intimidating. However, the most helpful one was "7 Strategies for Teachers to Connect with Students", written by Tara Brown. I came up with my third answer after requests from my teachers at I-Poly. Mr. Ogden and Mr. Purther agreed that it was important to connect mathematics to real life, so that caused me to research that topic more.
After reviewing an article titled "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics", receiving new activities from Mr. Estrada, and getting confirmation from my final interviewee, Tor Ormseth, I came to the conclusion that my best answer was connecting mathematics to real life.
3. What problems did you face and how did you resolve them?
My first problem was with mentorship. My mentor works at Rivera Middle School in Pico Rivera, and her school days are from 8:00AM to 3:00PM. I am not able to go from I-Poly to Pico Rivera without it taking longer than 3 hours on the bust, which is my only means of transportation. To resolve this I have been going to Saturday school that lasts for 2 hours, and once in a while I go when I have a vacation day and that school does not.
My second problem was with my essential question. As I have stated before, I needed to change my essential question in the second semester. It was a problem because most of the information I received from the first semester was focused on California Algebra standards, so it was not that useful. I did not have much to back up my second and final EQ. To solve this, I asked many math teachers to help give me answers to the EQ so that I can research the suggested ones. I asked Mr. Estrada, Mr. Ogden, my mentor Mrs. Murillo, my old teacher Mr. Covarubias, and Mr. Ormseth. From what they told me, I was able to arrive at my 3 most important answers.
4. What are the two most significant sources you used to answer your essential question and why?
My first most significant source was "Common Core State Standards for Mathematics" on the Common Core State Initiative website. It is a 148 page document about what students need to know by the end of the year based on the grade. What I thought was interested was that it did not have familiar classes, such as Algebra and Geometry. Instead it had ideas from each original class incorporated into a year.
My second most significant source was Tor Ormseth. Mr. Ormseth is an Algebra teacher at Burke Middle School as well as a professor at Fullerton State University. He helped me get another feel for Common Core, and he also helped confirm that my best answer should be connecting mathematics to real life.
5. What is your product and why?
My product is that I have become much more knowledgable about how to help students understand concepts. I have also developed better relationships with the students I tutor, which is really helpful. I believe that my best product is that I have become much more experienced with mathematics and I myself have grasped a better understanding of some concepts than I had before. After all, teaching and simplifying mathematics to students forced me to review what I believed I knew.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Blog 23: 2014 Interview
I interviewed 2 Juniors: Noah Nikielski and Juan Rizo, both from North House.
Noah:
M: What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?
N: I want to do electrical engineering or mechanical engineering. They are what I know the most about.
M: What do you plan to do for your ten hour mentorship experience?
N: I was planning on volunteering with my mom's friend. He is getting a PhD in mechanical engineering.
M: What do you hope to see or expect to see in watching the 2013 2-hour presentations?
N: I hope to see someone doing engineering or at least architecture.
M: There is a presenter who is sort of doing both. The presenter is Andy Guan, and I believe his senior project is architecture, but he also covers much of the engineering involved in it.
M: What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project?
N: Is it hard? Hahaha.
M: It's actually not that hard if you meet all your deadlines and work on it throughout the year. There is a lot of preparation for the 2-hour presentation, including the 10 minute presentation, the 30 minute presentation, presenting on activities, templates, research checks, etc. Finding mentorship for engineering is tough, but since you're mother's friend is going to help you with that I'd say you are good to go.
Juan:
M: What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?
J: To play sports and baseball. I really like sports.
M: What do you plan to do for your ten hour mentorship experience?
J: To go around asking all the coaches, like minor league coaches, so they can help me out with my project.
M: What do you hope to see or expect in the 2013 senior presentations?
J: To see intellectual presentations and to teach us Juniors how to run our projects when we're seniors.
M: What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project?
J: Who do you make a presentation that is 2 hours?
M: It's easy because they break it down. They don't just say, "Here, present it." They give you a template. It's really just an outline and you have to fill it out. You're supposed to put basic ideas of what you will talk about, so it helps you be organized. It's sort of like preparation for your powerpoint. You have about 2 hours for the actual presentation, but that counts for getting set up, activities, and speaking time. It's really easy, especially when you work on it throughout the year. The first one you do is a 10 minute presentation, then a 30 minute presentation, followed by a couple of activity presentations. So by the time you actually do it, you'll be ready.
Noah:
M: What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?
N: I want to do electrical engineering or mechanical engineering. They are what I know the most about.
M: What do you plan to do for your ten hour mentorship experience?
N: I was planning on volunteering with my mom's friend. He is getting a PhD in mechanical engineering.
M: What do you hope to see or expect to see in watching the 2013 2-hour presentations?
N: I hope to see someone doing engineering or at least architecture.
M: There is a presenter who is sort of doing both. The presenter is Andy Guan, and I believe his senior project is architecture, but he also covers much of the engineering involved in it.
M: What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project?
N: Is it hard? Hahaha.
M: It's actually not that hard if you meet all your deadlines and work on it throughout the year. There is a lot of preparation for the 2-hour presentation, including the 10 minute presentation, the 30 minute presentation, presenting on activities, templates, research checks, etc. Finding mentorship for engineering is tough, but since you're mother's friend is going to help you with that I'd say you are good to go.
Juan:
M: What ideas do you have for your senior project and why?
J: To play sports and baseball. I really like sports.
M: What do you plan to do for your ten hour mentorship experience?
J: To go around asking all the coaches, like minor league coaches, so they can help me out with my project.
M: What do you hope to see or expect in the 2013 senior presentations?
J: To see intellectual presentations and to teach us Juniors how to run our projects when we're seniors.
M: What questions do you have that I can answer about senior year or senior project?
J: Who do you make a presentation that is 2 hours?
M: It's easy because they break it down. They don't just say, "Here, present it." They give you a template. It's really just an outline and you have to fill it out. You're supposed to put basic ideas of what you will talk about, so it helps you be organized. It's sort of like preparation for your powerpoint. You have about 2 hours for the actual presentation, but that counts for getting set up, activities, and speaking time. It's really easy, especially when you work on it throughout the year. The first one you do is a 10 minute presentation, then a 30 minute presentation, followed by a couple of activity presentations. So by the time you actually do it, you'll be ready.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
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