1st Journal
I. Rank your favorite subject (#1 = Favorite through #9 least favorite)
_7__Mathematics
_8__English
_1__Science
_2__Social Studies
_5__Art
_9__Business
_4__Computers
_3__Music
_6__Physical Education
II. How many math courses have you completed since you were in 8th grade?
(Count 9th grade as “one” and then continue from there.)
5
III. Write the name of your hometown and tell me how many miles your hometown is away from Fargo?
Fargo 0 miles away
IV. Math Autobiography and “Why do children learn math?”
Growing up math came fairly easy to me. I was in a math class all the way through my first year of college. I was in the advanced math path from seventh grade through 11th grade (pre-calculus). However, I did have a few hiccups along the way.
My first issue with math was finishing what we called mad minutes. You had to answer 20-30 math problems depending on the chapter in less than one minute. These sheets created a lot of stress in my early life. I knew how to do all of the problems, but having a time limit scared me and I would freeze up. Eventually, with lots of practice at home, I was able to get past the freezing up and succeed.
Geometry was another place I struggled. Learning all of the rules was my problem. It felt more like learning facts and memorization than doing math like I was used to. I did pass the class and move on but that year was very hard for me.
Finally when I entered pre-calculus, which was half trigonometry half calculus, I realized I was in over my head. The teacher I had did not care if we did well or not, was not willing to help outside of class, and felt he was weeding us out and preventing failure in college. I did not grasp these concepts well and felt I had no place to turn. I switched from the advanced math course to the average track mid-year.
I like learning math because it is a challenge. I enjoy solving problems and knowing I did well. The same reason I like math is the reason I dislike it. Sometimes it is too challenging for me and I get frustrated especially when I feel I have no one to turn to for help.
I feel math is a necessity for life. We are constantly solving math problems in our daily lives. It may be paying for something with cash, or measuring an object to see if it will fit in a room. I still enjoy math, I do puzzles involving math problems from time to time, I just know my limits surrounding math.
I feel children must learn math early. Math is like a foreign language. Young children learn language at a fast pace and so it makes sense to teach math during a time they are developing so quickly. I feel if we wait until children are older math actually would be harder to learn. Also, even at young ages math is crucial to life. It may be playing with Legos, buying candy, and many other situations. Math empowers children and helps them be more independent.
