Mathematical Philosophy
Math curriculum and practices rests on important "processes and proficiencies" with longstanding importance in mathematics education. Such processes include problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, representation, and connections. Furthermore, focus proficiencies aim to give students adaptive reasoning, strategic competence, conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and productive disposition. The above descriptions serve as the backbone towards the activities and group work that students engage in each week. Beyond basic skills and procedures, typically thought of as math education, we strive to create learners and thinkers with the following goals:
Students will be able to...
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and, constructively, critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
Students will be able to...
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and, constructively, critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
"The reason why few students ever realize that there is mathematics outside the textbook is that no one ever tells them that."
Ian Stewart
Ian Stewart
Reflective Journaling
Each week, students will reflect on their mathematical abilities and reasoning through guided questions and free writes; students will use their journal as a gauge to identify their progress and attitude towards math this year.
Problem of the Week
Students work on open-ended investigations in which they must write and illustrate their strategies and solutions to complex problems, and deliver oral and written presentations to the class.