Math Autobiography

 As a child I enjoyed mathematics, it always seems to make more sense to me. It was not my favorite subject as a child. I loved art, I loved to draw. Maybe that’s why I have such an affection for geometry and disappointment of the lack of geometry in current high school curriculum.

As a teenager, I remember tutoring my friend math and science. At the same time he taught me how to play the guitar. I was never a great guitar player but I always questioned how there was no avenue for him to  demonstrate success at our school. There was no avenue for creativity. When we see each other, he still jokes over a cold one that I am the reason he got through junior and senior high. Math had forged a friendship and an unbreakable bond between us, yet neither one of us would actually admit that to each other.

After graduating high school, I entered Memorial University as a scared young man. I had no idea where my formal education was going to take me. I remember my professor reading out my name along with a few others, he said he wanted to see us after class. For a second, I flashed back to my high school experiences when I was asked to stay after class. It meant I was in trouble. Usually for being an ass! After class my professor said to us, you are my A team. If you ever need any supports, advice, references just ask. I do not remember exactly what else he said, I realized I saw something I thought I would never see in the university setting, a professor who actually cared and truly wanted to help guide us (me) with my formal education.  That experience help foster my interest and love of mathematics, the single most important turning point in deciding the educational path I was to take. Mathematics! 

Not everyone thinks the same way.

Some times people think a little differently. But this is truly entertaining.

Does School Kill Creativity?

Sir Ken Robinson  challenges the way we look at education and children through an entertaining and yet profoundly creative argument. This video is an creative adaption of his speech. 

Philosophy of Teaching Statement

The task of every teacher is to increase the knowledge and understanding of every student in the classroom. As a teacher, I need to encourage independent thought and provide group interactions as an outlet for my students' ideas. Being able to form unique, independent ideas to solve problems will serve them both in and out of the classroom. Providing an environment to share ideas, and to work as a team member, is an important process in social and mental development.

The teacher must have a clear set of objectives, with specific goals for students. Learning through active participation of the learner is an important element in the learning process. The student will learn more if they are an important and active part of the process. Students need to feel comfortable approaching their teacher for discussion in and out of the classroom. Students react positively when they are treated with respect, as mature, capable individuals. I must appear to be knowledgeable, but also approachable. The most successful classes are those where the students bond as a group and become very active players in the learning process. Students will develop an interest in the subject area or, at the very least, develop an appreciation for the subject and the material being taught.

My main goal as a teacher is to foster automaticity. Automaticity is the ability to effortlessly complete tasks with low interference of other simultaneous activities and without conscious thought throughout the step-by-step process. Mastery of the material reduces the demand on the working memory and allows for higher order thinking. Repetition of math skills leads to the development of automaticity of the particular skills. Automaticity is achieved when a mathematics task can be completed almost effortlessly. The student does not have to think about individual steps and can carry out the task of solving the problem rather then focussing on the details of the basic skills required.

In order to be a successful teacher I must be consistently learning new things and strive to further myself. It is important to receive regular input from my students and colleagues; consistently attempting to improve my teaching style.

Biography

I grew up in the town of Isle Aux Morts, located 16 km south of Port Aux Basques. I attended LeGallais Memorial All Grade School. I also attended Memorial University of Newfoundland, and obtained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Pure Mathematics and a Bachelor of Education Degree. I am currently working on my Master of Education (Curriculum, Teaching, and Learning) at Memorial University. I have been teaching Mathematics and Physics at the high school level since September 1999 and he has been teaching foundation mathematics at the Mathematics Learning Centre at Memorial University of Newfoundland since January 2000. I am currently teaching grade 7 and 8 mathematics at the intermediate level.

On a personal note, his favorite musical artists include Bob Dylan, Neil Young, The Hip, U2, Rolling Stones, Kiss, Muddy Walters. Jonathan's favorite movies include all six Star Wars, Shawshank Redemption, One Who Flew Over The Coo-Coo's Nest, all the James Bond movies, Pulp Fiction, Seven, Big Fish, and many more. Jonathan's all time favorite song is"I Still Haven't Found What I am looking For" by U2. In the world of sports he loves the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Blue Jays, LA Lakers, Chicago Bears. His hobbies consist of playing softball, snowshoeing, jogging, biking, drawing, listening to music, building models, solving mathematics problems, and weight lifting.

Why study mathematics?

Why study mathematics? Well that's not an easy question to answer either. But as a student of life, I see mathematics everywhere. From the geometric shapes in my drawing and the art I enjoy; from the structural design of the buildings around the city; to the binary code that my computer uses to produce the images on my screen; to the movement of the stars and other heavenly bodies in the night sky.

Whether you plan on studying; Physics; Chemistry; English; or playing the guitar, the ideology is one in the same; in order to be efficient in either field of study, one must appreciate the discipline and practice the skills required.

Math education and Mathematics is undergoing an explosion in new ideas and techniques, as well as in the understanding of basic mathematical structures. The discipline is also central to areas of post-secondary education from economics to engineering and is an essential building block for every student's educational future.

Why is homework important?

Homework is important because it is at the intersection between home and school. Homework serves several constructive purposes in every student’s educational experience. Through practice and participation in learning mathematics, homework can improve the student’s achievement. Thus, it would be expected that if homework was completed accurately, not only would the student’s general knowledge and grades improve, but he/she would also increase mastery of mathematics.

The APEF curriculum is based on the constructivism approach, which emphasizes the importance of the learner’s active engagement during the learning process. The learner constructs or generates meaning from his/her experiences rather than passively receiving knowledge from the teacher. It increases emphasis on real problem-solving, investigations, projects, and other forms of applying mathematical knowledge and skills in everyday life situations.

My teaching is most effective when I understand what the learner knows and I have the tools, tasks and techniques to challenge and support the learner to move forward learning mathematics. As a teacher, my goal is to help students construct a deep understanding of mathematical ideas and processes by engaging them in doing mathematics: creating, conjecturing, exploring, testing, and verifying. Problem solving is, however, more than a vehicle for teaching and reinforcing mathematical knowledge and helping to meet everyday challenges. It is also a skill, which can enhance logical reasoning.

As a teacher, I would attempt to make home work more meaningful for students in several ways. When deciding what home work to assign, consider how meaningful the work is. When students see the purpose of a home work assignment or are interested in the topic, they are more likely to do it. It is important to communicate my home work policy to students and their families the first day of classes, a written policy is a great idea. Having a simple procedure for grading home work, having students check their own work or sharing work with peers to get feedback can also be effective. Large projects may be presented to the whole class. It is very important to record the assignment and points earned on a Home Work Grade Sheet. At this point it is important to communicate clearly when students do not do their home work. Show any students who do not turn in their assignments the record that indicates they are missing work. Tell them how this will affect their final grade. For long assignments, set benchmark dates for smaller sections of the assignment to be due. On each given benchmark date, have students bring the specified work to class to share with their classmates.