I have actually not seen Patricia in class for the past two weeks, and I sense that can not be good. She was one of the students that had a significant amount of change over the previous 6 or so weeks. The teacher has told me about a lot of personal problems that Patricia had gone through, and this actually was not her first time taking the class. But she was surprisingly well receptive to my offers for help during class.
Although she could be distracted when other kids are bothering her, she often paid attention to class. She does not mind asking for help if she needs some clarification, but she prefers to do it personally or when I actually ask her if she wanted some help rather than raising her hand during the lectures. On the other hand, she not always on top of her homework, and the teacher tells me that might has to do with her home situation, which I would not go in to details with. She is very friendly, and had asked me a couple of times why I was helping in class, and when I would be 'done with coming to class'. I often reply that I am going to be there if she is going to be in class.
One of the best moments came a few weeks ago during a class assignment. If you have been in a high school class, you know how fast the students get out of there once the bell rings. Well, a lot of them actually start getting ready several minutes ago. But she was very determined to finish that work. I was helping her with the remaining problems, and when the bell rang, she looked at me and said "Mr. Reda, we are not going anywhere before we finish these problems!". I, of course, was very delighted to hear that, and we ended up using about 15 minutes of her lunch time to do the rest of the work.
So, I am kind of worried that I have not seen her in class for a couple weeks now - i.e. the days I go there. The students I asked did not seem to know. Hopefully, it is a simple coincidence and she shows up soon. It would be sad to see have her take this class once again.
Azarias
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Student feature: Stephen
A couple of weeks ago, at the general TF meeting we had, there was a question posed to participants…"who is the best teacher you ever had?". In thinking about that question, I was able to reaffirm that the most important component of any teacher's experience was the personal relationship he/she develops with the students. It was no wonder that my freshman physics teacher from Mekelle University in Ethiopia was at the top of the list, and mainly because of the passion he had for his students and the length he went to have meaningful relationships with his students.
In that spirit, I wanted to do a series on some of the students I got to meet and know at Ypsilanti High. In the interest of privacy, I will change the names (may be Angela or Carol can tell me if it okay to use actual names..). So here we go, for the first installment
Stephen:
When Stephen is paying attention, he is a very good student. He has a special relationship with Mrs. Porter because she has a long history with his family, and knows his parents pretty well. When he has done his homework, he really appreciates being noticed for it. If you for some reason skip over him, or seemed to not care about the homework he has done, he will point to you that he finished all of them and they were right.
We have a daily routine in class where answers for the homework is called out and students correct their work. At the end of the process, he often raises his hand and calls me over to show me how many of them he has got right and that he did very well. Because of that, when I am going around the class helping with either starters or some other class work, I make sure that I pat him on the back for the work he is doing right, and tell him if there are any corrections in a nice way.
However, Stephen is easily distracted. Especially if there are a couple other students that are getting rowdy or talking around him, he often forgets about the class. Now, it helps that he is one of those kids that actually listen to the teacher as well, and if he gets called on it, he will try to pay attention back to the class. But usually, the most effective solution has been to change where he is sitting to the more 'attentive' part of the class (and that can also change from day to day).
Stephen likes the wolverines, and he might be interested in going to school here. He has improved significantly over the past quarter (which can easily be seen from the homework folder with past grades that students keep) and I believe will finish up the semester pretty well.
In that spirit, I wanted to do a series on some of the students I got to meet and know at Ypsilanti High. In the interest of privacy, I will change the names (may be Angela or Carol can tell me if it okay to use actual names..). So here we go, for the first installment
Stephen:
When Stephen is paying attention, he is a very good student. He has a special relationship with Mrs. Porter because she has a long history with his family, and knows his parents pretty well. When he has done his homework, he really appreciates being noticed for it. If you for some reason skip over him, or seemed to not care about the homework he has done, he will point to you that he finished all of them and they were right.
We have a daily routine in class where answers for the homework is called out and students correct their work. At the end of the process, he often raises his hand and calls me over to show me how many of them he has got right and that he did very well. Because of that, when I am going around the class helping with either starters or some other class work, I make sure that I pat him on the back for the work he is doing right, and tell him if there are any corrections in a nice way.
However, Stephen is easily distracted. Especially if there are a couple other students that are getting rowdy or talking around him, he often forgets about the class. Now, it helps that he is one of those kids that actually listen to the teacher as well, and if he gets called on it, he will try to pay attention back to the class. But usually, the most effective solution has been to change where he is sitting to the more 'attentive' part of the class (and that can also change from day to day).
Stephen likes the wolverines, and he might be interested in going to school here. He has improved significantly over the past quarter (which can easily be seen from the homework folder with past grades that students keep) and I believe will finish up the semester pretty well.
Monday, September 29, 2008
Embarking on a new semester
New year, new class, new teacher. I am excited about another semester at Ypsi High. Last winter definitely was a great experience to learn from, and I can say it has shaped how I think about helping in the class room. This year I am working with Mrs. Porter, who was also with the program last year, and I am helping with sections of Algebra and Accelerated Algebra which both have freshman students.
I especially like working with the freshman students because it presents a unique opportunity to present students with fundamental outlook on Math, that they can possibly keep throughout high school and even college. If we are able to present Math as something useful and exciting, rather than just a class they got to pass, we would accomplish a lot. Mrs. Porter puts a lot of time in making sure that the students have got the basics down as the material tends to build on each other.
I wanted to share the goals that we would like to achieve through this partnership during this semster:
1. As all the students are freshman, provide a good footing for their high school (and beyond) math career by inspiring students, and making them understand how important math is.
2. Build individual relationships with at least a few students (especially students that seem to be having problems in class) and provide personalized assistance .
3. [If possible] Take a trip to the university with some students to one of the fall events. I think that will be really cool, and especially appreciated and engaging for the freshmen.
I hope to report positively on our progress throughout the semester. Stay tuned!
I especially like working with the freshman students because it presents a unique opportunity to present students with fundamental outlook on Math, that they can possibly keep throughout high school and even college. If we are able to present Math as something useful and exciting, rather than just a class they got to pass, we would accomplish a lot. Mrs. Porter puts a lot of time in making sure that the students have got the basics down as the material tends to build on each other.
I wanted to share the goals that we would like to achieve through this partnership during this semster:
1. As all the students are freshman, provide a good footing for their high school (and beyond) math career by inspiring students, and making them understand how important math is.
2. Build individual relationships with at least a few students (especially students that seem to be having problems in class) and provide personalized assistance .
3. [If possible] Take a trip to the university with some students to one of the fall events. I think that will be really cool, and especially appreciated and engaging for the freshmen.
I hope to report positively on our progress throughout the semester. Stay tuned!
Math in Computer Engineering
This week in class, I had a presentation about how Computer Engineers use some of the mathematical concepts that the class studied in last couple of weeks. We started out by establishing the different aspects of Computer Science and Engineering, and how it fits in to the different things that we do everyday. I tried to introduce the various branches of CSE, and gave examples from hardware, software, artificial intelligence and theoretical computer science. I then talked about two specific projects/applications in CSE.
I have noticed that most of the students in the class know and use facebook. So, I thought it would be cool to talk about a service like facebook and what goes on behind the scenes to make it available. I encouraged students to think about the millions of people on there, the billions of connections between them, billions of pictures etc, and think about how that is all managed. It is a lot of data and analysis! I started out by showing them a snippet of what some of the code for a service like facebook might look like, and explained how it takes a series of computer level instructions to get things done. At the heart of these programs is Mathematics. From logical expressions, to sorting, searching and any kind of operation you would care about has math in its background. We saw an example of that in the snippet. I also told them the similar trend in any software application they have ever used. We finished that section by talking about the fact that at the very low level, computers understand only 0's and 1's, and every program has to be converted to these binary numbers, which I believe they will be studying soon.
I then told them a little bit about the study of artificial intelligence. They were particularly interested in the story about Deep Blue, the chess playing program from IBM research that beat Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion in 1997. We also talked about robotics, and how mathematics is used to model different aspects of robot motion, force, control etc. All in all, the students seemed to be interested in the material, and paid attention during the presentation.
In the regular class material, we are now covering powers and exponents in Algebra, They are learning about simplifying expressions with exponents and graphing exponential functions. In geometry, we are moving onwards to studying triangles. With the passing of the semester, students are getting familiar with geometric concepts and having an easier time solving problems in the field.
Azarias
I have noticed that most of the students in the class know and use facebook. So, I thought it would be cool to talk about a service like facebook and what goes on behind the scenes to make it available. I encouraged students to think about the millions of people on there, the billions of connections between them, billions of pictures etc, and think about how that is all managed. It is a lot of data and analysis! I started out by showing them a snippet of what some of the code for a service like facebook might look like, and explained how it takes a series of computer level instructions to get things done. At the heart of these programs is Mathematics. From logical expressions, to sorting, searching and any kind of operation you would care about has math in its background. We saw an example of that in the snippet. I also told them the similar trend in any software application they have ever used. We finished that section by talking about the fact that at the very low level, computers understand only 0's and 1's, and every program has to be converted to these binary numbers, which I believe they will be studying soon.
I then told them a little bit about the study of artificial intelligence. They were particularly interested in the story about Deep Blue, the chess playing program from IBM research that beat Garry Kasparov, the world chess champion in 1997. We also talked about robotics, and how mathematics is used to model different aspects of robot motion, force, control etc. All in all, the students seemed to be interested in the material, and paid attention during the presentation.
In the regular class material, we are now covering powers and exponents in Algebra, They are learning about simplifying expressions with exponents and graphing exponential functions. In geometry, we are moving onwards to studying triangles. With the passing of the semester, students are getting familiar with geometric concepts and having an easier time solving problems in the field.
Azarias
Connections
The last two weeks have been great at Ypsi high. Students were fresh off their breaks and often in their good behaviors. In geometry we have been continuing our study of angles, and studying about how congruent angles can result from transversal lines. The students have been understanding the concepts and doing well in their homework and quizzes. In Algebra, we finished up studying system of linear equations and inequalities, and this week we have started looking at exponents. The students had an easier time learning about exponents that the previous section.
The seats in the class room have been rearranged so that students are seating in groups of three or four. This has made it easier for me to go around and talk to students group by group. Students also have been more willing to ask questions in their groups rather than the class as a whole because they don't feel like they are being put on the spot light. Communication has got better as I am learning most of their names, and they are growing at ease with me being in class.
Mrs. Lewis had been sick the past couple of weeks, so most of the regular teaching is done by the student-teacher aide. When I am in class, we coordinate our efforts to reach out to all the students. I think the most meaningful help so far has been when I work one on one with students. This week I have spent chunks of the class time working with a few struggling students, and I am pleased by the results. In geometry, for example, I worked with a student who has been trying to catch up with the class material. After spending about half an hour with him covering the lessons from the week, he took the quiz and did really well.
All in all, things seem to be going well, and I am especially enjoying the personal relationships that I am developing with the students. Frankly, I think that is what really matters. After all, Mrs. Lewis and the student teacher do a great job presenting the lesson, and I think the best help I can provide is give an additional dimension to the material, and make connections with students.
The seats in the class room have been rearranged so that students are seating in groups of three or four. This has made it easier for me to go around and talk to students group by group. Students also have been more willing to ask questions in their groups rather than the class as a whole because they don't feel like they are being put on the spot light. Communication has got better as I am learning most of their names, and they are growing at ease with me being in class.
Mrs. Lewis had been sick the past couple of weeks, so most of the regular teaching is done by the student-teacher aide. When I am in class, we coordinate our efforts to reach out to all the students. I think the most meaningful help so far has been when I work one on one with students. This week I have spent chunks of the class time working with a few struggling students, and I am pleased by the results. In geometry, for example, I worked with a student who has been trying to catch up with the class material. After spending about half an hour with him covering the lessons from the week, he took the quiz and did really well.
All in all, things seem to be going well, and I am especially enjoying the personal relationships that I am developing with the students. Frankly, I think that is what really matters. After all, Mrs. Lewis and the student teacher do a great job presenting the lesson, and I think the best help I can provide is give an additional dimension to the material, and make connections with students.
Second week, survey
This week was my second week at Ypsi high. I am getting used to the classes, the students and the environment. I help with Algebra in the second hour and geometry during the third hour. The students were coming back from a 5 day break on Wednesday, so a lot of time was spent reviewing material from the previous week and getting them back on track. In the Algebra class, there was a test on Thursday, so the students were given a practice test. I helped students who had questions with some of the problems. In geometry class, we covered two more new sections, which were a continuation of the study of segments and angles.
The 3rd period is a little harder to manage. This came especially apparent today as the main teacher was performing other duties in the school, and the teaching aide took over the class. Well over half of the class was spent trying to bring quite and discipline. This really makes me appreciate what teachers do everyday. It simply is not easy.
We administered the initial surveys from the Partnership at the beginning of the geometry class. I did not get a chance to look deep in to the results, but from what I scanned over, there were quite a few interesting things. I was especially pleased that a lot the responders said that they intend to go to college right after high school. I would have to say, however, the highest point came when I helped a student spell 'computer engineering' for the question that asked 'what are your top five career goals?' I could hear my self saying 'atta boy, great choice!'. Of course, I might have been a little biased.
The 3rd period is a little harder to manage. This came especially apparent today as the main teacher was performing other duties in the school, and the teaching aide took over the class. Well over half of the class was spent trying to bring quite and discipline. This really makes me appreciate what teachers do everyday. It simply is not easy.
We administered the initial surveys from the Partnership at the beginning of the geometry class. I did not get a chance to look deep in to the results, but from what I scanned over, there were quite a few interesting things. I was especially pleased that a lot the responders said that they intend to go to college right after high school. I would have to say, however, the highest point came when I helped a student spell 'computer engineering' for the question that asked 'what are your top five career goals?' I could hear my self saying 'atta boy, great choice!'. Of course, I might have been a little biased.
"So, how can I help you?"
Last Wednesday was my first day at Ypsi High. I have been assigned to work with Mrs. Lewis, who teaches math to freshman and sophomores. I was a few minutes early for our appointment, so I got to sit in the back and observe how the class was going. This particular class, I learned later, is sort of a catch-up for grade 10 students who did not do very well freshman year. The course this semester is intro to geometry.
The real surprise, however, came later after the students had left. When I started to talk to the teacher, almost the very first question I got was, "So, how can I help you?". I was caught a bit off guard as my understanding was that the teachers were well aware of the program and informed about its details. I tried to explain about the partnership between the CoE at umich and YPSD and the outreach program. Another almost unexpected question was "What is your objective in doing this?". I stated the underlying motivation is to help students understand the significance of the basic math and science principles they are learning and to introduce some real life applications and connections. By doing so, I intend to encourage students to do well in the STEM fields and get them enthusiased about college.
I should be starting regular class room attendance this week. I plan to assist in algebra and geometry, and figure out how best I can help the students.
The real surprise, however, came later after the students had left. When I started to talk to the teacher, almost the very first question I got was, "So, how can I help you?". I was caught a bit off guard as my understanding was that the teachers were well aware of the program and informed about its details. I tried to explain about the partnership between the CoE at umich and YPSD and the outreach program. Another almost unexpected question was "What is your objective in doing this?". I stated the underlying motivation is to help students understand the significance of the basic math and science principles they are learning and to introduce some real life applications and connections. By doing so, I intend to encourage students to do well in the STEM fields and get them enthusiased about college.
I should be starting regular class room attendance this week. I plan to assist in algebra and geometry, and figure out how best I can help the students.
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