Mathematical+Dispositions

**Consider student attitudes, curiosity, flexibility, and persistence in mathematics.**

Many students question the applications to the real world of the mathematics they learn. When students do not feel a personal connection to the mathematical concepts being taught, they often become entrenched in the habit of rote memorization of algorithms rather than critically analyzing problems. Unfortunately, students also view homework problems more as a task that requires completion, as opposed to material that requires thorough analysis for understanding.

When teachers are able to expand on a concept and make it relatable, this increases student engagement, elicits students to ask questions that go beyond simply knowledge or skill-based questioning and also helps to increase long-term retention of information in students.


 * Wilmington Middle School (Wilmington, CA) - Elaine Yoo **

The students in my 7th Grade Pre-Algebra class have been hand-picked by the school based on their performances and behaviors. They are students who are more advanced than the average student at Wilmington Middle School and are part of the College Core Curriculum (CCC) program. The majority of the students are focused during instructions and are interested in learning. I have noticed from my own experiences and observations that these students learn better when they are interested in the subject so it is important for educators to make connections between mathematical concepts to the real-world so that students can relate better and recognize the significance of learning the material. Overall, students have a positive attitude towards mathematics and are engaged in their learning.


 * Barrett Middle School (Fair Oaks, CA) - Clifton Brison **

The eighth grade students are part of an ability- or prior performance-based cohort of average students from pre-algebra who are taking modified algebra, which means that the content is made simpler so that students can grasp the concepts and processes. These students seem willing to take notes during class, but some display a lack of persistence in performing homework. As their teacher notes, students would rather be given knowledge of processes with which they can practice than to participate in inquiry-based activities. It is obvious that they need practice time to master the algorithmic steps, especially when situations require flexibility.

The sixth grade students are even more rigid in dealing with concepts as they experience difficulty in dealing with minor changes in mathematic process. Because these students are not yet persistent in mathematics, the content of the classroom is made simple so that all students are supported in learning. However, there are often instances of questioning that demonstrate both students’ abilities to see alternate methods of understanding the processes at hand, and their inherent curiosity.


 * Escondido High School (Escondido, CA) -Marina Bratcher **

Algebra 1 high school class of freshman. Students have a low curiosity level. Are not very interested in math or the meaning behind it. They are not very engaged and not active in learning math; worry more about the answers and steps to finish the assignments to get a grade. A majority of the students do not have a positive attitude towards math. Students tend to space out frequently during the lessons and class work. A majority of the class has a hard time focusing and not motivated to do work and participate. The students give up easily on the work problems; do not like to try without teacher guidance. Students tend to get frustrated with the math because of the low level of math in which they still struggle with, which makes new material much more challenging. Students do not have a positive disposition towards amath becuase of past unsccessful and not interesting math classes, thier attitudes have been greatly influenced, therefore it is imoprtant to create enaging and effective lesson plans.

 Math in Daily Life – An Annenberg site linking math to real contexts. Absurd Math – Highly involved problem solving games with dual objectives. Math with Google Earth – Offers tutorials on ways to utilize Google Earth in math lessons. The Mathematical Art of M.C. Escher – An informative page on the puzzling artist.

**Relevance Media**

 An awe inspiring construction of Fibonacci and more. Watch this if nothing else! <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">media type="youtube" key="j4OUg4U88-k" height="315" width="560"

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">Dan Meyer deconstructs your basic math text to facilitate inquiry. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">media type="youtube" key="jRMVjHjYB6w" height="315" width="420"

<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">The presence of math in art, or the art of math, depending on your perspective. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">media type="youtube" key="hhhhfqiJ7nU" height="315" width="420"

<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">An exemplary discussion on the presence on math in everyday some of the most common places. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 110%;">media type="youtube" key="HtqlIVN9bh8" height="315" width="420"