Document Type

Instructional Material

Publication Date

9-11-2009

Abstract

The purpose of this unit is to have students question and analyze their opinions about mathematics. Students, particularly in math, have very strong perceptions of themselves as a learner. These self-perceptions have many different roots, and in this unit students will analyze the origin and perpetuation of such perceptions. Through a series of articles and some moments of self-reflection, students will look for answers to the questions: “What perceptions do I have about math?” and “What has shaped and will continue to shape my perceptions about math?”. While this is unlike 99% of math units, I believe that in order for students to be successful in math, they must understand that they are capable and competent enough to complete problem-solving tasks. And so, we must give students an opportunity to reflect upon their history in mathematics and let them address any negative pre-conceived ideas they have about math or their abilities as a mathematician.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

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