Growth Mindset Project
At High Tech High having a growth mindset is something that all teachers what you to have in order to succeed. In this project we had 2 weeks to learn a certain skill. We had to spend a certain amount of time each day to be able to accomplish this goal within the 2 weeks. For my project since it was durning volleyball season I decided to learn how to do a topspin serve. It is a serve that is hard but with practice comes the ability to do things. I did continue to practice this even after the 2 weeks, I did it in some games where I was confident that we would win but I haven't tried it in a serious game yet. I chose this so that I can better my game while fixing my mindset on being able to accomplish certain things in life. I have been able to apply this to math this year because it has been harder than before but using my growth mindset I know that I can learn the content and get good grades. I think that the growth mindset project has helped me in math because
Maximum rectangle
A rectangle has one corner on the graph of y=16-x^2, another at the origin, a third on the positive y axis, and the fourth on the positive x axis. If the area of the rectangle is a function of x, what value of x yields the largest area for the rectangle. This was the problem statement for the problem that we had to solve with our groups. I really enjoyed this problem because of how it challenged us to think outside of the box and work together to find different ways that we can solve it. I like how as soon as we got the problem statement my group got up on the board and started figuring out a way that this would work. Something that made this problem even better was how well the group worked to get it done and figure it out. I enjoy working in groups but feel as if we can work better on our own some times.
Exponents
Exponents is basically trying to figure out hot to simplify it and combine. I struggles a lot with this area of math because I would get confused on the rules and it would always end badly on the tests. I think that I struggled a lot with this one because every time it was different and there wasn't set steps that I could remember about what I was doing. I would struggle a lot with the dividing exponents and variables because there was way too much going on. I would ask for help from my table mates and they would make it a little better to understand but I did struggle with this all year long. I can become stronger in this subject by studying more and becoming more aware of the effects of not studying.
Reflection
I really enjoyed the way that math was set up this year. I felt very challenged and motivated at the same time to complete my assignments because of how the class was structured. This year was probably the first time that tests counted for most of our grades. I think this was very helpful for us to see how much we have to do in order to get the grades that we want in order to be successful in class and in years to come. As I said before I think the tests were really helpful, I think that I need to start getting together and studying more and getting my test grades higher so that I can have a really strong year and math and learn the most things. At the beginning I wouldn't study for the tests and it was pretty obvious n the grades that I received for them but as the year went on I started studying more and getting better grades that I was okay with them being in the grade book.
Next year I am planning on taking calculus. I know that if I take it now I will be better prepared in the classes that I have to take in college and it is just one less ting that I have to worry about when I get there. I really want to challenge myself to get the most out of the classes because I know that they are both graded only on the tests and that is probably going to be a struggle at first but after talking to some of my senior friends the said that all you need to do is study and know the content and you will be fine. I will be using the things that I learned this year especially the study groups because that way I can learn from them and they can learn from me when we are struggling on something. I plan on being successful by studying and going to tutoring and taking advantage of the resources that I have while I have them because that will change in college. The sis my last year before going to college and thinking about that is crazy. I know things will get harder but I can always go back to the habits that I was taught in my math classes.
Next year I am planning on taking calculus. I know that if I take it now I will be better prepared in the classes that I have to take in college and it is just one less ting that I have to worry about when I get there. I really want to challenge myself to get the most out of the classes because I know that they are both graded only on the tests and that is probably going to be a struggle at first but after talking to some of my senior friends the said that all you need to do is study and know the content and you will be fine. I will be using the things that I learned this year especially the study groups because that way I can learn from them and they can learn from me when we are struggling on something. I plan on being successful by studying and going to tutoring and taking advantage of the resources that I have while I have them because that will change in college. The sis my last year before going to college and thinking about that is crazy. I know things will get harder but I can always go back to the habits that I was taught in my math classes.
Honors
I took honors this year both semesters. I thought that it was going to be a lot more challenging and rigorous but it wasn't as bad as I thought. I had a really positive experience in math this year and I can say the same thing for the honors portion of it. I think that I had a strong year overall and honors challenged me a tiny bit more than what it would have been with normal math.
During the honor project I worked with my friend and I learned that we worked really well together and we could get it done by working hard and splitting up the work. I think that we could have spent more time on it to make it better but that is how I feel about most things. I think that through this I show what I have learned and the things that I am taking away from math this year, not only content but skills.
A suggestion that I have for honors is to make it more challenging and more opportunities to show off thatchy are in honors whether that be with projects or presentations.
During the honor project I worked with my friend and I learned that we worked really well together and we could get it done by working hard and splitting up the work. I think that we could have spent more time on it to make it better but that is how I feel about most things. I think that through this I show what I have learned and the things that I am taking away from math this year, not only content but skills.
A suggestion that I have for honors is to make it more challenging and more opportunities to show off thatchy are in honors whether that be with projects or presentations.