Blogging on Blogging -Reflections -BoB Chapter 22
There is a BIG difference between learning and just being there. Learning is an interactive sport; not a spectator sport. There has to be a conversation between us, back and forth, as we work through the material. Learning doesn't happen when I talk and you listen; learning happens when you have a conversation -- with me and with each other.
I am going to offer you up to 5 bonus points on your test with completion of a simple assignment. I would like you to post your reflections on the material covered so far in chapter 22. Just comment on this post by the start of class tomorrow. To get that bonus on your test, the kind of post I'd like you to make should have one or more of these characteristics:
I am going to offer you up to 5 bonus points on your test with completion of a simple assignment. I would like you to post your reflections on the material covered so far in chapter 22. Just comment on this post by the start of class tomorrow. To get that bonus on your test, the kind of post I'd like you to make should have one or more of these characteristics:
- A reflection on a particular class (like the first paragraph above-how did that class enhance your learning?).
- A reflective comment on your progress in the course.
- A comment on something that you've learned that you thought was "cool".
- A comment about something that you found very hard to understand but now you get it! Describe what sparked that "moment of clarity" and what it felt like.
- Have you come across something we discussed in class out there in the "real world" or another class? Describe the connection you made.
One class that was particularly helpful for me was the day you used a power-point presentation to go along with the lesson. Because I’m a visual learner, it was really helpful for me to look up on the screen and read, write down, and understand the equations. I also really liked when you presented how to find an add-on loan and a discounted loan using steps, and then gave us the equation. Add-on and discounted loans are now the easiest for me because of that.
ReplyDeleteI feel that I am making steady progress in this course. I am able to understand everything we learn in class, and if I don’t, I find the blog a very helpful resource for any questions I have. The only thing I struggle to do is to scan as often as I should – I realize I’m not getting credit for compiling my homework in my binder rather than scanning it in right away.
I feel that this class is very much geared toward “real world” math, which is why I enjoy it so much. I feel that the information I’m learning in class is applicable to my life (after I graduate etc.), which motivates me to learn. For example: knowing and understanding interest rates is very important for when I start making my own income and have to choose a bank. Again, the things we’re learning apply directly to my (future) life.
I think the context in which we learn equations is “cool.” For example, in chapter 23 we don’t just learn about population growth and the equations that apply to it, we learn about renewable and non-renewable resources, as well as “harvest yield” and how quickly humans are consuming resources. Again, I really think this class applies to real life, which is why I feel even more motivated to learn and understand what we’re taught.
I'm actually really glad we've been learning about home equity and mortgages and car loans. I never knew how any of those situations worked, which is definitely a problem considering I'll be heading off to college and into the "real world" after this year. Now I know that when I'm buying a car I definitely don't want to choose the discount loan someone offers me.
ReplyDeleteAnnuities really confused me at first, as I didn't really understand what they were. I understood how to fit the formulas with what I was reading, but I didn't understand why someone would do that. Then, when we got to a retirement problem, I understood. And I now know that I will probably be working for a long, long time to have a comfortable retirement option!
I don't remember exactly what day this was, but I really liked the day when the whole class was involved in answering some practice problems. Even though I wasn't sure how to go about tackling some problems, I liked how you picked different students to walk the whole class through the problem. Hearing different ways of solving the same problem really helps. Also, I think this process works because it keeps the whole class involved and on their feet.
ReplyDeleteA big moment of clarity for me was figuring out how add on loans and discount loans were based off of simple interest. Instead of actually understanding what the formula meant, I just memorized it and plugged and chugged. But when I finally understood that the simple interest can be found in both these types of loans, not only was easier to remember, but I also understood what I was calculating. That goes for a lot of the other formulas. I find it a lot easier to remember what they are once you know what the problem is asking you for and when you can understand the formula.
I must say, although I am not a big fan of calculating mortgage payments, home equity, credit card balance and car loans, they were definitely cool (and important) things to learn. I mean, we are going to have to know how to use them sooner or later when we get into the real world.
I think that the best things that we have learned about are real world problems. Later in life when we are buying a house or have a job, or anything that a normal adult does, we will never be forced to figure out X, like in algebra. It is great that we have learned about mortgages, loans, bonds and other things like that. While I don’t enjoy doing long, complicated problems like the mortgage assignment, I think it is one of the most useful things that we have done all year, and maybe one of the more useful things I have learned in high school math.
ReplyDeleteThe lesson that was most interesting for me was the CPI index lesson. I am very glad that that was the lesson I had to scribe. It is fascinating how the value of a dollar has changed over time. The most interesting thing about CPI indexes is figuring out if people were paid well a long time ago, for example, comparing presidential salaries.
I also learned a lot about the economy. For the assignment where we had to find a house, I saw how houses are cheap right now compared to a few years ago. It is very interesting to learn about how the market goes up and down. The assignment to find a house near Paideia sparked my interest, and I researched a little about the housing market on my own, and gained a lot.
Ignore the part about CPI... I forgot that it was last chapter.
ReplyDeleteone of the things that teachers keep telling me to read the chapter beforehand to lay a foundation for what you learn the next day in class. One of the most rewarding class periods was when i spent a long time the night before on notes which translated into a much more in depth understanding of what Jojo taught the next day. My improvement in discrete math so far has come mostly in the category of homework. the beginning of the year is difficult time, but i feel that i quickly got back into the ritual of working efficiently each night quicker than previous. years. It's always nice to be able to go beyond memorizing a formula to understanding the relationships that formulas represent and how they interact with each other. specifically the amortization formula which is the combination of 3 smaller formulas. as for something that i didn't understand that would be equity. my moment of clarity came in a class when Jojo was going over an example of equity something he had done many times previously. the repition drilled the meaning into my head. kthe closest i've got to applying what we have learned in class is understanding what a car commercial means when it advertises 0% APR. one of those things you pass over without understanding, but now i do.
ReplyDeleteThe class days that I find to be most helpful are the days where we use powerpoints. It helps me to see the equations and steps written out clearly. I don't logically figure out equations very well so it's really helpful for me to see the steps outlined. It provides a strong base for me to expand the concepts on.
ReplyDeleteAs for the real world, I think this class will be very handy. I probably won't remember any of my equations but I think the concepts will stick with me. I think this will be the only math class that I will take where I will be able to directly relate what I learn to the real world in an obvious way.
Like Miranda said, I am an extremely visual learner. I loved when you used a powerpoint because for me, that is the best way to learn. I like how you appeal to all different sorts of learning types in your lessons JoJo.
ReplyDeleteI feel that my progress in the course fluctuates pretty regularly. Sometimes I feel very confident about the work I am doing, but then when I take a quiz I realize that I know less than I thought. Overall I am happy with the progress I am making because I am moving forward despite any bumps in the road.
I find this real world applicable math to be fascinating. I find that my overall comprehension of how the world works only increases whenever I learn a new equation or do a problem, whereas sometimes in more obscure math I wonder how I am really learning from it. It's pretty cool to connect math to whats going on in the economy, an article I read in a newspaper about the housing bubble, or even seeing a for sale sign while driving, etc. and relating it to what I am doing in the classroom.
I had a difficult time with the home mortgage assignment at first because I didn't understand how to apply the formulas correctly. However, working through the problems slowly, and looking to the book for help I had a moment of clarity and it all made sense. I love working on projects, because it helps me to work through a problem and figure it all out in a way that is more comprehensive than an average homework assignment.
I already mentioned real world situations in the third paragraph but I will touch on them again. Specifically, the other day I was reading the economist about the housing market, and it completely applied to what we’ve been learning in class. I loved having a moment of recognition like that and I hope that as the year goes on I only have more interactions between the real world and math class.
One class that helped me was when you put all of the formulas on the board. I'm a visual learner and it really helps for me to see things written out, though it helps to just listen sometimes as well.
ReplyDeleteI was sort of disappointed when I found out that all mortgages were assumed to be monthly unless specified yearly, because although I guess that should have been something that is assumed, I never knew that, but learning that today is something that will definitely stick in my mind for the test friday. I feel that if I look at my quizzes from the past couple weeks that we will get back tomorrow and understand what I did wrong, I should prove to do a lot better on the test.
I had a conversation with this woman today who said that she knew a person who didn't realize that when he was paying the MINIMUM payment on his credit cards, he was getting himself into debt because the bank adds interest: the man thought that when he had $3000 on his credit card, he could just spend it however he wanted. It took him a while to realize he had a lot of money to pay back to the bank. She was like "you're way ahead of the game, even if you don't completely understand it!" Which made me feel a little better about everything I was confused about in the quiz.
One class in particular that helped me a lot was the class today when we went through the quiz problems and you stated which formula was used with which problem. I feel like for me it really put it all together, and I finally understood the purpose of all the formulas and the differences between them because I was seeing them being used all together on one page.
ReplyDeleteA moment of clarity for me also happened today. I have a really hard time understanding some economic concepts. I can do the problems, but I do not understand what the numbers really mean. Today, I finally understood the purpose of equity and how people can borrow against their equity. I really like that the math we are doing is not just busy work, but math that can help us in the future, like when we are buying a house or a car. I do not feel like I am just wasting my time learning something that I can not relate to anything.
The other day at dinner my mom was talking about why she switched from Wells Fargo bank to Fidelity bank. Apparently, when Wells Fargo transfers money from one account to another, they do not clear it immediately. Instead they put it into their own account for a couple of days and collect the interest on it for those few days. Because Wells Fargo has so many accounts, the small amount of interest turns into lots of money quickly. I was able to understand what was going on, and why some may see this as an unfair profit being made by Wells Fargo.
I have enjoyed this type of math a whole lot more than I liked any of the algebra I have done in the past years. The fact that all the problems are real life situations, and situations that I will probably encounter soon, make the class not only more interesting, but easier to visualize. By that, I mean that before I start using formulas or anything I can actually think through the question and think through it in real life context. It also makes checking answers soooo much easier! Because for instance when solving for monthly payments you can pretty much tell right away if you get an answer that seems totally wrong.
ReplyDeleteI struggled a little bit on the home equity problems, because up until yesterday really, I had been confused on what equity meant! My "moment of clarity" was when Mirra got up and said the part about using the 3 step method, and I was like "OH! Right! This all makes sense now!". Also on the first quiz for this chapter I didn't connect that add-on loans and discount loans use simple interest, something I was able to understand before our second quiz yay! And I now know how they work and was able to solve the add on and discount problems correctly!
We haven't technically learned this yet, but for the next chapter (chapter 23, the one we had to take notes on, but haven't been over yet) sounds really interesting! I think it will be cool to learn about population rates and growths,
I really like learning about real world things. I know that one day I will have to buy a house and own a car and pay bills and pay for all of my own things and honestly that is a bit scary. I was thinking about this the other day and realized that I would be on my own to figure out my money, and I want to be able to do it well. In this class, so far, we have learned about saving money and how to pay off loans and other useful things that I will definitely use in my future as a business tycoon. Or whatever I do with my life. Either way, I learned what all of these things are, what they mean so when a businessman asks me to pick a loan between an add on or a discount, I'll know which one to pick. And even if my business life doesn't work out, when I win the lottery I'll know to pick an annuity rather than a lump sum in order to make more money. Either way, I'm set for life, and if not set for life in money, I am set for life in knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI have also seen connections between things i learned in this class to other things in my life. In history, we often discuss the importance of the economy to the development of society and we talked about inflation and conversion rates which applied to what we learned about inflation in this class (not conversion rates). Also, I was watching the falcons game and a car commercial came on and was talking about APR and how you would pay for the car interest free for almost a year and other things to get you to buy the car on this super deal, and i looked at the deal and could tell that it wasn't a good one because of my new-found knowledge. Basically, I have now been given the gift of knowledge of how to deal with loans.