Sunday, September 28, 2014

College Interests

For this week's assignment, I took a survey on collegeboard.com about the type of college I want to attend. It asked questions such as whether I would prefer a 4-year or 2-year school, or a private or public school. Next, I had to find 3 colleges that I would apply to from the list and look at their degree program. Then I had to make my own criteria for the type of college I wish to attend. Finally I had to find scholarships that I could apply to. The purpose of this assignment is to continue the college search process.

List of Colleges and Doctoral Degree Programs

My Criteria for a Quality Program
  • Doctoral Program offered
  • Emphasis on Mathematics and Sciences
  • Small classes where student and teachers get to know each other
  • Offers students many different opportunities to follow what they are passionate about
  • Many scholarships offered
  • Low acceptance rate
  • Accepts AP scores
  • Beautiful, safe, and well-kept campus
Universities that Follow My Criteria
  • The 3 colleges that I listed above
  • Most Top Schools in the Nation
Additional Entrance Requirements for Mathematics
  • Previous study in mathematics
  • Taken high-level mathematics courses (such as Calculus)
  • Supervised student teaching experience
  • Licensure in the state that you planning on teaching in
My Criteria for a Quality Ranking and Educational Program
  • Medium to large size
  • Should be in location that is not too rural or too city
  • Should offer athletic opportunities and other extracurricular activities to students
  • Student body should represent different cultures from around the world
  • Most funding should go to research projects
Ranking for Program

  • Georgia Institute of Technology: 7th Overall in Academic Excellence Among Public                                                                        Universities
  • Washington University in St. Louis: 14th Overall Best University in the Nation, Top 10% in                                                                  Best Universities in the World
  • Northwestern University: 12th Overall Best University in the Nation, 12th in Research                                                        Universities
Associations Related to Field of Study
  • National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
  • American Mathematical Society
  • Mathematical Association of America
Potential Scholarships
  • Coca-Cola Scholars Program
  • Tommy Aaron/ Charlie Aaron Foundation Scholarship
  • Gail Ingram Scholarship
  • Northeast Georgia School Superintendent's Scholarship

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Annotated Bibliography Graphic Organizer 1

Annotated Bibliography Graphic Organizer

Name: Austin Passmore
Source #____ Bibliography
(APA)
10 pts
Rao, A. (2014). REASONING IN GEOMETRY THROUGH
     SMULLYAN. Mathematics Teaching, (238), 27.
Annotation:
(Describe ALL info. that might be important for your paper. Explain to the reader and/or summarize what might be found in this source)
35 pts
This article discusses a technique for teaching logic to students. The author, Rao, learned this technique at an ATM conference from the book The Islands of Professor Smullyan by logician Raymond Smullyan. The technique was to look at the most important sentence in a logic puzzle and to simplify it and any contradictions. Rao tested it by giving two logic puzzles to her Year 7 students and told them to focus on being able to convince the other students of their answer. This technique helped teach the 11-year-old students how to solve logic puzzles. Rao states that this technique can be used when teaching geometry.
Potential Quotes:
(Are there any significant quotes you can use or paraphrase from this source?)
15 pts
“The skill was in finding the one crucial statement that was a contradiction or that had the key, usually hidden beneath layers of other statements.” p.27

“This was a skill, it dawned on me, that students needed to use in a variety of topics, not least geometrical reasoning.” p.27

“That weekend my inbox was packed with questions from excited 11-year-olds, asking for hints, expressing exultation at having solved a puzzle and frustration at not having solved another. At school, the class was abuzz.” p.27
Assessment:
(Analyze and explain why this source is credible)
15 pts
This article is from the scholarly magazine Mathematics Teaching. The article is written by a mathematics teacher that received the information in her article from an ATM conference, and cites credible logician Raymond Smullyan. This article was also found in Galileo’s database.
Reflection:
(How will you potentially use it?)
25 pts
My research this year will be focused on how logic puzzles and brain teasers affect students. This article shows how logic puzzles create excitement within students and make learning fun while being challenging. This article also revealed a technique in teaching logic to students that I will use in class.