TristenGamboa

Mrs.GC
Period3
August31,2015

Growth&DevelopmentGoals

1. Makesenseofproblemsandpersevereinsolvingthem.
Thismeanstryingyourbesttounderstandtheproblembyusingyourresources,like
yourpeers,teachers,academiccoaches,etc.Evenwhenitgetsdifficult,youmust
continuetogiveityourbesteffortsandnotbackdowntoanychallenge.
2. Reasonabstractlyandquantitatively.
Tomethismeansusingyourintuitiontogetyoustartedinsolvingaproblem(evenifit
meansnotusingnumbers),andthenprovingitlogicallywithmathandnumbers.
3. Constructviableargumentsandcritiquethereasoningofothers.
Creatingviableargumentsmeansexplainingyourideasastowhyyoubelieveone
statementorsolutiontobetrue,andbackingitupwithevidence.Notonlyisit
importanttobeabletoconstructtheseproofs,butyoushouldalsobeanactive
participantorlistenertootherpeoplesarguments.Beinganactiveparticipantto
someonepresentingtheirproofmeansaskingquestions,andfindingholesintheir
argument,toreinforcethelearningofboththepresenterandlistener.Thisisespecially
importantifyoualreadyknowtheanswerorbelieveittobetrue,asitonlystrengthens
bothofyourknowledgeoftheconcept.
4. Modelwithmathematics.
ModelingwithMathematicscanbedefinedasusingthebestofyourknowledgeto
demonstrateconceptsusingMath.Forexample,insteadofsayingAlicesheight
doubleswhensheeats1ounceofcake,weshouldfindawaytomodelordisplaythis
usingMath,inthiscaseitwouldbeaformula.ButitcouldbeagraphorCartesian
plane,etc.
5. Useappropriatetoolsstrategically.
Knowinghowtouseyourtoolseffectivelyisveryimportant.Usingappropriatetools
canmeanusingyourpeerstohelpyouunderstandnottojustgettheanswer.Italso
meansbeingresourcefulandpurposefulwithhowyouusethetools.Forexample,using
aprotractortoyouradvantagewhendoingestimatesinsteadofcalculatingtheangleof
atrianglewithTrig(unlessyouaremorecomfortablewithitorneedaccuracy).

6. Attendtoprecision.
AttendingtoprecisioncanmeannumerousthingsinaMathclass,itcanmeanbeing
moreawareofpatterns,ortakingbetternotesfromlessons.Ithinkthatattentionto
detailcanbeanythingfromhavingaccuracyinyourcalculations,askingclarifying
questionsaboutwhattheproblemisaskingyoutosolve,orevenbeingverypreciseand
descriptiveinyournotes(sothatanyonecouldunderstandthem).
7. Lookforandmakeuseofstructure.
Structuringyourworkwhensolvingaproblemisjustasimportantasbeingabletofully
understandtheconcept.Thismeansorganizingdataproperlyandneatly.Andifyou
dontknowhowtoorganizeitproperly,findingoutthemostefficientwaytoorganize
thesenumbersbyattemptingmultiplestructures.Howyouorganizethesenumberscan
makeorbreakifyouendupsolvingtheproblem.
8. Lookforandexpressregularityinrepeatedreasoning.
LookingforrepetitioninacertainMathconceptcanhelpyoubetteryourunderstanding
ofit,byformingconnectionsandrelationstootherMathtopics.Thisalsomeansthat
whenyouareconstructingviablestatementsthatyoushouldhavemultipleexamples,
andthatyoursolutionshouldntjustworkforafewproblems,butallofthemwithout
exceptions.

Goals
Area1:
Constructviableargumentsandcritiquethereasoningofothers.
a. ThisyearIreallywanttoimproveonconstructingstrongproofs,andbeabletofully
communicatemyideas.Itendtohavetroubleexplainingmyreasoningtoothersin
words,evenifIknowhowtodoitorthatitiscorrect.OftentimesIunderstandthe
conceptandknowthestepstosolveit,butIwanttobeabletoexpressmyreasoning
andprocessesinmyMathintowordsandnotjustnumbers.
b. Iplantobemoreofanactiveparticipantwhenothersarevolunteeringtoshowtheir
work,andtrytopushmyselftobeoneofthosevolunteers.IfImnottheonesharing,
thenIwillaskmorequestionsandcritiquethepresenter.
c. IthinkthatbyjustbeingconsciousthatIshouldtrytospeakupduringclassorgroup
discussionswillprogressivelyimprovemyabilitytoexpressmythoughts.Ialsothink
thatbyteachingminiSATLessonsasmyHonorsoptionwillhelpwiththisskill.

Area2:
Attendtoprecision.
a. IbelievethatIamnaturallypreciseinmywork,butthisyearIwouldreallyliketotake
betternotesandbemoreawareofwhatunderstandingoftheconceptIamwriting
down.Iwanttobemoreaccurateinmycalculations,andneatwiththeprocessesIam
writingdowntosolvecertainproblems.Ialsowouldliketobemoredescriptiveinmy
notes,andnotforgettowritedownwhyIdidsomethingorjustlabelingeachstep.

b. Myplantoachievethisistowriteneaternotesandtrytoincludemoredescriptionsand
labelsinmyprocesses,sothatmypeerscouldunderstanditwithoutmetheretoexplain
it.Justbypracticingtakingalotofnoteswillhelpmeinthisskillandpreparemefor
collegenotetaking.
c. IwillbeabletoshowevidenceofgrowththroughallthenotesIwillbetakingstarting
inthebeginningoftheyearandtoseehowtheyhaveevolvedtotheendoftheyear.I
mayalsobedoingstudygroupswithfellowclassmates,andusingtheopportunityto
checkinwithotherpeopleandseehowournotesmatchuporwhichtechniqueswork
moreeffectivelyinrecordingthenotes.

Area3:
Lookforandexpressregularityinrepeatedreasoning.
a. Icanusethisskilltoimproveuponmyconstructingviableargumentsskill,asthisis
whatwilldefendmyproofs.ThisyearIwanttobeabletoprovemystatementswith
morethanoneexample,orevencatchmistakesinmyproofsbytestingotherexamples.
b. Ithinkthatpushingmyselftoalwaysfindanotherexampletoexplaininmyargument
willhelpmetogrowinthisskillarea.AlsoImaybeabletofindirregularitiesinother
peoplesargumentstohelpreinforcemyownproofs.
c. Ithinkthatthebestwaytofindevidenceofgrowthinthisareaistojustalwaysshow
myworkwhensolvingaproblem,evenifIendupdisprovingsomethingorthework
getsmenowhereclosertosolvingit.