Mathematics Teaching Degree WGU -in progress!

[teacher2]

Completed Math History and Technology today! Going into this class I thought it would be a piece of cake like Math Learning and Teaching. Well... I was a little over confident. I got dinged twice for articulation on Task 1. For everyone's benefit, when you get in trouble for articulation, your work goes through a second evaluation which can take (and did take) up to 72 hours. The first time I was supposed to, but did not, prove a geometry theorem using Geogebra . I just proved some properties about the geometric shape I had created. The second ding I do not even know why it happened. Even the articulation evaluators and the course mentor could not figure out why I was dinged. But in any case the course was relatively... moderate in difficulty

This course has 4 performance tasks.
Task 1 you use Geometry and Computer Algebra Software to solve problems. Then you must create a problem with the Geometry Software and prove a theorem. This should have been too easy!
Task 2 you had to write a lesson plan that is CENTERED around technology. This one will not pass if it is not all about tech. Also do not use calculators as student-centered tech they don't qualify in the 21st century as tech! I guess cause they were invented in the 20th century.
Task 3 you have to fill a Graphic Organizer with math history dates, events, and how that branch of math could be interesting to your students. E.g Combinatorics use in Game programs. Also, you have to write several essays on an infamous historical math problem.
Task 4 required writing a lesson plan that incorporated math history and your methods had to be backed by 2 peer-review journals.

Really this course wasn't too bad. I think that the Instructional Planning and Presentation in Mathematics really prepares you to write detailed lesson plans quickly. Task 3 was probably the longest and hardest as I chose a math problem I wasn't really familiar with. The course took roughly a week of 8 hour study days. I was enrolled for two weeks but the first week I was doing Praxis tests. But I am relieved. My First Term at WGU ends on October 31. I intend to finish my last two courses before then. I am hoping to get Intro to PreClinical Experience done in the next two weeks but evaluations are taking awhile. I submitted Task 1 and 2 today and they are 184 in cue to evaluation. So we will see.