You can do it!

For many returning students, it takes a tremendous amount of courage to take the first steps to moving back into the academic classroom. Today, many mature students choose to take on this endeavor. While the thought of sitting in a classroom surrounded by much younger students can make mature students feel out of place, we find that life experience provides balance contributing positively to one's self efficacy. In this interview we hear this first hand and the message is clear.

Hang in there...you can do it!




Entire Interview Audio (mp3)
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Learning to Love Math

By Lisa Barker

Math is scary. It is the subject that students are most anxious about taking, and it is the one that they spend most time worrying about when they are studying it.

A lot of this worry comes from the bad experiences that many of us have had with math in the past, and from the false belief that math is a difficult subject that we are either naturally good at, or incapable of understanding. The Algebra2go website is full of resources and study tips that can help you through your math classes, but one of the most important things you can do to ensure your success in math is to approach the subject with the right attitude.

Math is not as difficult or as scary as we often believe, and although a natural interest in numbers can help us to enjoy math, it is not necessary to be born a math genius to succeed in this class. Success in math depends much more upon motivation than natural ability or intelligence. If you want to learn math, and you are motivated to do the work, then there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to pass your chosen classes. Many students who are returning to study following time in recovery programs in California or after other interruptions to their studies express particular concern about math, but there are plenty of additional support services in place to help. The lessons you have learned during recovery can also help you in class. Having a strong support network of teachers, tutors and fellow students will be important, as will the qualities of courage, confidence, perseverance and pride.

Courage

Fear and anxiety are the main barriers to success in math. If you have the courage to start overcoming these fears by enrolling in a new math class, then you have the courage you will need to succeed. Once you begin studying in a more supportive environment, you will probably find that math is much less scary than you thought it was. We weren't born fearing math, and in fact, many people who later come to fear it did not find it at all intimidating when they were first learning to count, or watching episodes of Sesame Street. Often, it was witnessing the anxiety of others, or having a bad experience in a class where the teacher did not have the time or inclination to help us to understand a particular technique we found difficult that first made us fear math. Recognizing that it was not the math itself that was the problem can help you to approach your new classes with curiosity and determination instead of fear.

Confidence

The same bad experiences that make us afraid of math can also make it difficult to feel confidence in our own abilities. It is too easy to accept the commonly held belief that math is a uniquely challenging subject and to assume that because we have struggled with it in the past, we are simply not capable of understanding it. However, these sorts of problems are more often the result of a lack of confidence or of proper teaching support than a lack of ability or intelligence. Going back to the point at which you lost your way can help you to regain your confidence. If you start your classes at a level you feel comfortable with, and make use of all the teaching support that is available to you, the topics that you struggled with before can become clear. Many people struggle for years before their additional learning needs are recognized, and then find that special aids are available that can make learning much easier, while others just needed a different style of teaching to help them to understand math. Don't be afraid of your teachers or of the tutors who can offer extra support. They are there to help you and they would certainly not want you to feel intimidated about asking for help.

Perseverance

Practice makes perfect, in math as in any other skill. There is a reason why your teacher asks you to complete the same sort of exercise multiple times. Repeating a particular technique can help you to retain it in your memory, and practicing basic skills like multiplication can help simple calculations to stick in your mind, just as you can find yourself memorizing the words to a song you have heard many times. Soon the answers will just pop into your head, without having to think about it.

Pride

Having the courage to try learning math, allowing confidence in your own abilities to grow, and persevering at the work even when it is hard, will help you to succeed in math, but it will also prepare you for any challenges you may encounter in the future. The work you do now will not only prove useful in your future work and studies, but it is also a significant achievement in its own right. The reputation that math has as a frightening and difficult subject prevents many people from even trying to understand it, but you have chosen to take on this challenge and beaten your fear of math. You should be proud of yourself, and you should use this pride to help motivate you in your studies.

Worksheets with Embedded QR Codes

On occasion we as instructors create worksheets to give to our students so they can practice learning objectives we recently covered in our classrooms. In some cases as students’ progress through the problems, they get stuck at a particular step preventing them from reaching the solution. It is very likely that the particular skill that prevents them from moving forward was a skill covered in a previous lecture or from a prerequisite math course. Using QR Codes and leveraging existing smart phone technology, we can provide the student with immediate access to content directly related to the necessary skill. This somewhat emulates the learning environments we as teachers try to create in our traditional classroom lectures. In this KSBR radio show interview, we discuss the advantages of using QR codes in the education arena.

Sample Worksheets with Embedded QR Codes

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People and Technology Supporting Students

Quite often we hear about a new electronic device that's going to change the way teachers engage their students. But the question that always seems to arise is how to use this new technology effectively. Here at the community college we are confronted with a wide variety of learning styles and life experiences making it difficult for the institution to meet the needs of its students. One college approach is to offer free tutoring services through the LAP (Learning Assistance Program). The LAP will soon go through some changes to improve the way it functions to support our students. One new approach involves the use of a smartpen. In this interview we talk about how we are using this technology to create an immersive learning experience with pdf files. Because words alone cannot fully describe the experience, you can download one of the documents using the URL below and see for yourself. To view this document with its integrated smartpen technology, you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader 10.1 or above installed on your computer. Enjoy.

Sample Smartpen Livescribe Document

Sample Smartpen Livescribe Text

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When will I have to use Math in Real Life?

Many faculty have heard that question asked many times. In this interview we hear faculty, students, and a parent discuss the applications of mathematics. Although it is widely known that math is everywhere, the focused application of mathematics here centers around careers in the rapidly growing allied health field.



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Riding on Passion and Purpose

For some returning students, the emotional barriers to learning mathematics are sometimes related to past negative experiences with mathematics. In this interview we are taken well beyond those emotional barriers to an area math faculty may seldom choose to think about. The student courage demonstrated here is tremendous and details the struggles that some of our students are confronted with. Through our Human Services Department and CAADE do these students continue to move forward through obstacles that lie far beyond the affect.

Another important college wide effort in supporting student learning is our tutoring centers. Following the prior interview is one of the college's math tutors who gives her perspective of student learning from a tutor's viewpoint.


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Forgotten Dreams

As we get older, many of the dreams we had in our youth seem out of reach and so are forgotten. A college education can be the key to making those dreams real. But for many returning students, the thought of having to take math classes is more of a nightmare than a dream. In this interview, two returning students discuss how college resources provided the necessary emotional and academic support needed to pursue their forgotten dreams.


Entire Interview (YouTube Video IVCTV33)


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Taking the "Dis"out of Disability

Is there a limit to one's ability? In this interview you hear two successful students speak openly about the college experience with their learning differences.

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Audio Excerpt (mp3)


Video Excerpt (YouTube MuchoMath)



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Entire Interview (YouTube Video IVCTV33)

The Student Teacher Relationship

Overcoming difficulties in mathematics requires a partnership between the student and the teacher. In this interview you can listen to two students and two teachers discuss how this relationship can generate positive results.



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It's on! The First Day of Instruction!

Research tells us that 70-85% of California community college students assess into basic skills courses. Algebra2go is only a small part of Saddleback College’s action plan to meet the needs of its basic skills students. On the first day of instruction we were honored to have Trustee Marcia Milchiker and College President Tod A. Burnett join us in a conversation centered on student success.

Saddleback College President Tod A. Burnett
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Trustee Marcia Milchiker
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The Web Design of Algebra2go

Patrick Quigley, the web designer of Algebra2go, joins us to discuss the development of this project. His programming talents along with an intuitive online approach to addressing the emotions of adult learners have contributed immensely to the success of this project.


Sloan-C Effective Practice Award 2010

Award Acceptance Interview

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Family and Education

Although the website was specifically designed to help alleviate fear among adult learners, it does appear to have possibilities in assisting students in secondary education. A current student reflects on his challenges with math and is accompanied by his two sons. Together they share a family experience.

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A Prelude to Math

As the semester approaches only three weeks away, we faculty begin to think about syllabi, updating websites, and training sessions we need to attend to prepare our minds for the upcoming academic year. But what does a math student think about, who maybe hasn’t seen a classroom for several years? What is the preliminary to the act of walking through that math classroom door? It was a delight having a past student join us in this conversation helping us explore an emotion often experienced by today’s returning adult students. To our benefit, the student's current work in music therapy leads us to a conversation regarding the relationship between music and math.



Entire Interview (YouTube Video IVCTV33)




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The Algebra2go Team

It was a joy having Candice Jhu Harrington participate in this recent conversation. Candice was enrolled in my second semester Calculus course back in 2002 and was one of the first students I purchased notes from. Since then she has contributed immensely to the development of this project. Together we got to hear firsthand the result of our work from two of my most recent pre-algebra students, Laura and Rebecca.




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Beyond the Fear of Math

Successful students would likely agree that beyond the fear lies a student's full potential. In these recent student interviews, restored confidence appears to be an important factor in achieving this.

Student Interview 1 (wma)
Student Interview 1 (mp3)

Student Interview 2 (wma)
Student Interview 2 (mp3)

Entire Interview (wma)
Entire Interview (mp3)

A Learning Culture

It takes a community to educate a diverse student population. Community college students bring many different life experiences to our classrooms, some of which can certainly hinder student success. With mature returning students, there also appears to be a level of fear motivated by the thought of sitting in a classroom with a much younger student population. But yet, once a returning student overcomes this fear and succeeds in a developmental math course, it is not uncommon for them to realize that they have been applying basic mathematics in everyday tasks throughout their entire life. They become more aware of its value and begin to see math, not only as a subject to be learned, but as a necessary part of a learning culture where one improves the quality of their lives.

The following is an interview of a returning student talking about his experience coming to back to school after many years. This student was never enrolled in any of my courses but it does appear that the website was able to support the student both academically and emotionally. This could be an example of how technology can be integrated into a learning community that supports student success.

Student Interview (wma)
Student Interview (mp3)

The Story Behind Algebra2go

Over the years there have been many student interviews conducted to capture the emotional side to learning mathematics. This gathered information led to the development of the Algebra2go website. Thanks to the support of KSBR and the effort of Donna Jo Thornton, a past student on mine, we now begin to capture the results of this student driven project. The interview below is the first of a series that we hope will promote awareness of the affective dimension of student learning. In the near future, Patrick Quigley, the one who designs the web pages for this project, will reveal his thoughts regarding this work.

Student Interview (wma)
Student Interview (mp3)

Complete Interview (wma)
Complete Interview (mp3)

For my Friends at Argosy University

Hello everyone! I’m Larry Perez. I currently teach mathematics at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA. After spending some time in the US Navy’s submarine fleet I entered school at CSU Fullerton, CA to pursue a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering followed by an M.A. in Applied Mathematics. During my graduate studies I taught mathematics part-time at CSUF and found that I had a strong passion for teaching the subject which led me to seek the fulltime position I now hold at Saddleback College. I’m here at Argosy into my sixth year pursuing an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership. I am not sure if I will eventually look for an administrative position in the educational arena as I feel my talents would be best served in a community college classroom full of basic skills math students. My research interests are centered on these particular adult learners who are now turning to the community college system looking for opportunities for career advancement.

While at Argosy learning about leadership theory, I took some of the ideas for managing organizations and used them to help guide the development of a methodology that would be used to investigate poor success rates in basic skills math classrooms. Applying this methodology resulted in a free online supplemental instruction learning environment called Algebra2go designed to meet the needs of my challenged basic skills students. It is this online learning environment I hope to study giving me a current topic title of “ANALYSIS OF THE IMPACT OF A DEVELOPED ONLINE SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION TOOL ARRAY ON PRE-ALGEBRA STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND ATTITUDE”.

Algebra2go Rap

Just trying something different.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYBYy-RxiNk

My Teaching Philosophy

“Fruitful teaching necessitates that we see the world through the eyes of our students.”

The cornerstone of my teaching philosophy is recognizing that students are as important to the teaching process as I am. I lead with high expectations and teach with a conscious mind. My objective is therefore to create a learning environment that supports a variety of learning modalities while strategically dismantling barriers that exist between the student-teacher relationship.
Students bring to the classroom different levels of attitude, aptitude, and motivation sometimes accompanied by a tremendous fear of taking math. Over the years I’ve learned that talking directly to individual students in a math classroom sometimes created a certain level of anxiety. Certainly is the case if I randomly ask a student to answer a question. Students simply do not want to be embarrassed in front of their peers and are often fearful of being put on the spot.
An essential quality to my teaching style requires mutual interaction between teacher and student rather than a one way projection of information. Opening lines of communication is essential to my philosophical view as I find that teaching to learn and learning to teach are critical elements of student success. I’ve learned many things about myself as a teacher by carefully listening to my students and analyzing their work. On occasion I’ve even read my semester’s lecture notes captured through the eyes of my own students.
This exchange of information is not limited to the classroom environment. As a matter of fact, my most informative conversations with my students have occurred prior to the beginning of the semesters. Meetings of this nature allow me the opportunity to present myself more as a mentor rather than that mean math instructor that they see on the first day of class. This then sets up a semester of sincere exchanges of information that foster new ideas for presenting lecture material and secondly allows a clearer assessment of student need. Defined student issues such as fear, ability, family obligations, and time constraints placed on working students, are among many factors that have led me to extend my teaching philosophy beyond classroom walls. For this reason I took on the challenge of developing a technological delivery system that could potentially meet my students’ needs.
In this pedagogical mode, my approach is to capture the advantages of the online learning environment while being mindful to the student perception of the cold and mechanical nature of seeing mathematics on a computer screen. It is my vision that this strategy will create a bridge leading to an online environment that alleviates this negative student attitude. Therefore, providing learning resources in this environment requires both contextualization and humanization in an effort to re-create the social emotional experience similar to what exists in the traditional classroom setting. Mutual interaction between teacher and student is maintained as I portray myself as a student character named “Charlie” whose somewhat humorous personality commingles with the emotions of students in this virtual world. Portraits of faculty, classified staff, real students, and tutors add to the mix to reveal a humanistic side of mathematics. Soothing color tones are also used to promote a calm learning online environment.
To accommodate different learning modalities in an online environment, it was necessary to develop an array of online learning tools designed to function individually or collectively. This gives students full control of their learning experience and the opportunity to develop individualized learning schemes. Hand written lecture notes provide a natural less threatening portrayal of mathematics. Worksheets that mirror video presentations promote active learning. Video presentations that include both professor and student create a unique learning experience designed to maintain focus, alleviate anxiety, and draw students into the presentation. Homework sets with solutions provide extra practice. Online quizzes give students the opportunity to test their skills. Finally, online assessment quizzes that yield individualized reports allow students to check mastery skills of major topic areas.
These developed resources come together to form an online supplemental instruction tool array called Algebra2go. It is a virtual complement to my teaching philosophy resulting from my approach to better myself as a teacher. It continues to evolve in an organic development process using student feedback as the mechanism of design. Spending time working with my pre-algebra students to develop these resources has made these last few years the most exciting of my career. By challenging myself to look at math through my students’ eyes, developing the Algebra2go project has provided me with the means to connect with those students in my role as a teacher.

Lawrence Perez
http://www.saddleback.edu/faculty/Lperez/Algebra2go