B/W Chapter 1- Introduction

The very first page discusses a topic that I have been thinking about a lot lately. The model given implies that students look at problems gven to them by textbooks or teachers and their only option is to solve them. At first I thought that the table (on page 1) was a very strange way to get this point across. The more I studied it, I came to really like it. It allows for a path where the student both presents a problem and solves it or where the authority can solve a problem a students has generated. Often times in math I think my students really think that we are pulling problems out of thin air. The are not seeing the connections we do and don't see the point of solving many of the problems they are given.

This goes right along with problem solving being viewed as a "spectator sport" (pg. 2). My students take no interest or pride in solving problems, they simply want the answer so they can be done with it. To many of my students, they are not trying to "know" or understand, only how to get the answer. On page 5, "right" answers are discussed. Especially in math class, a fear or getting the wrong answer hinders our students ability to think and reseason through problems they are given.

At the very end of this chapter, the authors discuss reasons for main topics to be reiterrated. Did anyone else notice that reason 6 came after reason 4 and reason 5 is the same as reason 1?? I did find it a little funny that they repeated the fact that it might take a second time or two reading through "novel" ideas before they sink in :)